Q: Why did the Stat Ed Section start a mentoring program last year? A: This is an exciting time to be teaching statistics. But it's also a challenging time. Amidst the growth of enrollments and booming job market for instructors, it seems like it's gotten harder to find an ideal position, land at that new institution, and continue to progress in a research or teaching career. We thought that it would be a great time to make connections between our more senior and more junior members to help share wisdom and provide people with different support. The ASA mentoring in a box materials were really helpful. (http://magazine.amstat.org/blog/2015/02/01/prescornerfeb_2015/) Q: How has the program been organized? A: After applying mentors (loosely defined as someone who has five or more years of experience) are paired up with mentees (late stage graduate students, postdocs, or early stage faculty) who all share an interest on aspects of teaching and statistical education. The only requirement is that both mentor and mentee be members of the ASA Stat Ed section. After sharing their CV's, the mentee is charged with finding regular times to meet by phone or Skype (or in person if they are located in the same vicinity). Ideally they would check in every month or so. Each pair has a liaison in case of any issues or complications. We've establiehd an ASA online community for members of the mentoring program that has a low-volume mailing list and background resources on effective mentoring. After a year, the formal program ends and the mentor and mentee are asked to fill out a short assessment. If the pair wants to continue to meet, great (but there's no obligation). Q: What have you learned from the first year? A: We did a survey of mentors and mentees and overall both groups has positive impressions. One mentor commented: "I enjoyed our conversations and open discussions about possible strategies for my mentee to adopt in her interviewing and first faculty position process." Another noted: "Just getting to think about issues for a new PhD that I haven't needed to think about for quite some time was refreshing and energizing (and gave a young person's perspective)." A mentee reported: "My mentor and I have extremely different research areas, but our focus in teaching provided a common bridge. We are at very different types of institutions, and my career goals were different from his. All of this actually proved positive, because he was able to provide a fresh perspective." Another noted: "My mentor was a perfect match. I was interested in teaching at liberal arts colleges and I was assigned a mentor who is a senior faculty at a liberal arts college. Since I was applying for jobs this year, he helped me tremendously both with my application materials and also with negotiation." Another stated: "I was paired with my mentor at the beginning of my job search, and he worked with me through every step of this process. This was invaluable. I had an outlet to discuss job worries, but also to ask about contract negotiations , choosing between offers , and navigating the interview process. My mentor always listened, and then provided very helpful advice. I am very grateful to him, and very glad that I joined this program! I feel I have gained a colleague as well as a mentor." For those of us on the committee (KB Boomer, Beth Chance, Tena Katsaounis, Matt Hayat, Nicola Justice, and myself) these comments were very encouraging. Q: What's been challenging about the program? A: Everyone is busy, so helping ensure that the pairs met was challenging at times. We're working to provide more reminders and gentle nudges. We've also been surprised at how challenging it has been to find mentees: they are so busy in their work that it's often hard to get on their radar. Here's where advisors and other resource people in graduate programs along with department chairs are helpful in suggesting the program to their new faculty. One of our mentees wrote: "I have been swamped with finishing my dissertation, recovering from final exams, moving across the country, meeting paperwork requirements at my new institution, and preparing for summer conference travel. I wouldn't necessarily have signed up. But one of the faculty members from the department at my new institution pointed out the opportunity and encouraged me to participate. I was so eager to please my new colleagues that I signed up (the suggestion had an impact)". Q: Is it too late to sign up for the next round of matches? A: Our first round of applications (due June 15th) yielded a great set of new mentors and mentees. We'll be making matches to allow the pairs to meet at the JSM (if both are attending). We're also planning another round of applications later in the summer (and will be looking for more mentors and mentees). More info will be available on the Stat Ed section website.