Benefits and Logistics of Mentoring Programs for Physics Students and Faculty

I have been involved in mentoring programs throughout my education and academic career. When I was a grad student, I founded and ran a student mutual mentoring group (Society of Women in the Physical Sciences at UC Berkeley). As a physics professor at a liberal arts college, I have been a research and academic mentor to many undergrad students, and am faculty advisor to a mentoring program for physics undergrads. And to support my own academic career, I participate in the eAlliance mentoring program for women physicists. From these experiences, I discuss the myriad benefits of mentoring for physicists at all stages of their education and career. I also discuss the logistics of organizing a mentoring program, such as recruiting and organizing mentoring groups, encouraging and facilitating mentor group meetings, and finding funding.