The goal of this new mentorship program is to enhance opportunities for professional development and career advancement of Latin American students of animal behavior who are currently studying in Latin American institutions. This would be accomplished with the approval of, and in collaboration with, the students’ research directors/advisors. Thus, the program is committed to bringing together, as three key players, the student, the student’s local thesis or research director/oadvisor, and an ABS mentor. Mentoring interactions would include (but not be limited to) activities such as enhancing networking opportunities, including with colleagues in Latin America or other parts of the world; offering English language assistance when the student is writing publications for English-language journals; providing information on studies abroad; and serving as references for letters of recommendation that the student might request (for a complete and more detailed list of activities and potential interactions and responsibilities, select English, Spanish or Portuguese).
This program is open to all students conducting research in any Latin American country, regardless of the stage of their career. In other words, undergraduate students (e.g., pregrado or licenciatura - working on a research project), or graduate students (e.g., MS or Ph.D.), or postdoctoral associates can apply. However, before being accepted into the program, the student’s thesis or research advisor must confirm that he, she, they, support the applicant’s inclusion in the program and are committed to working with the student and the mentor. The thesis or research advisor can confirm interest in participating by sending an email message to the coordinator of the program, currently: zuleyma@ umsl.edu.
To apply for this program the student should complete an online application form. Applicants will be reviewed and selected for participation based on the relevance of the student’s research to animal behavior, the likelihood that the applicant will benefit from the program, and the availability of appropriate mentors for any given research project. We will do our best to accommodate as many students as possible, but we may not have all the qualified mentors that would be required each year, so not all applicants will necessarily be accepted. However, a student can apply more than once.
To contact the Chair of the committee, please email: [email protected]