2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

EMPOWERS: Advancing Holistic Graduate Mentorship and Systemic Change in STEM Education

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session I

Program Background

The Evaluating Mentoring Practices for Optimal Work-life balance in Education and Research in STEM graduate studies (EMPOWERS) program was developed in response to the Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) Track 2: Systemic Interventions and Policies call. Founded as a part of University X's Center for Transformational Mentorship (CTM) and in collaboration with their university-wide GRAD 360 program, EMPOWERS is a four-year, multi-dimensional mentor training initiative that aims to enhance the bilateral relationship between graduate students and their faculty advisors for improved graduate student outcomes, such as retention rates, graduation rates, and postgraduate career placement. Moreover, the EMPOWERS initiative focuses on the programmatic development of interactive, holistic mentor training sessions for faculty and graduate students at University X to emphasize graduate student wellbeing, inclusion, and professional development and promote systemic change at the department, college and University levels. Graduate students also engage in professional development through another University-based program called GRAD 360. In addition to holistic mentorship training, EMPOWERS works alongside GRAD 360 to promote graduate student wellbeing, mental health, and inclusion. Within the scope of this focus, the EMPOWERS project is led by two distinct goals:

Goal 1: Promote holistic mentorship, training, mental health and well-being, inclusion, and career and professional development.

Goal 2: Affect systemic change at the department, interdepartmental/college, and University levels through capacity building and policy development related to holistic mentoring.

First Year Impacts

The first year of the EMPOWERS program was vital for developing and deploying evaluation and research tools as a baseline to track progress throughout the project. Additionally, new mentor training sessions were developed for graduate students as well as faculty. Since the EMPOWERS program was implemented, a total of 9 sessions have been added to the CTM for graduate students (bringing the total to 15), and 6 have been added for faculty (bringing the total to 13). A total of 76 faculty and 100 graduate students participated in at least one session during this start year. Preliminary qualitative results from graduate student interviews suggest that graduate students are using these mentor training sessions to help facilitate better communication with their advisors. Evaluation and research efforts are ongoing, and will continue throughout the remainder of the grant.

Lessons Learned and Future Directions

Evaluation and research results from the first year of EMPOWERS suggests that a greater emphasis is needed on hands-on, timely sessions for graduate students. Additionally, the EMPOWERS team will employ new marketing campaigns to target a broader diversity of graduate student and faculty participants. Future years will target broader institutionalization of holistic mentor training, with the goal of added mentor training as a requirement for new graduate students and as a component of the tenure review process for faculty.

Authors

Dr. Randi Sims http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6380-2460 Clemson University [biography]

Randi Sims, Ph.D., is a consultant with Quality Evaluation Designs and a recent graduate of Clemson University, where she earned her Ph.D. in Engineering and Science Education. She brings over eight years of experience leading programmatic and institutional evaluations across STEM higher education, integrating qualitative and advanced quantitative methodologies.

Her research centers on advancing equity and belonging in graduate and undergraduate research experiences through innovative mentoring and data-informed program improvement. Randi’s work bridges engineering education research and applied evaluation to design systems that foster student persistence, achievement, and inclusion.
Sofia Rodriguez Brewer Clemson University [biography]

Sofia Rodriguez Brewer is a graduate student at Clemson University, pursuing an M.S. in the Department of Bioengineering and a Ph.D. in the Department of Engineering and Science Education (ESED). Sofia earned her B.S. degree in Integrated Sciences from The Pennsylvania State University. Her primary research focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) intervention programs (SIPs) at undergraduate institutions in the United States. Her research interests include mechanisms of student support for vertical transfer, program evaluation, and holistic, bi-directional mentoring practices for graduate students in STEM.
Dr. Haleh Barmaki Brotherton http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-3859-8752 Clemson University [biography]

Dr. Haleh Barmaki Brotherton is a researcher in the Department of Engineering and Science Education at Clemson University. Her research interests include mental health, perfectionism, self-regulation, and decision-making. Her background is in Industrial Design and Industrial Engineering.
Julianne A. Wenner Clemson University
Dr. Karen A High Clemson University [biography]

Karen High, Ph.D., is a professor of Engineering and Science Education (ESED) at Clemson University. Prior to Clemson, High pursued technical and educational research as a chemical engineering professor at Oklahoma State University for 24 years. She has been active in educational research and initiatives for over her entire career. High has garnered more than $12 million in research funding, has written more than 100 peer- reviewed publications, and delivered more than 280 presentations and workshops on both chemical engineering and STEM educational research. She has mentored more than 40 graduate students and 50 undergraduate students in chemical engineering and STEM education research. Her current work focuses on student and faculty development and mentoring as well as student success in Calculus. High has held a variety of administrative positions: Clemson - Director of STEM Faculty Development Initiatives, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences (CECAS); Oklahoma State - Interim Director of Student Services, Coordinator of the Women in Engineering Program, and Director of the Measurement and Control Engineering Center. She currently serves as the Inaugural Director of the Clemson Center for Transformational Mentorship at Clemson.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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