2025 Conference Speakers
Pre-Conference Workshops
How to Mentor Anyone in Academia
Maria LaMonaca WisdomDuke University
Maria LaMonaca Wisdom is assistant vice provost for faculty advancement at Duke University. Formerly a professor of literature and a graduate student adviser, she now holds a faculty appointment in the Program in Education at Duke. She is also a professional certified coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation.
Across higher education, we can no longer assume that our mentees—whether graduate students, postdoctoral researchers or junior faculty, will follow closely in our footsteps. Today’s academic mentees come from a wider range of backgrounds, value different things, and are less likely to pursue careers in academia. They may also hold mentors to a higher set of expectations, including more intensive forms of psychological and emotional support. Unfortunately, many academic mentors rely on traditional, increasingly ineffective modes of mentoring that foreground subject matter expertise (advice) and personal example (role-modeling).
Show MoreHow do you mentor someone who won’t become you?
In this highly interactive workshop for faculty and higher-ed leaders, we’ll explore practices outlined
in How To Mentor Anyone in Academia (Princeton UP 2025) that can empower academic mentors to
mentor anyone. These include sustaining a robust practice of self-reflection; engaging in active
listening, powerful questioning, and other “coach-like” behaviors; and learning from evidence-based
theories of human motivation and change management. Because no successful mentoring relationship happens
in a vacuum, we’ll also discuss strategies for partnering with mentees, with colleagues, and with
broader peer networks to build more robust cultures of mentoring for all.Show Less
Designing a Mentoring Programs
David LawUtah State University
David Law is an associate vice president at Utah State University (USU) and oversees the Uintah Basin campuses. He is a family studies professor. Law earned his bachelor's degree from USU, his master's degree in marriage and family therapy (MFT) from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, and his Ph.D. in MFT from Brigham Young University. He has published in marriage and family therapy, family life education, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and mentoring in academia. He has received several awards for mentoring undergraduate students. Law has overseen the design, implementation, and evaluation of the faculty-to-student mentoring programs for the Uintah Basin campus and the USU statewide campus system. Law is co-editor of the recently published book Making Connections: A Handbook for Effective Formal Mentoring Programs in Academia. Law consults with the Mentoring Institute at the University of New Mexica to develop mentoring micro-credentials.
This interactive workshop takes a breadth perspective in helping program coordinators/managers design or redesign effective formal mentoring programs. Participants will:Show More
- Understand the six phases of peogram development.
- Understand the alignment between their institution's needs and the program's goals.
- Understand and apply theoretical constructs to their program.
- Understand various mentoring typologies.
- Create an operational definition.
- Create the programs' goals, objectives, and outcomes.
- Create a program assessment and evaluation plan.
- Create a theory of change logic model.
The last objective, creating a theory of change logic model, is the workshop capstone learning experience and will be the focus of the afternoon session. Developing a theory of change logic model is critical for three reasons. First, it helps mentoring programs move from an ad hoc culture to one of intentionality and effectiveness. Second, it clarifies the interconnections between the organization's needs and how the mentoring program will address these needs. Third, the theory of change logic model provides a clear and concise visual guide to explain the program to key stakeholders. Participants will access Law and Dominguez's 2023 book, Making Connections: A Handbook for Effective Formal Mentoring Programs in Academia.
Show LessPost-Conference Workshops
Managing and Evaluating Mentoring Programs
Laura LunsfordNational Science Foundation
Dr. Laura Lunsford is an expert in evaluation, mentorship, and leadership. A U.S. Fulbright Scholar (Germany), she has written over 50 peer-reviewed articles, case studies and chapters on these topics. She wrote the definitive guide for mentoring programs The Mentor’s Guide: Five steps to Build a Successful Mentor Program (2nd ed), co-edited the Sage Handbook of Mentoring, and co-authored Faculty Development in Liberal Arts Colleges. Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Institute for Decision Sciences, and the Department of Education among others. Laura received the International Mentoring Association’s Hope dissertation award and is a certified IMA consultant. She held tenured positions at the University of Arizona and Campbell University. Dr. Lunsford has held numerous academic leadership roles and worked for the U.S. National Science Foundation as an evaluator. She regularly consults on effective mentorship and leadership through Lead Mentor Develop, LLC.
Increase your efficiency and effectiveness as a program manager in this workshop that will give you tools you can use. You will clarify the goals of your mentoring program, which will drive program activities and evaluation. You will learn the five steps to manage and steward an effective mentoring program.
The morning session will focus on sharpening your program goals; and recruiting and preparing participants. You will ‘stress test’ your program against international standards. The afternoon session will focus on how to collect the right information at the right time and from the right people for program improvement. Finally, you will learn how to leverage a board of advisors and to share your program’s success. Bring any program materials you have developed. Show More
This workshop is designed for new and experienced program managers. This fun, interactive workshop will review case studies and participant examples to engage in learning that ‘sticks’.
At the end of the workshop, you will be able to:
- clarify expectations and deliver activities that support program goals.
- monitor activities and relationships for early interventions.
- collect evidence to improve the program and prepare compelling reports.
Coaching Skills for Mentors
Robert GarveyThe lio Partnership
Professor (Emeritus) Bob Garvey is one of Europe’s leading academic practitioners of mentoring and coaching. He is an experienced mentor/coach working with a diverse range of people in a variety of contexts.
Formerly Head of Research at York Business School, UK, Bob has great experience in many different international organisations. Bob subscribes to the ‘repertoire’ approach to mentoring and coaching. He is in demand internationally as a keynote conference speaker, webinar facilitator and workshop leader.
Bob has a PhD from the University of Durham in the UK. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and has published many books and papers on mentoring and coaching. The latest being the Sage book Coaching and Mentoring: Theory and Practice (4th Edition) He is a founding member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) and Honorary President of Coaching York (a social enterprise for coaching in the community). He has been awarded the EMCC’s Mentor Award for services to mentoring and a lifetime achievement award for contributions to mentoring. He is an active researcher and is currently researching the notion of coach maturity with an international team of researchers.
This is a practical workshop and is delivered in ‘the mentoring way’.
During the time together, we will explore a range of creative methods employed in coaching and consider how they may apply to mentoring work. These will include, using pictures and stacking dolls. The session will be highly interactive and participative and, hopefully, fun while we learn together. Strong consideration is given in the workshop to your ‘take aways’ by employing two reflective practice questions. Curious? Come and join us!
Plenary Sessions
Mentoring for Wellbeing: A Pathway to Flourishing in Organizations
Frances Kochan & Benjamin KutsyurubaAuburn University
Frances Kochan, PhD, is a Wayne T. Smith Distinguished Professor and Dean Emeritus, College of Education, Auburn University, Auburn Alabama, USA. Her research on mentoring focuses on establishing and assessing mentoring relationships and programs and on cultural aspects in the mentoring process. She was founder and past series editor for Perspectives on Mentoring published by Information Age Press. She has edited or co-edited numerous books on the topic and has published over 100 articles and book chapters. She has been keynote speaker for numerous associations including The Mentoring Institute, The International Mentoring Association, and The Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. Dr. Kochan has served as secretary and chair of the Mentoring and Mentorship Special Interest Group of the American Education Research Association. She also served on the Executive Board of the International Mentoring Association. She is a recipient of the University Council on Educational Administration Jay Scribner Mentoring Award for her dedication to mentoring students and faculty and for fostering mentoring initiatives. She was selected as the 2011 outstanding reviewer for the Mentoring and Tutoring Journal. She was also named the 2016 Outstanding Reviewer for International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education. She received 2024 International Mentoring Association Lifetime Achievement Award, She is a founder of Kochan Consultants LLC.
Benjamin Kutsyuruba, PhD, is a Professor in Educational Policy, Leadership, and School Law in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University. Throughout his career, Benjamin has worked as a teacher, researcher, manager, and professor in the field of education in Ukraine and Canada. His research interests include educational policymaking; educational leadership; induction, mentorship and development of teachers; trust, moral agency, and ethical decision-making in education; international education; school climate, safety, well-being, and flourishing; and, educational change, reform, and restructuring. His current research projects focus on positive leadership, flourishing in schools, educator wellbeing, and teacher induction and mentoring in international settings. He is a founder of MentorLead, a mentorship and leadership consulting business. He is actively involved on the Board of Directors for the International Mentoring Association (IMA) and is currently a President-Elect of IMA (2024-2026). He is a series editor for the Perspectives on Mentoring book series with Emerald.
Mentoring is recognized as a key developmental resource that facilitates the culture of growth and learning in various organizational settings. Less often recognized is the positive impact mentoring can have on the mental health and wellbeing of both the mentor and mentee. This plenary session will focus on how mentoring can promote mental health, build resilience, develop capacity to maintain, sustain, and promote emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing and ultimately foster flourishing, not only for mentors and mentees but also for all in various organizational settings. Grounded in the research on positive organizations, positive leadership, and appreciative inquiry, the presenters will share effective mentoring approaches, models, and strategies for nurturing and promoting wellbeing and flourishing in organizations. Show More
The session will include discussions of organizational factors that may hinder mentoring initiatives for wellbeing and key ways to foster wellbeing through mentoring. The session will include implications for research, practice, and leadership in the area of mentoring for wellbeing in organizations. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect upon the issues and findings related to wellbeing and the implications and application of the content to their own settings.
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Coaching Skills for Mentors
Carol MullenVirginia Tech
Carol A. Mullen, PhD, is Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Virginia Tech and a Fulbright Senior Scholar alumnus. She is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning mentoring researcher who uses equity/justice and policy lenses. Her books include Equity in School Mentoring and Induction (2025), Handbook of Social Justice Interventions in Education (2021, edited), and The SAGE Handbook of Mentoring and Coaching in Education (2012, coedited). She is former editor of the Mentoring & Tutoring journal and past-president of the International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership (ICPEL), Society of Professors of Education, and University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA). Carol was honored with UCEA’s Master Professor Award and Jay D. Scribner Mentoring Award, in addition to ICPEL’s Living Legend Award and the University of Toronto’s Leaders and Legends Excellence Award. She has published 29 books, over 250 journal articles and chapters in others’ books, and 17 guest-edited special issues.
Interest in wellbeing is growing across higher education and other settings, but it tends to be thought of as loosely related to mentoring. Yet, mentoring has a significant wellbeing element (psychosocial function) that involves emotional support, acceptance, role modeling, and belonging. Career support, measured by metrics of success (promotion, publication, graduation, retention, etc.), is also crucial. Wellbeing—feeling accepted and supported, having access to rewarding opportunities, and being treated fairly—overlaps with effective mentoring. The need for giving wellbeing greater prominence in mentoring initiatives to propel flourishing in the lives of many has been recently recognized. An emphasis on wellbeing can, in fact, serve as a catalyst for achieving mentoring goals that benefit students, faculty, and leaders.Show More
Wellbeing, mentoring, and policy, therefore, can be imagined as an interconnected system for promoting mental, emotional, and fulfillment in academic and professional contexts. In this session, Carol presents a blueprint for more effectively and intentionally integrating wellbeing into mentoring practices. Her original mentoring model features four components: Support, Accessibility, Collaboration and Equity (SACE). SACE was derived from her fieldwork in different institutions and analysis of research on mentoring. This framework is conducive for program, leadership, and relational development, and for policymaking in various settings. A goal is to re-imagine mentoring using SACE as metric to gauge equity and, hence, the overall effectiveness and health of institutional cultures. When equity forms a key component in a wellbeing-supported mentoring initiative, manifold benefits can occur: enhanced morale, improved performance, a sense of accomplishment, meaningful engagement, positive relationships, and increased productivity. Session attendees are invited to use Carol’s model and tools as a resource.Show Less
Hosting an Ecology for Wellbeing in Our Organizations
Keith Walkerwww.KeithDWalker.ca
Keith is husband to Viv, father to eight adult children (half by law J) and grandfather to seven. He is determined to be a diligent learner-leader, to live in loving relationships, aligned with truth, energized by grace, and attuned to wisdom from above. Imperfectly, he strives to be a person who humbly seizes opportunities to foster wellbeing, trust, and hope through relationships. Keith’s past and present roles have included: manager, international coach (Paralympics), high school teacher-leader and coach, educational administrator and director, cleric, organization and governance consultant, mentee/mentor, and professor of educational leadership and followership. Keith’s teaching, research and writing passions have focused on leadership integrity, leader and organizational development, as well as noticing, nurturing and sustaining wellbeing in communities of practice.
How might we be encouraged to continue to re-think about our organizations as places and spaces for fostering wellbeing? This session will invite our reflections on the vital priority, dynamics, and pragmatics of personal, interpersonal, reciprocal, and collective wellbeing in organizations. As leaders, followers and mentors, what are the scripts that we have come to believe about our roles and relationships that support wellbeing? What are the values and habits that help and hinder wellbeing? Viewed through a systems and ecological set of perspectives, we will review three key “hosting virtues” and the place of adaptive and leaderful strategies and practices that give attention to noticing, nurturing and sustaining overall organizational wellbeing.
Facilitated Learning Sessions
Opening Session
Dionne ClabaughAngle 4 Solutions
Dionne Clabaugh EdD loves working with people wanting to become resilient thoughtful humans! She is a facilitator, mentor, author, partner, parent, peace educator, musician, quilter, and gardener.
Dr. Dionne’s work is grounded in self-determination theory and promotes human development through engagement. She designs and facilitates mentoring, education, communication, cultural competence, life-span development, and women's intergenerational and intercultural relationships. Her higher education consultations build and assess mentoring programs to develop faculty mentors and educators who are self-aware, kind, and supportive humans. Dionne’s facilitation applies culture-centeredness, autonomy-supportiveness, reflective practice, appreciative inquiry, and collaboration to build self-directed learning environments. Currently her private practice and faculty work focuses on human development, mentoring, and sewing techniques so that one’s life may be more sincere and productive. Above all, Dionne seeks to promote deep learning and far transfer in ways that are respectful and generative for all.
This plenary session will explore developmental mentoring networks by describing their structure and intended impact on one’s personal and professional wellbeing. Interactive opportunities for story-sharing seek to inform and inspire participants to consider multiple points of view about the benefits of multiple mentoring relationships, both as a mentor and mentee. Participants will co-construct initial beliefs about these benefits specifically for their own wellbeing and professional success.
The experiences and insights shared are intended to enhance participant engagement at this conference so they can maximize this experience and better leverage mentoring networks for their personal, professional, and organizational development through inspiration and self-directed action. I hope to see you there!
Tuesday: Let’s Get Started - The Conference Theme
Developmental Networks for Wellbeing: The Impact of Mentoring on Individual and Organizational
Performance and Growth
Following opening remarks and description of the session purpose and guidelines, groups of 6-8 participants
engage in story-sharing circles in response to three appreciative inquiry prompts:
- What elements within the conference theme attracts you this year?
- What does wellbeing mean for your mentoring practice/program success?
- How does a mentoring network support your own performance and growth in mentoring?
Wednesday: Communities of Practice - Personalizing the Conference Theme
Developmental Networks to impact individual wellbeing for performance and growth
Following opening remarks and description of the session purpose and guidelines, groups of 6-8
participants engage in story-sharing circles in response to three appreciative inquiry prompts:
- Based on this conference and past experiences, what are the benefits of wellbeing?
- How might you build a developmental mentoring network to increase your own wellbeing?
- How might you guarantee and assess your wellbeing and professional effectiveness?
Thursday: Communities of Practice: Theme-focused dialogue about Mentoring
Developmental Networks to impact organizational wellbeing for performance and growth
Following opening remarks and description of the session purpose and guidelines, groups of 6-8
participants engage in story-sharing circles in response to three appreciative inquiry prompts:
- What is organizational wellbeing? What does it look like and feel like? What is it not?
- How might you mentor to ensure organizational wellbeing?
- How might you assess your mentoring effectiveness to impact organizational wellbeing?
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