Congratulations to the 2021-22 Outstanding Faculty Mentors
The Graduate College will honor four ASU graduate professors at the 35th annual Outstanding Faculty Mentor Awards on Feb. 28, 2022. OFMA recognizes outstanding faculty members for their service to the graduate student and postdoctoral scholar communities through mentoring excellence.
Active, committed mentors not only offer coaching, modeling and feedback in academic and career development, but provide essential psychosocial and interpersonal connection and support.
Nominated by their graduate student and postdoctoral mentees, awardees come from all levels of faculty — tenured, tenure-track, non-tenure-track, clinical, instructional and postdoctoral advisers.
This year’s event will take place virtually at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, February 28th.
2021-22 Outstanding Faculty Mentors
Outstanding Postdoctoral Mentor
Jeffrey Jensen: Professor, School of Life Sciences
Jensen is a population geneticist and professor in the School of Life Sciences, the Center for Evolution and Medicine, and the Center for Mechanisms of Evolution. Over the years, Jensen has mentored 22 postdoctoral scholars and numerous undergraduate and graduate researchers.
“I have had the good fortune to have recruited many talented and highly motivated lab members, and I have maintained a strong focus on mentorship and inclusion in the 12-year existence of my lab,” Jensen said.
Outstanding Master’s Mentor
Heather Bateman: Associate Professor, College of Integrative Sciences and Arts
Bateman is a field ecologist and conservation biologist with research interests in wildlife responses to habitat alteration, with a particular focus on amphibians, reptiles and birds. In addition to teaching herpetology and ornithology at ASU, Bateman mentors undergraduate and graduate students in wildlife ecology.
“Heather is a well-rounded and supportive adviser who goes out of her way to make the college experience great for her undergraduate and graduate students,” said Brett Montgomery, one of Bateman’s mentees.
Outstanding Instructional Faculty Mentor
Carla Firetto: Assistant Professor, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College
Firetto is an assistant professor of education psychology in the division of teacher preparation in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. Her research aims to facilitate learners’ high-level comprehension of complex texts and content through the use of small-group discussions. Firetto’s passion for teaching and education has shaped her approach to mentoring.
“A constant across all of my mentoring relationships, from undergraduate students to postdoctoral scholars, is my goal to better prepare those I mentor to think deeply and critically, which can ultimately serve them academically as well as professionally and personally,” Firetto said.
Outstanding Doctoral Mentor
Janet Neisewander: Professor, School of Life Sciences
Neisewander is a behavioral neuroscientist who uses animal models to study mechanisms of drug abuse, primarily focusing on cocaine and nicotine. She has been teaching at ASU for over 20 years and has mentored numerous undergraduate and graduate students.
Neisewander is a passionate, thoughtful and supportive mentor, according to Mark Namba, a neuroscience PhD candidate and one of her mentees.
Join the Graduate College in celebrating the 2021-22 Outstanding Faculty Mentors.