Survive and Thrive

The experience of an untenured faculty member is highly dependent on the quality of the mentoring they receive. This mentoring may come from a number of different sources, and the concept of developing a constellation of mentors is highly recommended, but a mentoring relationship that is guided by the mentee's needs will be the most productive. Often, however, the mentee does not know their own needs, what questions to ask, and what topics they should discuss with a mentor. This book provides a guide to the mentoring process for untenured faculty. Perspectives are provided and questions posed on topics ranging from establishing scholarly expertise and developing professional networks to personal health and balancing responsibilities. The questions posed are not intended for the mentee to answer in isolation, rather a junior faculty member should approach these questions throughout their untenured years with the help of their mentors. Survive and Thrive: A Guide for Untenured Faculty will help to facilitate the mentoring process and lead junior faculty to a path where they can move beyond just surviving and truly thrive in their position. Table of Contents: Tough Questions About Why You Are Here / Joining Your Department and Discipline / Establishing Expertise / Developing Networks, Relationships, and Mentoring Activities / Getting Support and Evaluating Your Personal Health / Planning for the Future / Conclusion

Wendy C. Crone is the Karen Thompson Medhi Professor in the Department of Engineering Physics, with affiliate faculty appointments in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and she holds the honor of Discovery Fellow with the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research is in the area of solid mechanics, and many of the topics she has investigated are connected with nanotechnology and biotechnology. She has applied her technical expertise to improving fundamental understanding of mechanical response of materials, enhancing material behavior through surface modification and nanostructuring, exploring the interplay between cells and the mechanics of their surroundings, and developing new material applications and medical devices. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and Whitaker Foundation. She teaches courses in the areas of engineering mechanics, engineering physics, and informal science education. Over the last two decades, Prof. Crone has trained over two dozen graduate students and postdocs in engineering mechanics, materials science, biomedical engineering, and engineering education. Her former students hold positions in academia, national laboratories, and industry. Prof. Crone has received awards for research, teaching, and mentoring. In addition to numerous peer reviewed journal publications, dozens of explanatory education products, and four patents, she is the author of the book Survive and Thrive: A Guide for Untenured Faculty. She has also served in several leadership roles over the course of her career, including Interim Dean and Associate Dean of the Graduate School at UW-Madison and President of the Society for Experimental Mechanics.