What is the purpose of STEMNet?

STEMNet aims to help undergraduate students learn more about post-graduation and future career options in STEM. Students will get the opportunity to have a one-time virtual “coffee chat” with an experienced mentor who may give them advice or insight from their own experiences. The mentors all have relevant STEM-related experience, whether in academia, industry, professional school, or graduate studies.

How does it work?

Mentors and mentees apply and get paired. A member of the STEMNet team will email both individuals to introduce them to each other. Mentors and mentees can then decide a mutually agreed upon time to meet for their virtual “coffee chat” within the timeframe of the program.

What is the time commitment?

Each mentor-mentee pairing will only meet once and the meeting should be approximately 30-60 minutes. Mentors can choose how many mentees they would like to take over the course of the program (March-May).

When do the meetings take place?

These meetings will take place anytime from March-May depending on when the mentor and mentee are available. 

Who will I be paired with?

Based on the mentor and mentee applications, we will try our best to pair you with someone that has common interests, goals, or experiences in STEM. In particular, we will try to pair mentees with a mentor in their desired field or career of interest.

What do we talk about in these meetings?

During this meeting the mentee can ask the mentor about their experiences working in STEM, how they got to their current position, their education and their application process for graduate/professional schools. The meetings are meant to provide some advice and/or guidance on STEM careers and post-graduate options for undergraduate students.

What level of education will the mentees have?

Mentees will be undergraduate university students in STEM, ranging from first to fourth year or higher. 

How many mentees will I be paired with?

In the application form you can specify how many mentees you wish to be paired with. Each mentee is only one meeting (30-60min) so most mentors choose to take several mentees (have several meetings) over the course of March-May.

Can I apply for more than one mentor ?

Yes, if you would like to be paired again after your first mentor, you can contact us about being paired again. However, this will be dependent on mentor availability.

If I apply am I guaranteed a mentor?

Due to the limited availability of mentors, we cannot guarantee that you will be accepted to the program and paired with a mentor. However, we will try our best to provide as many opportunities as possible. We encourage you to take some time in completing the application.