Establish an inter-institutional, society-level mentorship registry providing continuous support from undergraduate entry through faculty appointment¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The editorial proposes a mentorship registry, potentially housed within ACS or RSC, to fill the gap left by institution-bound programs whose "benefits do not transfer when a first-generation student moves to a new institution." It recommends formalized, accessible mentorship networks rather than "leaving guidance to chance or informal relationships," and suggests peer-led orientation programs in which senior first-generation researchers guide incoming students as an implementable step requiring no external funding.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Support must persist across institutional transitions, from undergraduate entry through faculty appointment, unlike single-institution models

Constraints¶

• The authors note many existing programs share the structural limitation of being institution-bound; the University of Rochester's alumni-anchored model is described as only a partial exception

Target Learners¶

• first-generation chemistry students, postdocs, and early career faculty

Target Learning Goals¶

• navigating institutional expectations and professional norms
• sustained mentorship across career transitions

Related Strategies¶

• Develop discipline-specific transparency toolkits coauthored by first-generation faculty covering the unwritten mechanics of academic chemistry careers
• Provide mentorship and outreach support after program entry to sustain persistence in alternative STEM programs
• Contacts Between Students And Faculty

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Ives Robert A., Azulay David N., Cook Adam, Dagar Mamta, Fansher Douglas J., Keshari Roshan, Ojha Anupam Anand, Patel Shivani, Sandoval-Pauker Christian, Sanghai Nitesh, Trinh Brittany K., Yadav Vishal, Zheng Zhiling. (2026). Reconsidering Excellence in the Chemical Sciences: Lessons from First-Generation Chemists. ACS Central Science. https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.6c00822