We are committed to providing high quality mentoring relationships and experiences for PHUSP participants. PHUSP will take place from June 9 to August 1, 2025. Mentors will be primarily engaged with their mentees from June 9 to July 25. Mentors meet weekly with their scholar(s) during the program.
What is the role of a PHUSP mentor?
- Provide guidance and support to the scholar for academic, career and professional development.
- Meet with the scholar for at least 30 minutes weekly during the program. Most meetings should be in person.
- Guide the scholar to prepare poster that they will present about their internship at CDC the final week of the program. Preparing the poster may require more than 30 minutes per week during the two weeks leading up to the presentation.
- Liaise with the scholar's internship supervisor.
What are the eligibility criteria for mentors?
- University-based faculty members and researchers, or public health professionals at a government agency or non-profit organization in the Pittsburgh area.
- Motivated to mentor one or two undergraduate students.
- Able to fulfill the role of a mentor, as outlined above.
- Public health training preferred, but not required.
- Completed online mentor application. The application will be available here in January 2025.
Note that co-mentoring is allowed and encouraged!
Why should I serve as a mentor?
As a PHUSP mentor, you will:
- Inspire the next generation of public health leaders.
- Demonstrate your support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
- Play an essential role in the success of PHUSP.
How are scholars and mentors matched?
PHUSP will carefully match scholars with prospective mentors. Scholar placement is dependent upon several factors, including the scholar’s interests and skills, the mentor’s expertise, the topic of the internship, and program need. Due to these factors, there is a small possibility that not all interested mentors will be assigned a scholar.
What can you tell me about the internships?
- Scholars are placed in research- or practice-based internships.
- Most research-based internships are based at Pitt, while practice-based internships occur in community-based organizations around the city.
- Internships address a broad range of public health issues, such as health equity, climate and health, maternal and child health, environmental justice, food security, access to health care, health promotion and disease prevention, community development, environmental health, housing, education, the social determinants of health, and much more.
- If a scholar is placed in a research-based internship, typically the mentor serves as both mentor and internship supervisor since the scholar will be assigned to work on a research project that the mentor leads or is involved in.
Questions?
Contact Terri Washington.