Mentoring

Our mentorship programs provide an opportunity for industry professionals and students to connect. These programs are based on direct requests from employers to have more opportunities to connect with students, from students who want to have a formalized method to meet and learn from people in industry, and from students interested in gaining experience.

EXPERIENCE CIRCLES MENTORSHIP CIRCLES

Experience Circles Program - Mentors

The Experience Circles program provides funding, resources, and mentorship to support undergraduate engineering students in completing personal projects and research goals. This program empowers students to delve into their personal engineering interests while gaining practical skills and real-world experience through project-based learning guided by an employer (or faculty) mentor. 

Each circle, which will contain 1-2 mentors and 1-3 students, will be organized by student projects. Each mentor will only support one project.

The sign up deadline is Monday, January 20th at 11:59 p.m. Please sign up online here: Mentor Sign-Up Form for Experience Circles Spring 2025

 

Questions? Email mdmurdoc@uark.edu.

You can help Engineering Career Connections by signing up to become a project mentor! Each mentor-student pair or group will have a structured timeline with preset milestones to ensure progress. Each mentor will be paired with 1 - 3 students and will only mentor one project.
  • Mentors will be added to a prize drawing valued at $100 for their time and expertise. 
  • Opportunity to network with other industry professionals and students. 
  • Be part of a supportive community dedicated to engineering excellence.

By becoming a mentor, you will have the opportunity to guide and support students by: 

  • Helping students develop skills such as project management, business readiness, and communication 
  • Providing feedback and support  
  • Answering questions relating to the scope of their project
  • Offering your expertise by sharing your knowledge and experience
  • Mentor and Student Orientation: Tuesday, January 28th at 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
  • Project Duration: February – April
  • Final Deliverables Due:  Wednesday, April 30th
  • Spring 2025 Showcase: All project participants will be invited to showcase your project or research at the end of the year event (date to be shared soon) 

 

  • Please note that signing up does not guarantee your participation in this program. Final mentor and student pairings will be confirmed by Friday, January 24th.
  • You do not have to be an alum of the university or local (in Northwest Arkansas) to participate as a mentor.

 

International Undergraduate Student Mentorship Circles - Mentors

The Spring 2025 Mentorship Circles is a 3-month program that connects undergraduate international engineering students with employers in industry who have volunteered to mentor students and develop their career readiness skills.  

Each circle, which contains 2-3 mentors and 4-6 students, will be organized by student classification (sophomore, junior, senior) to ensure that students benefit from each other’s questions. Mentors will be people in industry who are former international students and who have a bachelor's degree. Topics of conversation may include: 

  • Networking
  • Exploration
  • Identifying employers who are open to sponsorship
  • Importance of Internships

The sign up deadline is Monday, January 24th at 11:59 p.m. Please sign up here: Mentor Signup for International Undergraduate Mentorship Circles Spring 2025.

Questions? Email mdmurdoc@uark.edu.

To participate as a mentor, we ask that you meet the following eligibility criteria: 

  • Have a bachelor’s degree in STEM (You do NOT have to be a U of A alumnus)
  • During school, studied on a student visa 
  • Commit to participating in entirety of program 

Below is the anticipated timeline for the 2024-2025 mentorship circles.

  • November 13: Mentor Application Opens 
  • January 24: Mentee Applications Close 
  • January 29: Mentors and Mentees notified of selection status and introduced to circles 
  • February 4: Kick-off event to introduce everyone and set expectations 
  • February – April: Circles meet twice a month 
  • May 1: Survey sent out to mentors and mentees 
  • Capacity for this program will be limited so not all who submit the registration form will be selected. 
  • You do not have to be an alum of the university or local (in Northwest Arkansas) to participate as a mentor.