Teaching

I thoroughly enjoy the role we as academicians play as mentors and advisors to students learning the art of research alongside us and to see them grow and contribute to the well-being of society. Having worked and interacted with a number of senior scientists, I have seen and experienced diverse mentorship styles. These experiences have shaped my own style of mentoring research students, which is what Angela Duckworth, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, describes as being in the demanding and supportive quadrant (see image below).

I believe as mentors, our role is to ensure that we create an environment where students experience sustained and often exponential growth. At times, this requires pushing them outside of their comfort zone and often into some discomfort. It is my opinion and experience that growth cannot happen without discomfort and, unfortunately, given the option, we tend to choose comfort, which often limits our growth. I recommend the TED talk linked on this page on the idea of growth rings that describes my mentoring philosophy.