Posted on February 1, 2026 by
Feb. 1, 2026 — The Graduate School received an HSRU grant from the Henry Luce Foundation and UC Santa Cruz to support professional development training for doctoral students and postdoctoral trainees. With this funding, the Graduate School launched the Graduate Mentoring Program (GMP), a semester-long, structured initiative that debuted this spring. The program is designed to help PhD students and postdoctoral scholars build confidence as mentors and future educators.
The program cohort includes 10 doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows who previously participated in Graduate School mentoring workshops beginning in Fall 2025. The GMP opened with a full-day Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) Entering Mentoring training in late January. This session supported participants in transitioning from mentees to mentors while exploring strategies for cultivating effective mentoring practices within academic communities. Additional GMP sessions will continue throughout the spring semester.
“It was very rewarding to see participants’ engagement and enthusiasm throughout this full-day workshop,” said Madhumita Joshi, Director of Postdoctoral Success for the Graduate School. “Kudos to all the participants.”
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Giselle Villalpando
