Mentoring Matters
Welcome to "Mentoring Matters" the podcast where professors Stephanie Hansen and Mary Drewnoski share their expert insights on how to excel as a mentor. Join us as we tackle the challenges of mentoring graduate students and offer actionable tips for building community, enhancing communication, and fostering a culture of learning within your team. With years of experience and hard-won wisdom, Hansen and Drewnoski will provide the guidance you need to succeed in your mentoring endeavors. Tune in to "Mentoring Matters" for valuable insights and advice on mentoring graduate students.
Podcasting since 2021 • 33 episodes
Mentoring Matters
Latest Episodes
Keeping Your Lab Running Through Planned and Unplanned Leave
In this episode of Mentoring Matters, we get personal. We recorded this one back in January 2025 and are just now sharing it, but the topic is too important to sit on. Mary and Steph both stepped away from their labs for a semester, one planned...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 33
•
30:45
The Case for Doing Less: How Slow Productivity Can Make You a Better Mentor
In this episode of Mentoring Matters, dig into the (unfortunately) age-old question: am I actually being productive, or just busy? Inspired by Cal Newport's Slow Productivity, we explore what it looks like to focus on fewer, higher-imp...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 32
•
34:52
The Conversation about AI You Should Be Having with Your Graduate Students Right Now
In this episode of Mentoring Matters, we tackle a question that's been on a lot of mentors' minds: how do we guide our graduate students in using AI without letting it replace the critical thinking skills we're trying to build? Mary gets honest...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 31
•
38:19
Sustainable Success: Crafting Your Semester Systems
In this solo episode of Mentoring Matters, Steph shares how she approaches the start of a new semester with plans that actually survive reality. Instead of chasing perfection, she focuses on building sustainable systems: protecting tim...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 30
•
28:42
Trail Map Sessions: Belonging Builds Resilience
Steph is back for another solo episode, continuing The Graduate Mentor’s Trail Map series. This time she digs into why culture isn’t fluff—it’s strategy.You’ll hear how an abundance mindset shapes behavior, why fostering mutual ...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 29
•
16:11