Nominations are being accepted until Wednesday, March 24 for two Faculty of Graduate Studies awards honouring outstanding mentorship and leadership within the graduate community at Brock.

The Marilyn Rose Graduate Leadership Award, named in honour of Brock’s Dean of Graduate Studies from 2005 to 2011, recognizes faculty, staff and students who have demonstrated leadership in enhancing graduate studies at the University. All members of the Brock community are invited to submit nominations. The award winner will receive $500.

The Michael Plyley Graduate Mentorship Awards, named in honour of Brock’s Dean of Graduate Studies from 2011 to 2016, recognizes the essential role of mentorship in graduate education in two categories: Mentorship of master’s students only and mentorship of both master’s and PhD students. Graduate students are invited to submit nominations. Award winners receive $1,000 to assist with ongoing graduate student mentorship.

“Quality supervision is one of the best predictors of graduate student satisfaction,” said Dean of Graduate Studies Suzanne Curtin, who acknowledged the importance of recognizing outstanding mentorship.

“Faculty members mentor graduate students because they care about students and want to support their development, but that doesn’t mean that supervision is always easy,” she said. “It goes beyond discipline-specific training by incorporating professional and personal development, and being aware of mental health and wellness — providing holistic support of students.”

Curtin said her own fortune with excellent mentors over her career has influenced her desire to help Brock become a leader in supervisory development.

“I have been privileged to have a number of people provide mentorship over my career,” she said. “As a PhD student, I had co-supervisors from different disciplines who showed me the importance of collaboration and creating my own path. My post-doctoral mentor pushed my thinking and helped me to transition into a faculty role. We still collaborate today and I go to her for advice not only about research, but also about my role as a senior leader.”

For more information about the awards and for nomination criteria, visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.