What is the best way to choose a faculty research mentor?
A good mentor/mentee relationship is mutually beneficial, with the partners generally choosing each other. If you are a student seeking a mentor, you should first find out as much as possible about the prospective mentors research interest, scholarly record, availability, and reputation as a supporter of and role model for undergraduates. Many departments post faculty research interests on their pages. Start there. If a faculty member expresses some of the same interests as you have, look to see if he or she has an individual web page which will likely feature longer discussions current research and lists of publications, presentations, and other scholarly activities. If possible, find and review the publications at least briefly and scan the texts of lectures or other presentations. Check with the department to make sure the faculty member will not be on sabbatical or away or unavailable for other reasons during the period when you would like to conduct research with him or her. Ask o
