Finding good mentoring relationships is such an important part of career success, I’m continuing to examine this topic by interviewing another of our faculty at the Institute for Genome Sciences.
Finding good mentoring relationships is such an important part of career success, I’m continuing to examine this topic by interviewing another of our faculty at the Institute for Genome Sciences.
Julie Dunning Hotopp, PhD, is an Assistant Professor, Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and a scientist at the Institute for Genome Sciences. In 2010, Julie received two prestigious awards – the National Institute of Health Director’s New Innovator Award, and the Grand Challenges Explorations Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for her ground-breaking research about the role of lateral gene transfer in human health. Her specific area of interest involves documenting extensive lateral gene transfer between bacteria and animals, and she has published noteworthy papers about her research.
Like the precise scientist that she is, Julie started our chat by ruminating on how the term “mentor” can define so many different levels of professional relationships. There are “limited exposure” mentors, who give valuable advice but for contained time periods or for specific career questions. Other mentors offer ongoing advice and are more involved in their mentee’s career through long periods of time.
Julie has had a series of mentors throughout her career, who have helped her at critical decision points. As an undergraduate, her first research mentor was assigned to her. Although this introduction came through the university’s formal process, it was a good match and the mentor was generous with his time and helpful in personal ways, and truly wanted to be a mentor.
“His wife was also a scientist and he understood the challenges of scientific careers for women, so his mentoring advice went beyond the science,” explained Julie. “They hosted a weekly happy hour and were open to getting to know the students as people.”
“The best mentoring relationships happen naturally.” She met one mentor at a scientific meeting, where they were seated together at a meal. This particular scientist was well-known in her field, but being new to the field, Julie didn’t recognize her name or realize her reputation. Yet, over time, this mentor has given specific advice about Julie’s potential research opportunities in the field.
Julie describes the Wolbachia scientific community as “adopting” her. “At some conferences, you can feel like an outsider, but this group welcomes new investigators and makes them feel a part of their community. They are very interested in fostering young scientists, their conferences are relatively small and the leading scientists are very supportive with their advice.”
Julie has found that mentors can be helpful for advising with grant reviews, but if you are under deadline, it’s best to ask many people simultaneously, as your mentors could be under tight deadlines, too, and may not respond promptly.Julie also is appreciative of her mentors and tries to take the time to let them know it. When she received the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, she thanked all of her mentors, and others, who helped her on that project by giving them a small token of her appreciation. “Sow your seeds widely,” she advises. “Don’t look for your mentors in one place.”
