We are excited to feature the amazing work of another one of HWISE-RCN’s members, Dr. Amber Wutich, for our third “Mentorship Highlight.” With this new feature, we hope to shine a light on the innovative models our members are utilizing to foster junior scholars and their personal perspectives on its importance in academia. If you would like to nominate someone to be featured for their commitment to mentorship, please let us know in the google form here.
Amber Wutich serves as the President’s Professor of Anthropology at Arizona State University, the director of ASU’s Center for Global Health, and the associate director of ASU’s Institute for Social Science Research. She has received numerous awards for her role as an outstanding educator and her dedication to mentorship, most recently she was awarded the 2020 Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award from the ASU Faculty Women’s Association.
“Beyond inspiring students, I have two main instructional goals. First, I strive to help students bring their passion and energy to bear on real-world problems in poverty, global health, and sustainability. Second, I aim to provide rigorous training in practical research skills.
At ASU, I provide leadership in curriculum development by designing, in collaboration with ASU faculty and community partners, innovative research-oriented programs for undergraduate and graduate instruction. These programs demonstrate anthropology’s real-world relevance and develop students’ professional skills.” [From Dr. Wutich’s Teaching Statement]
“As mentors, we impact the world most directly through our students and through their impact on the world. I feel honored that students entrust me with the responsibility to help them navigate all of these paths as they complete their education. I’m delighted to have the chance to take on different roles when students need me to do so. Like a boss, I can teach professional skills and hold students accountable. Like a parent, I can nurture students’ curiosity and help them realize their full potential. Like a friend, I can listen and empathize and cheer students on. My favorite thing about being a mentor is the precious opportunity I have to influence and encourage students to change the world.” [From ASU’s story on Dr. Wutich]
Anais Roque, a member of HWISE and a student of Dr. Wutich, was quoted in ASU’s story on Dr. Wutich’s award. “Dr. Wutich is an outstanding mentor because she prioritizes her mentee’s personal and professional development. She does this by keeping in contact with students like myself and adjusting our particular needs to be successful in academia. As a student of color, where English is not my first language, and a first-generation in graduate studies, this is extremely important to me as her support allows me to thrive in this environment.”