The ATBC Mentoring Circle program for 2022-2023 is designed to bring together groups of 8-10 ATBC members to provide support, networking, and advice for career development in tropical biology and conservation. Specifically, we aim to support early-career tropical biologists (i.e., graduate students and postdocs) by providing a network of individuals that can provide advice, best practices, and tools to achieve success. Two to four mentors will serve as facilitators for each Mentoring Circle.

Due to the continuing pandemic, we will have a meeting to kick off each circle at the ATBC meeting in July for those that can attend the ATBC conference in Cartagena. However, if you are unable to attend the ATBC conference, you can still be in a mentoring circle. The Mentoring Circles will become self-organized and will meet virtually approximately once a month throughout the year to develop a strong and continuing relationship. Initial meetings will discuss each mentee’s and mentor’s objectives and desired outcomes.

To participate this year, mentees and mentors should be:

1. current members of ATBC,

2. be committed and able to attend online meetings on a monthly basis until the next ATBC annual meeting in 2023. (Meetings will be organized within each Mentoring Circle.)

To apply to be a mentee, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/Xiem7u8cvMviwrHU8
(Note that you should fill out this form even if you indicated on the registration page for the ATBC meeting that you would like to be a mentee.)

To apply to be a mentor, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/a2GcoNabH8GGDRfW7
(Note that you should fill out this form even if you indicated on the registration page that you would like to be a mentor.)

The deadline for applications is July 1, 2022, at 11:59 pm EDT. We will inform mentees and mentors of their selection and will follow with an email with guidelines for mentees and mentors. We look forward to another great year of mentoring!

Please direct any questions about the Mentoring Circles to Becky Ostertag (ostertag@hawaii.edu) or Edu Effiom (edu.efiom@gmail.com), ATBC Mentoring Circle Co-Coordinators for 2022-2023.