“There are evidence-based approaches to mentoring that we can learn from. We’re scientists, and we should use data and not just rely on our own intuition and experiences. You can be misled by your gut. We don’t do that in our research, so why would we do it in our mentoring practices?” -- Michael Boyce, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry and associate professor of cell biology
Boyce is trained in evidence-based mentoring curricula, and in addition to mentoring students, he facilitates mentor training for faculty though the Duke Office for Research Mentoring.
Thinking back, tell me about a time when a mentor had a big impact on you. What did you learn and how did it shape you?
My PhD mentor, Junying Yuan at Harvard Medical School, was a great fit for me and a great mentor not only for my scientific development but also for her support in personal matters. She made everyone in the lab feel welcome and included and provided a model for me.
Dick Brennan, former chair of the Department of Biochemistry, was also a more recent mentor, and I’m grateful to him because he hired me and saw me all the way through the tenure process. He was a great a source of advice and support for any professional challenges and for questions about funding, science, and personnel.
Tell me about a rewarding experience you have had as a mentor.
I’m really proud of my current lab members and alumni – graduate students, postdocs, staff, and undergrads – who have gone on to new positions or training of interest. I feel like I’ve been able to contribute to their success, which is very gratifying, especially since they are doing such a wide variety of things, from pursuing tracks in academic research or teaching to industry, consulting, and medical school. It’s also nice to see that the skills training that goes on in my lab is translatable and helpful for a variety of careers.
Why do you make time for mentoring in addition to conducting research and everything else you have to do?
It’s really satisfying to help other people. I can be impactful and leverage the skills and position I am in to make a difference. There are many excellent jobs in industry or biotech or pharma, for example, but the opportunities for mentoring there would be different and more restricted, so for me, my position is a better fit in part because mentoring aligns with my values and my job satisfaction.
I’m the director of the Cell and Molecular Biology PhD program at Duke, so I interact in a different capacity with a lot of students and feel like I am often able to help make their lives better. I also co-direct a national postdoc mentoring program funded by NIH called MOSAIC whose mission is to diversify the tenure track faculty at research-intensive universities nationwide. I think both programs are very successful and important, and I’m grateful to be a part of them.
How do you approach mentoring of students and/or faculty? How do you work it into your days?
It works itself into my day! I’m continuously honing those skills and trying to apply evidence-based best practices to improve as many mentor/mentee relationships as I can. I care about mentoring and view it as a really important function of my job, so it’s a priority for me to make time for it.