jessica m gonzalez


image credit: Michael Gonzalez (IG @iopticsphotography)

mentoring

mentoring

Mentoring is an essential part of academia.  In my time as an instructor and as a graduate student, I have mentored students from high school through graduate school in areas such as research methods, writing practices and navigating undergrad/graduate student life.  I have completed the CSU Long Beach Advanced Inclusive Mentoring Training (link), the UCI Cascading Mentoring Program (link), and the Emotional Intelligence Certificate Program (link). I strongly believe that mentoring helps build communities that improve the experience for academics in general, but especially those of us from underrepresented minority groups.    

UCI Ethics Center

Since 2018, I have worked with the UCI Interdisciplinary Center for the Scientific Study of Ethics and Morality, under the direction of Chancellor's Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Kristen Monroe.  Each summer, I mentor students ranging from high school to master's degree levels.  The summer program is designed to give mentees instruction and experience in quantitative and qualitative research, including surveys, literature reviews, interviews, and interview transcription/analysis/coding.    

Summer Modules: 

The Writing Workshop

In 2018, I joined The Writing Workshop run by Cognitive Sciences Professor (and Social Sciences Associate Dean) Barbara Sarnecka.  Barbara's workshop was instrumental in helping me gain confidence in my writing practice.  Importantly, it introduced me to a community of fellow graduate students, where we could discuss the ups and downs of graduate school.  In the workshop, we cover topics like planning academic projects, writing practices, literature reviews and abstracts.  We also often discuss general academic-life issues like building healthy sleep habits, reducing stress and facing imposter syndrome.  The idea is to foster a community of academics from many levels so that a "cascade" of mentorship can develop.  We even have a Rejection Collection where we reframe our view of rejection by throwing parties!  In Spring 2021, I completed the Cascading Mentorship Certificate and now jointly lead writing groups with other cascading mentorship fellows.

Writing Groups: 

Wonder Philosophy Workshop

In Fall 2020, I helped organize and facilitate The Wonder Philosophy Workshop which aims at mentoring first-generation college students (and students from other underrepresented groups) interested in applying to philosophy graduate school.  The workshop was funded by the Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science and the Department of Philosophy.  We covered a wide range of topics such as how to select a program, application materials, funding, and grad student life.  I was also an invited panelist on the grad student panel at the 2021 workshop.