Mentor Program


Student To Alumni Mentoring Program (STAMP)

The goals of this new program are to prepare KU geology students for employment and employment opportunities in their field and to connect KU geology alumni with KU students and the Geology Department. The idea for this program was developed by the Geology Associates Advisory Board, spearheaded by GAAB member Ron Wallace and George Stanley along with other board members and key KU Geology faculty and student representative, Steve Schurger.

As part of the Student-Alumni relations we are establishing information on individual mentors to connect KU geology students with potential KU alumni mentors. The whole program is voluntary but we strongly encourage everyone to participate as it can be rewarding with benefits to both students and alums. We also are working to establish a KU Geology Student-Alumni lecture program to get potential mentors on the KU campus to lecture and interact with students.

Please email the Geology Dept if you're interested in participating as a student or mentor.

INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

Are you a present or a recent KU geology student? Are you looking for a job or just want to connect with KU geology alumni with interests similar to your own? There are lots of opportunities to get ahead by putting your stamp on the new KU Geology Student to Alumni Mentoring Program. It lists names, e-mail addresses, interests of potential geology mentors willing to make contact with you and to provide advice and help.

This program is devoted to connecting you with prospective mentors - KU geology alumni employed in the Earth Sciences and related fields. We are excited about this program because of the potential it offers for interaction and assistance to students. Many of you are seeking or soon will be seeking jobs in your field and so consulting with a professional in that same field can help you in many ways, not only in finding jobs, but also in understanding what is involved in the job and thus helping you better prepare for it, both professionally and academically. How does it work? Ever wonder just how a KU graduate got her or his job or just what work in a potential job in the field is really like? This program will allow you to search and connect with KU geology alums, many of whom already are established in jobs in their fields - perhaps in industry, consulting, geological surveys, government or education.

Some may have found the exact job that you are seeking or at least aspiring toward. Simply talk to your geology adviser and they can give you the list and you can search for prospective KU mentors who are willing to communicate and assist you in various ways. You may contact them by phone, e-mail or at various professional meetings around the country.

Since we are just taking our first stab at this, currently, the list is obviously quite primitive. The students have access to this list of mentors and mentor contact information and are encouraged to contact the mentor of their choice via this list.

There will also be a similar list for students who wish to be contacted by a potential mentor. To get your name included on the student list, send your information to:

attn: Carolyn Church

Department of Geology

1414 Naismith Drive

Ritchie Hall, Room 254

The University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS 66045.

cchurch@ku.edu

INFORMATION FOR MENTORS

To KU Alums and Potential Mentors:

Get involved! Connect with KU geology students. Put your indelible stamp on KU. We invite and encourage you to sign up to volunteer as informal advisors/mentors with KU geology students, many of whom would like to know what a job in the real world of geology is like. They also may have interests similar to your own and want to link up with you for some informal communication or advice. We have set up this program just for this purpose. This KU Student-Alumni program will help KU geology students in their perhaps frustrating quest to become professionals and to find jobs in their fields. They may also want to know about your job, what makes it satisfying, what makes it frustrating and want to know how to best promote them selves to secure that job of their dreams. Since you once were in their shoes, it may also be an especially rewarding experience for you. Many of our students would welcome your advice and are anxious to connect. Get involved and sign up, following the steps below.

Since we are just taking our first stab at this, currently, the list is obviously quite primitive. The students have access to this list of mentors and mentor contact information by contacting their geology adviser and are encouraged to contact the mentor of their choice via this list.

There will also be a similar list for students who wish to be contacted by a potential mentor. To get your name included on the mentor list, just fill out the STAMP mentors registration form (see left) or send your information to:

attn: Carolyn Church

Department of Geology

1414 Naismith Drive

Ritchie Hall, Room 254

The University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS 66045.

cchurch@ku.edu