Graduate Student Peer Mentor Award

Purpose

The Graduate Student Peer Mentor Award recognizes outstanding graduate students who provide peer mentoring to other graduate students in order to help them persist towards their degree, progress in their program or engage in scholarly activities and achieve success within their program. Our purpose at the University of Arizona is to work together to expand human potential to explore new horizons and enrich life for all. Our mission is to create a world where human potential is realized and we’re all working together to create solutions to big problems, so that life in our communities, in Arizona and on our planet can thrive. Our university values that undergird our purpose are integrity, compassion, exploration, adaptation, inclusion, and determination.

Peer collaboration is a vital part of the University of Arizona’s mission of educating and providing professional development for our students. This Award recognizes graduate students whose dedication to their colleagues through peer mentorship has been transformative. The intent of this award is to honor individuals whose dedication to nurturing graduate students in inclusive, equitable, innovative and holistically supportive ways has raised the standards of mentorship across the campus.

Eligibility

Eligible candidates will be graduate students. This award can be given to individuals or a peer mentor community. Priority will be given to candidates who have taken the Level 1: MENTOR Institute Online Training found in EDGE Learning.

Award

Recipient will receive a one-time allocation of $1,000 in University funds to facilitate further work within their discipline. One award will be given annually.

Criteria

Candidates will be judged on the significance of their contribution to mentoring one or more fellow graduate students at the University of Arizona to guide and support them through persistence, progression in their program or engagement in scholarly activities and achievement of success within their program.

Nomination Process

Materials are to be submitted online through Arizona Cultivate. The deadline for nominations is Monday, December 9, 2024, by 5pm.

A nomination packet must be submitted with the following materials:

  • CV for the nominee
  • One-page letter of nomination from the department head of the nominee’s graduate program.
  • One recommendation letter (2-3 pages) from a University of Arizona colleague or colleagues (faculty or graduate students).

Inclusive excellence is the engine that drives the value and practice of diversity and inclusiveness at the University of Arizona. At the center of Inclusive Excellence is the recognition and acceptance of the talents, worldviews, perceptions, cultures and skills that faculty communities bring to the educational enterprise. The University of Arizona recognizes the power of a diverse community and strongly encourages nominations of individuals with varied experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. As a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), the University of Arizona also recognized the importance of contributions of the nominee to the HSI mission.