Reflections on a career as graduate mentor-from baby steps at Wisconsin to today.

Graduate education is an important aspect of the life of most academic scientists and a serious responsibility because it comes with the obligation to help students achieve their career and life goals. It can also be very fulfilling for the graduate mentor in terms of personal satisfaction and advancement of the research program. Learning to be a good major professor is an active process that depends on developing a formal framework of education and modifying that framework for each student based on past experiences and experimentation, advice from colleagues, and the individual personality of the student. Perhaps most important is for the graduate mentor to buy into the success and well-being of the student. Among the characteristics that a major professor could seek to instill in his or her students are critical and independent thinking, self-confidence, a thick skin, teamwork, laboratory skills and understanding, and the ability for hard work. Work to make science joyful by celebrating accomplishments, creating a fun environment in the lab, and stressing the societal value of science as compared to personal rewards or ambition.

Science is dependent on education of the next generation through the formal and informal instruction that new scientists experience in graduate school. This paper focuses on some approaches to be considered by the graduate mentor as he or she guides his students into the world of science.

Reproducibility efforts as a teaching tool: A pilot study.

The "replication crisis" is a methodological problem in which many scientific research findings have been difficult or impossible to replicate. Because the reproducibility of empirical results is an essential aspect of the scientific method, such failures endanger the credibility of theories based on them and possibly significant portions of scientific knowledge. An instance of the replication crisis, analytic replication, pertains to reproducing published results through computational reanalysis of the authors' original data. However, direct replications are costly, time-consuming, and unrewarded in today's publishing standards. We propose that bioinformatics and computational biology students replicate recent discoveries as part of their curriculum. Considering the above, we performed a pilot study in one of the graduate-level courses we developed and taught at our University. The course is entitled Intro to R Programming and is meant for students in our Master's and PhD programs who have little to no programming skills. As the course emphasized real-world data analysis, we thought it would be an appropriate setting to carry out this study. The primary objective was to expose the students to real biological data analysis problems. These include locating and downloading the needed datasets, understanding any underlying conventions and annotations, understanding the analytical methods, and regenerating multiple graphs from their assigned article. The secondary goal was to determine whether the assigned articles contained sufficient information for a graduate-level student to replicate its figures. Overall, the students successfully reproduced 39% of the figures. The main obstacles were the need for more advanced programming skills and the incomplete documentation of the applied methods. Students were engaged, enthusiastic, and focused throughout the semester. We believe that this teaching approach will allow students to make fundamental scientific contributions under appropriate supervision. It will teach them about the scientific process, the importance of reporting standards, and the importance of openness.

Inquiry in psychology.

When they discuss the Danish academic situation, Szulevicz, Lund and Lund (2021) address three questions about the academic training of psychology researchers: (a) why do Danish master's students in psychology more frequently choose the qualitative method for their research?; (b) what are psychology students working on?; and (c) what are they interested in? These three questions have led us to reflect on researcher training and the political and educational model universities adopt for psychology master's courses, not only in the Danish context, but also in other general contexts. In this commentary, we will discuss one strictly normative issue: what should the scientific ideal be for training researchers in psychology? Or more accurately: how can psychology contribute to discussions about the scientific ideal of researcher training in this knowledge area?

How do STEM graduate students perceive science communication? Understanding science communication perceptions of future scientists.

Increasingly, communicating science to the public is recognized as the responsibility of professional scientists; however, these skills are not always included in graduate training. In addition, most research on science communication training during graduate school, which is limited, has been program evaluation or literature reviews and does not report on or seek to understand graduate student perspectives. This research study provides a comprehensive analysis of graduate-level science communication training from the perspective of STEM graduate students. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study aimed to investigate where graduate students are receiving science communication training (if at all), what this training looks like from the student's point of view, and, for graduate students that are engaging in science communication, what do these experiences look like. This study also explores how graduate students define science communication. Taken together, these results will give graduate students a voice in the development of science communication trainings and will remove barriers and increase equity in science communication training.

Social predictors of doctoral student mental health and well-being.

Graduate students' mental health and well-being is a prominent concern across various disciplines. However, early predictors of mental health and well-being in graduate education, specifically doctoral education, have rarely been studied. The present study evaluated both the underlying latent classification of individuals' mental well-being and predictors of those classifications. Results estimated two latent classes of students' mental health and well-being: one class with generally high levels of mental well-being and one with lower levels of mental well-being. Regression analyses showed that mentoring in the second year of doctoral study, certainty of choice in the third year, and both academic development and sense of belonging in the fourth year were positive predictors of membership in the higher mental well-being class. In contrast to some prior studies, demographic variables were not related to the identified well-being classifications. Regression analyses further showed that mental well-being was negatively related to participants' number of publications and research self-efficacy, indicating a problematic relationship between scholarly productivity and confidence and well-being. These findings may be used to identify and provide targeted support for students who are at-risk for having or developing lower levels of mental well-being in their graduate programs.

Learning design in science education: perspectives from designing a graduate-level course in evidence-based teaching of science.

Graduate students intending to pursue an academic career in the sciences have much to gain by learning to teach science but often have limited training opportunities. In response to this need, we designed a one-semester course, Learning Design in Science Education (LDSE), in which students receive formal training in pedagogical theory with role model demonstration of current best practices in active learning. Building from previous descriptions of similar courses, we added a practical experience for the students to utilize their new skills to design and teach a mini science course at the end of the semester. Additionally, students developed a teaching portfolio, complete with a personal teaching statement, syllabus, course materials, and evaluations from peers and faculty. Overall, the course was well received by the students and there are early indications that students benefited from their participation in the course. In this manuscript, we present the design and outcomes of the course, faculty and student perceptions, and thoughts on improvements for future semesters and its potential for use by others.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The need for graduate students and other trainees to learn effective methods for teaching science is greater than ever. In this manuscript, we offer a model course for the training of graduate students in learning theory, curriculum design, and technology use in a biomedical sciences environment.

A Virtual World: New Graduate Education in the Era of COVID-19.

In this article, the authors share strategies of adult learning principles for successful transition to virtual learning for new graduate clinical nurses. Knowles' theory was used to redesign a simulation-based education approach to fulfill the diverse learning needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The delivery of efficient, effective, and meaningful education was achieved by leveraging technology. This evidence-based strategy was delivered via a cost-effective virtual platform that offered improved accessibility and convenience of education without compromising the quality of the educational outcomes, participant engagement, or learner satisfaction. This virtual platform incorporating a variety of active learning strategies exhibited effective practices, engaging the new graduate clinical nurses and enhancing their acquiring, retaining, and applying knowledge in providing high-quality and safe patient care. It demonstrated the promise that virtual education holds for future programs to enhance professional development and build the nursing workforce. Nurse educators can be instrumental in advancing this virtual agenda. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2022;53(7):307-311.].

Go tani and his influence on the kinesiology field in the brazilian scientific context / Go tani e sua influência no campo da cinesiologia no contexto científico brasileiro

ABSTRACT This study aimed to group some perspectives on Go Tani's epistemological activity in the context of Brazilian Physical Education (PE), establishing his contributions and reflections on Kinesiology for the structuring of undergraduate and graduate Physical Education in Brazil. This is a bibliographical and exploratory study, which prioritized Tani's production on the most varied platforms and the materials that circulated about Kinesiology in national and international literature. Finally, through the theoretical review, it was possible to identify that the PE field is a scenario full of disputes and that even with the transformations of paradigms that infer the legitimate alternatives in the scientific context, the relationships that are established between the different schools of PE thought have erupted in a process of mutual incomprehension that contributes to the circularity of perspectives and the maintenance of beliefs in the field.

RESUMO O presente estudo objetivou agrupar algumas perspectivas sobre a atividade epistemológica de Go Tani no contexto da Educação Física (EF) brasileira, estabelecendo suas contribuições e reflexões a partir da Cinesiologia para a estruturação da graduação e da pós-graduação em Educação Física no Brasil. Trata-se de um estudo bibliográfico e exploratório, o qual priorizou a produção de Tani nas mais variadas plataformas, bem como os materiais que circularam sobre a Cinesiologia na literatura nacional e internacional. Por fim, através da referida revisão teórica, foi possível identificar que o campo da EF é um cenário repleto de disputas e que mesmo com as transformações dos paradigmas que inferem nas alternativas legítimas no contexto científico, as relações que são estabelecidas entre as distintas escolas de pensamento da EF têm eclodido num processo de interincompreensão que contribui com a circularidade de perspectivas e a manutenção de crenças no campo.

Biomedical graduate student experiences during the COVID-19 university closure.

COVID-19-associated university closures moved classes online and interrupted ongoing research in universities throughout the US. In Vanderbilt University, first year biomedical sciences PhD students were in the middle of their spring semester coursework and in the process of identifying a thesis research lab, while senior students who had already completed the first year were at various stages of their graduate training and were working on their thesis research projects. To learn how the university closure and resulting interruptions impacted our students' learning and well-being, we administered two surveys, one to the first year students and the other to the senior students. Our main findings show that the university closure negatively impacted the overall psychological health of about one-third of the survey respondents, time management was the aspect of remote learning that caused the highest stress for close to 50% of the students, and interaction with their peers and in-person discussions were the aspects of on-campus learning that students missed the most during the remote learning period. Additionally, survey responses also show that students experienced positive outcomes as a result of remote learning that included spending increased time on additional learning interests, with family, on self-care, and for dissertation or manuscript writing. Though a variety of supportive resources are already available to students in our institution, results from our survey suggest enhancing these measures and identifying new ones targeted to addressing the academic and emotional needs of PhD students would be beneficial. Such support measures may be appropriate for students in other institutions as well.

An integrated model for interdisciplinary graduate education: Computation and mathematics for biological networks.

The current challenges at the forefront of data-enabled science and engineering require interdisciplinary solutions. Yet most traditional doctoral programs are not structured to support successful interdisciplinary research. Here we describe the design of and students' experiences in the COMBINE (Computation and Mathematics for Biological Networks) interdisciplinary graduate program at the University of Maryland. COMBINE focuses on the development and application of network science methods to biological systems for students from three primary domains: life sciences, computational/engineering sciences, and mathematical/physical sciences. The program integrates three established models (T-shaped, pi-shaped and shield-shaped) for interdisciplinary training. The program components largely fall into three categories: (1) core coursework that provides content expertise, communication, and technical skills, (2) discipline-bridging elective courses in the two COMBINE domains that complement the student's home domain, (3) broadening activities such as workshops, symposiums, and formal peer-mentoring groups. Beyond these components, the program builds community through both formal and informal networking and social events. In addition to the interactions with other program participants, students engage with faculty in several ways beyond the conventional adviser framework, such as the requirement to select a second out-of-field advisor, listening to guest speakers, and networking with faculty through workshops. We collected data through post-program surveys, interviews and focus groups with students, alumni and faculty advisors. Overall, COMBINE students and alumni reported feeling that the program components supported their growth in the three program objectives of Network Science & Interdisciplinarity, Communication, and Career Preparation, but also recommended ways to improve the program. The value of the program can be seen not only through the student reports, but also through the students' research products in network science which include multiple publications and presentations. We believe that COMBINE offers an effective model for integrated interdisciplinary training that can be readily applied in other fields.

A catalyst for change.

Disillusioned with conducting chemistry experiments in a basement, a new graduate student decides instead to dedicate her PhD to improving the culture of her research environment.

The Call for Global Health Research Mentorship for Doctorally Prepared Nurses in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Limited research about nursing mentorship in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is holding science back. This article describes the strengths and challenges associated with global health research mentorship for doctorally prepared nurses whose scholarship focuses on LMICs. Using reflexive narrative accounts from current and former nurse mentors and nurse mentees who participated in a NIH-funded global health doctoral research program, emerging themes revealed the perspectives of mentors and mentees, producing a global health mentoring model for nursing research mentorship relevant to LMICs. Identified themes, which applied across roles and primary affiliations, included 1) collaborative mentor-mentee relationships and 2) enthusiasm for global health nursing. Our global health nursing research mentor-mentee interaction systems conceptual model focuses on nursing science mentoring in LMICs incorporating interpersonal, institutional, and cultural factors. We describe successful components of global nurse researcher mentorship and summarize directions for future research in the field. Our model can be used to create more effective mentee-centered mentoring for nurses or health professionals conducting global research. To advance science, we encourage doctorally prepared nurses to support mentee-centered research mentorship experiences that are sensitive to the unique needs of interdisciplinary global health scholarship.

Performance measures of racially underrepresented Ph.D. students in biomedical sciences: The UAMS IMSD Program Outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to identify performance measures of racially underrepresented minority (RUM) Ph.D. trainees who needed additional training initiatives to assist with completing the UAMS biomedical science degree. A sample of 37 trainees in the 10-year NIH-NIGMS funded Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) were examined. Descriptive statistics and correlations examined process measures (GRE scores, GPAs, etc.) and outcome measures (time-to-degree, publications, post-doctoral fellowship, etc.) While differences were found, there were no statistically significant differences between how these two groups (Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominately White Institutions (PWIs)) of students performed over time as Ph.D. students. Graduates who scored lower on the verbal section of the GRE also had a higher final graduate school grade point average in graduates who received their undergraduate training from HBCUs. Of the graduates who received their undergraduate training from PWIs, graduates who scored lower on the quantitative section of the GRE had higher numbers of publications. These findings stimulate the need to 1) reduce reliance on the use of the GRE in admission committee decisions, 2) identify psychometrically valid indicators that tailored to assess outcome variables that are relevant to the careers of biomedical scientists, and 3) ensure the effective use of the tools in making admission decisions.

Adaptive strategies to conduct participant-centric structured virtual group discussions for postgraduate students in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the wake of COVID-19, the postgraduate activities in physiology were shifted from live (face-to-face teaching) to virtual mode. This transition posed a challenge to postgraduate students and faculty moderators, especially for participant-centric group discussion, wherein face-to-face interaction contributes significantly to active learner engagement. To bridge the gap between live group discussion (GD) and virtual GD in the conventional format (VGD), we implemented an innovative yet feasible multistep approach of conducting structured virtual group discussion (sVGD). It involved priming of students during the preparatory phase and incorporation of the Tuckman model of group dynamics, which consists of sequential substages of forming, storming, norming, and performing into the virtual format. Unsupervised synchronous and asynchronous, as well as supervised synchronous interactions within and in between the minigroups in a structured way, led to active engagement of students with one another and the moderator, despite the constraints imposed by the virtual format. After establishing the feasibility of the approach during the first GD (sVGD-1), sVGD-2 was conducted, further refining the approach, and feedback was obtained from the postgraduate students. Pre-GD feedback revealed that the live session was preferred over virtual for the conduct of GD, whereas both live GD and sVGD were perceived to be more effective than VGD in the post-GD feedback. Such pedagogical innovations may also help to address the challenges posed in traditional teaching across the undergraduate and postgraduate courses in medical education and beyond during such unforeseeable circumstances.