MentorNet Fact Sheet

Organization Purpose:

MentorNet's mission is to further the progress of women and others underrepresented in scientific and technical fields through the use of a dynamic, technology-supported mentoring network, and to advance individuals and society, and enhance engineering and related sciences, by promoting a diversified, expanded and talented global workforce.

MentorNet's goal is to provide students, postdocs, and early career faculty with mentoring to enhance their persistence in fields where they remain underrepresented and to facilitate their entry into scientific and technical careers.

One-on-One Participant Information:

Matched Pairs (1997-2008): more than 20,000

2006-2007 Matched Participants:

• Gender (F/M):
     Protégés:  60% / 40%   Mentors:  51% / 49%
  
  
• Schools represented:
     116
  
  
• Companies represented:
     1196
  
  
• Protégé Educational Levels:
     3% A.A./2 yr.,   65% B.A./B.S.,   11% M.S.,  16% Ph.D.,  5% Postdoc.,  1% Untenured Faculty
  
  
• Protégé Areas of Study:
     72% Engineering/Computer Sciences,  12% Life Sciences,  9% Physical and Mathematical Sciences,  3% Environmental Sciences,  4% Business

MentorNet Specifics:

Founded: November 11, 1997

First web site opened: February 2, 1998

MentorNet has grown from approximately 430 protégé and mentor participants, to more than 3,000 protégés and mentors in 2006-07 and approximately 19,000 community members.

Founded by Carol Muller Ph. D., the seeds for MentorNet were sown in 1995 when, as associate dean at Dartmouth's school of engineering, she initiated a pilot e-mentoring program as part of the campus' Women in Science Project, which she had co-founded in 1990.

Upon moving to California's Silicon Valley in 1996, Dr. Muller further developed the concept of e-mentoring, developing a strategic plan for a very large-scale version in collaboration with an advisory committee. In 1997, with the help of professional societies, industry, and academic institutions, she launched the large-scale program called MentorNet. Carol Muller has a bachelor's degree in philosophy and English from Dartmouth and master's and Ph.D. degrees in education administration and policy analysis from Stanford. Her dissertation focused on career and family patterns of men and women Ph.D. recipients.

E - Mentoring:

Electronic mentoring (e-mentoring) is the merger of email and mentoring. Email is convenient, efficient, cost-effective, and easy to use. Email is also widely available, having become nearly ubiquitous on college campuses and in corporate settings. Using email allows MentorNet program participants to transcend constraints of geography, time, and synchronous communication.

Email is not just practical -- it has unique qualities as a communications medium that makes it excellent for mentoring. Communicating electronically removes most obvious markers of status difference, including those rooted in gender and hierarchy; students often feel less intimidated or hesitant asking questions using email than they might posing those same questions in person or over the phone. Email also makes it easy to communicate thoughtfully and deliberately, and provides a record of communication.

How is MentorNet Different?

MentorNet takes e-mentoring to a higher level with its structured mentoring program. Designed to provide wide access and support while retaining economies of scale, MentorNet uses technology and the Internet, as well as an extensive network of organizations and volunteers to serve large numbers of participants with a relatively small staff. Online applications, an in-house developed automated matching program, and web and email based training, coaching, information and support help mentors and protégés develop positive and productive mentoring relationships. MentorNet was designed based on extensive research, and continues to be evaluated and benchmarked, with continuous quality improvement and outcomes research to inform program improvement and measure program effects.