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Assessing the functions: Understanding the functions of an undergraduate research mentor

As undergraduate research has become increasingly prominent in engineering education, researchers are beginning to explore this environment in more detail to better understand both what and how students learn. While multiple factors shape student experiences, the role of mentors has emerged as a critical facet. Previous mentoring research identifies functions such as role modeling, psychosocial support and career support, but little work has been done to understand how these functions are operationalized in undergraduate research experiences within engineering or how students perceive these practices. Summer research experiences, represent a unique environment because they are short-term (typically 8-10 weeks), highly intense (20-40 hours/week), and typically take students out of their home institution making the formation of mentor/mentee relationships challenging. To begin addressing this gap, this study explores student perceptions of mentoring in an interdisciplinary summer research program in water sustainability through qualitative interview data. The data set includes interviews with 20 students, gathered over two separate summers. Using a framework developed by prior researchers, the results indicate that these identified functions are valued by students, and they recognize when these functions are not adequately supplied, this encourages that exit interviews are an adequate way to assess the functions of research mentors.