Registration Now Open! Effective Student Mentoring Webinar with Becky Wai-Ling Packard, PhD.
We are excited to welcome one of the nation’s foremost mentoring scholars, Becky Wai-Ling Packard, PhD, as the featured presenter for our upcoming Effective Student Mentoring Webinar on March 26, 2026 at 12 PM ET. Dr. Packard is the Mary E. Woolley Professor of Psychology and Education at Mount Holyoke College, an endowed chair recognizing her extraordinary contributions to the field.
She is the author of Successful STEM Mentoring Initiatives: A Research-Based Guide for Faculty and Administrators and has visited over 60 campuses and numerous organizations to help them strengthen their mentoring, equity, and persistence efforts. In 2005, she received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on early career scientists. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation through multiple programs, including the prestigious NSF CAREER award. She has also served as a co-principal investigator on a Google-funded initiative focused on expanding capacity in computer science through inclusive peer mentoring. Beyond academia, Dr. Packard co-founded MetaView Mentors, a consulting firm that partners with tech industry companies to build programs for professional development and inclusive workplace climate. Most recently, she completed a term as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation, where she worked within the Directorate of STEM Education.
In this session, Navigating Difficult Mentoring Conversations, Dr. Packard will draw on decades of research, campus consulting, and industry partnerships to explore why certain mentoring conversations, such as delivering critical feedback or navigating disagreements, can feel especially challenging. She will examine the interpersonal and structural dynamics that make these moments difficult and share practical, research-informed strategies mentors can use to approach them with clarity, confidence, and care.
Dr. Packard’s own research has shown that effective mentoring is not about a single relationship but about sustained, intentional interactions across a constellation of supportive people. Her session will offer actionable insights to help mentors ensure that mentees not only hear feedback but feel genuinely supported in the process. Effective mentoring ultimately means helping mentees feel that we are in their corner while also communicating messages that challenge and move them forward. Participants will leave with concrete tools they can apply across diverse mentoring relationships and settings
Join us on March 26, 2026 at 12ET
Register at this link: https://umassboston.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_j501OBJOSBSIe8VIis34zg#/registration
We hope to see you there!
