Empower

South Dakota Mines EMPOWER 

Notable Women@Mines    Equity  Resources      Selected References

Funded through the National Science Foundation ADVANCE Program.  The goal of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) ADVANCE program is to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering careers, thereby contributing to the development of a more diverse science and engineering workforce.

Empowering faculty to ADVANCE in their careers in a supportive campus climate

EMPOWER adapts three successful models from funded NSF Initiatives shown to improve campus climate for all faculty members at all levels of their careers, including research scientists, lecturers and tenure line faculty. With active participation from the administration, EMPOWER is also working on multiple policy updates with one main avenue of focus to provide more transparency.

EMPOWER Initiatives

Peer Mentoring Circles

Peer mentoring is a proven mechanism for faculty members to share ideas and concerns, develop skills, and create support mechanisms with people in your peer group. It also provides an opportunity to develop networking across departments and campus groups. For more information on Peer Mentoring Circles visit: Peer Mentoring Circles

For more information contact Dr. Arley Williams, Faculty Development Coordinator


Advocates and Allies 

The Advocates and Allies developed at North Dakota State University program has been successfully implemented at over 25 institutions nationally. For more information, visit the NDSU  Advocates and Allies program.

Mutual Mentoring 

Mutual Mentoring (MM) is a network-based mentoring model developed at UMass as a component of their Advance program. The model emphasizes five key attributes: diversification of mentoring partnerships, accommodation of personal preferences, specialization, cross generational benefits, and empowerment. View the Mutual Mentoring Guide (PDF)

Initial mutual mentoring grants will be offered based on the following priorities:
• Developing paths to advancement across all levels 
• Creating support networks across traditional campus boundaries 
• Developing partnerships for excellence in teaching and research 

Applications for Mutual Mentoring Grants of up to $1500 are due May 24 by 11:59pm.  To apply, please visit the mutual mentoring webpage.



NSF LogoThe EMPOWER Project is supported by NSF Grant #2121601, "Advance Adaptation: Empower through Inclusivity - Pathways to Success"

For more information, visit research.gov, project #2121601



The intent of the project is to empower Mines faculty and research staff by shifting from a culture of attrition to a culture of development and engaging the majority populations of faculty at Mines to increase awareness of implicit biases, promote pathways to success for all faculty, improve campus culture and climate, and help fulfill the university’s Mission, Vison, and Values

For general questions regarding:


EMPOWER
Dr. Lisa Kunza,
Principal Investigator
Dr. Lance Roberts,
Provost; Co-PI
Dr. Andrea Surovek,
Director, OFDA; Co-PI
Dr. Laurie Anderson,
Co-PI
Dr. Sara Racz
Senior Personnel
Dr. Roger Nielsen,
Senior Personnel
Dr. Brooke Long-Fox,
Project Coordinator


Mentoring Programs
Dr. Andrea Surovek,
Director, Faculty Development and Advancement
Dr. Arley Williams 
Faculty Development Coordinator


Advocates & Allies
Dr. Dan Dolan,

Professor Emeritus