Mentoring Philosophy As your UROP mentors, we seek to first and foremost create a safe and welcoming space for students of all identities and backgrounds to tackle new challenges and develop their skills. Scientifically, we look to provide students with a comprehensive introduction to field-based research through exposure to the data collection and post-analysis cycle of long-term monitoring. We aim to expand the student’s ability to comprehend and report scientific findings, meeting them where they are at and working together to demonstrate how to approach future scientific inquiry. Communicatively, we will ensure that you always have clear guidance on the task at hand but will encourage and guide independent problem-solving that can be applied to future research opportunities. We encourage active communication to meet the student’s needs while also exercising skills in time management and independence. Professionally, we also look to expose the student to our lab’s team of faculty, staff, and graduate students who are always eager to connect and share their journeys.