BSD Mentor Training for Faculty focuses on effective communication, aligning expectations, mentoring for professional & career development, and supporting trainees in developing foundational skills. This is important for all faculty and a requirement for participation for most training grants.
Sponsored by the BSD Dean of Students Office: Co-Hosted by Vicky Prince, PhD, Professor Organismal Biology & Anatomy, David Kovar, PhD, Associate Dean of Education, Graduate Education, Professor Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology; Cassandra Hayne, PhD, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Upcoming Sessions 2026-27
Session 1: AI in Graduate Education
October 29, 2026
11:30 - 1:00 PM in GCIS 301/303
This session will focus on the impact of AI on graduate education. The discussion will center around both the opportunities and the challenges that AI presents for the education of our PhD students. We will break into subgroups, each focused on a different central topic:
- How should AI be used in the classroom?
- What role(s) should AI play, and what guidelines should be adapted, in the preparation of written documents like the comprehensive exam, qualifying exam (thesis research proposal), fellowship proposals, and dissertation?
- How should we teach our students to analyze data in the era of AI?
Register Now
Past Sessions
Session 3: Mentoring for Professional Development
May 22, 2026
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM in GCIS 301/303
We discuss what we can do to prepare our trainees most effectively for the wide array of career options available to them upon graduation. We shared data on post-graduation career trends for our graduate students and invited speakers, from across campus, presenting resources available to advance the career development of trainees. We believe this mentoring session equips faculty with new resources for supporting their trainees professional and scientific development.
Speakers included:
Laurie Risner, PhD, Director of Postdoctoral Affairs, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, Biological Sciences Division
Amy Hark, Director of STEM Graduate and Postdoctoral Career Development, UChicagoGRAD
Session 2: Evaluation and Assessment
January 9th, 2026
11:30 AM-1:00 PM in GCIS 301/303
This session will focus on developing consistent approaches for evaluating and assessing trainees. There will be roundtable discussions on best practices for the evaluation and assessment of students completing rotations, postdocs up for reappointment, and potential graduate students during admissions
Session 1: Aligning Expectations
November 21, 2025
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM in GCIS 301/303
Learn about establishing and communicating mutually beneficial expectations for the mentoring relationship and how personal and professional differences may influence expectations.
Panelists will include:
Cassandra Hayne, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Committee on Neurobiology,
Phoebe Rice, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Committee on Microbiology
Ada Weinstock, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Committee on Immunology, Committee on Molecular Metabolism, and Nutrition
Rachel Moran, PhD, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolution
Other Resources:
Chicago Center for Teaching and Learning including the Teaching in the AI Landscape Canvas Course
Faculty Development includes Mentoring Graduate Students Toolkit and other resources