2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Attention to mental health and inclusion are critical for the retention and success of STEM graduate students. Faculty advisors are key to fostering these critical aspects of the graduate experience within the academic system. However, most faculty advisors are unaware of how to mentor holistically (taking into account student mental, physical, and emotional well-being in addition to their academic work) to the mutual benefit of their students and themselves. At Clemson University, the Graduate Center for Transformative Mentorship (GCTM) trains faculty advisors how to mentor using evidence-based techniques and to promote the mental, physical and emotional well-being of their graduate students. The EMPOWERS (Evaluating Mentoring Practices for Optimal Work-life balance in Education and Research in STEM graduate studies) program expands the GCTM by tailoring mentor training specifically to the needs of students and faculty at Clemson University. Within EMPOWERS, faculty and graduate student mentors learn key aspects of holistic mentoring--a comprehensive bidirectional approach to mentorship that integrates career and psychosocial support to foster a supportive relationship promoting personal and professional enrichment--from modules developed by University faculty. This Work In Progress , mixed-methods study focuses on our initial research and evaluation efforts of EMPOWERS through two piloted instruments 1) We present the results of interviews with EMPOWERS graduate student participants on their mentoring self-efficacy. 2) We then examine the results of a piloted graduate student mental health, well-being, and inclusion survey. Results from our pilot study will ultimately culminate in a validated survey intended for use in future EMPOWERS work to measure changes in graduate students' perceptions of personal well-being, self-efficacy, and inclusion. Additionally, long-lasting effects of this program and study aim to provide effective and holistic mentoring training for both faculty and graduate students broadly throughout STEM.