Improvements to an online mentoring program for women in engineering and sciences will make finding a mentor easier for MSU students.
MentorNet, a national one-on-one mentoring program that started in 1998, has been upgraded this year to allow students to select their mentors from a pool of professionals.
Tom Wolff, associate dean for undergraduate studies in the MSU College of Engineering, said the upgrades improve the program, which he said has gradually improved since it was introduced at MSU in 2001.
Last year, he said, students provided personal information that allowed the MentorNet system to select a mentor for the student based on his or her interests. The new system provides the mentor's information, allowing students to select the mentors they want.
"Trying to make matches with thousands of women in practice is quite a challenge," Wolff said. "It's fascinating that (the MentorNet staff) have managed to do just that."
Janie Fouke, dean of MSU's College of Engineering, became a member of the MentorNet advisory board last month. When she became dean four years ago, she said she wanted to make it a priority to add funding to bring the program to MSU.
Liana Mason, executive administrative assistant for MentorNet, said there are currently 75 students signed up at MSU, 38 of them matched with mentors. She said there were 150 students in 2002-03 and 155 in 2001-02.
Judy Cordes, MSU's primary MentorNet representative, could not be reached for comment.
Carol Muller, founder and chief executive officer of MentorNet, said she first had the idea for the system in the 1990s. She said she wanted to help students connect with professionals.
"The big picture prompt for me was the underrepresentation of women in science and engineering," Muller said.
Megan Glazier, a graduate student in the manufacturing and engineering management program, said she has participated in the MentorNet program for two years and she will likely sign up again this year.
Glazier, the president of the Society of Women Engineers at MSU, said online mentoring offers more flexibility than face-to-face mentoring.
And the new updates to the program, she said, make it even more user-friendly.
"It's nice that now you can select what field your mentor is in," Glazier said.
