Tiered Mentoring
with The University of Akron Department of Biology
Introduction
The Tiered Mentoring Program at the University of Akron connects undergraduate students with research, internship, and clinical shadowing experiences with our local community partners that build confidence and foster belonging in biology and biomedical fields. Designed for students early in their academic journey, this program pairs each student with a faculty mentor, graduate student, and experienced peer. In year one, students are mentees gaining hands-on experience; in year two, they become mentors to incoming participants. This cycle of guided learning, collaboration, and leadership helps students persist in their degrees, explore career pathways, and build strong letters of recommendation for graduate and professional schools.
In year one, students are mentees gaining hands-on experience; in year two, they become mentors to incoming participants. This cycle of guided learning, collaboration, and leadership helps students persist in their degrees, explore career pathways, and build strong letters of recommendation for graduate and professional schools.
The Tiered Mentoring program is made possible by a gracious yearly gift from Norbert Thompson and a gift from Carolyn Olive in memory of her late husband John Olive, a previous professor in the Department of Biology.
2025 projects will be releasing soon!
How to Participate in the Tiered Mentoring Program
Are you an undergraduate student interested in joining the Tiered Mentoring program? Start by reviewing this year’s research projects to see what catches your interest. You should also visit the websites of any professors or community partners whose projects you are interested in and learn more about their research. You might also wish to contact the research manager before you make your choice of which project you would like to work on.
After reviewing the research projects, fill out the application form. On that form, you can identify up to 4 research projects you would be interested in working on. The application form asks you to write a brief outline of why you are interested in working with the research group(s) you have identified. This may be the only information the research mentors have to judge your application, so submitting a strong application will greatly increase your odds of being chosen to participate.
When the application deadline closes, the research project leaders will rank their acceptable applicants, and then the accepted students will be offered a position in October. Once accepted, you will negotiate the start date, end date, and hours per week with your research manager.
Once accepted to the Tiered Mentoring program, you are encouraged to sign up for independent research credits in the biology department and complete your research project over the course of the program. The number of credits you sign up for will vary depending on your time commitment, usually 1-4 total credits. Time commitments for research are negotiated with the research manager and are usually quite flexible.
If you have any questions about Tiered Mentoring, please contact Dr. Jordan Renna.