Election Slate for
Mentorship Coordinator

CV - available here

I am excited to nominate myself for the position of Mentorship Program Coordinator at the  Women’s Classical Caucus. Throughout my career, I have taken on leadership and administrative  roles that emphasize mentorship, program development, and institutional advancement. My  experience spans university-wide, college, and departmental levels, where I have successfully  overseen committees, spearheaded initiatives, and fostered inclusive academic environments. At  the University of Florida, I have served as chair and co-chair of the General Education Committee, member of the Faculty Senate, and several other university, college, and department bodies, working with and guiding a diverse team of faculty, advisors, administrators, and students in  shaping and assessing professional advancement and education. Additionally, as a member of UF’s  student mentorship program, I have actively supported students in their academic and professional  growth, helping them navigate career pathways and research opportunities. My work as co-chair  of the Diversity and Equity university-wide Taskforce and chair of the DEI Committee at the  College of Liberal Arts and Science further underscores my commitment to creating equitable and  supportive academic spaces, ensuring that mentorship and guidance are accessible to all. 

My experience in administrative leadership, mentorship, and program coordination has equipped  me with the skills necessary to serve in this role. I am eager to bring this experience to the Women’s  Classical Caucus, where I can help enhance mentorship programs, strengthen professional  development opportunities, and cultivate a welcoming and inclusive community. In addition to  expanding structured mentorship initiatives, I hope to develop new networking opportunities that  foster meaningful connections among scholars at different career stages. I also aim to collaborate  with colleagues to create resources and programming that address the specific challenges faced by  underrepresented voices in the field, ensuring that all members feel supported and empowered in  their academic and professional journeys. 

CV - available here

I am nominating myself for the role of Mentorship Program Coordinator both because I am  invested in providing access to mentorship for classicists who might otherwise struggle to  find it and because I am motivated to support the WCC’s mission as a member of our  organization’s Steering Committee over the upcoming term. 

I am currently an assistant professor in the Department of Literature and Languages at East  Tennessee State University, where I teach classics outside of an undergraduate major or  graduate degree program. In this role, I have become especially enthusiastic about creating mentorship opportunities for those whose educational and career paths have not yet brought  them into regular contact with a professional community of classicists (e.g., graduate school  applicants holding degrees in other disciplines, instructors like me who are teaching classics  outside of classics departments). In addition to continuing the cohort and on-demand  mentorship programs, I hope to cultivate additional activities targeting these groups; an  initial idea is a pop-up event on understanding different types of postgraduate degree  programs in our field and when they are the right fit for one’s goals and career stage. 

I have participated in the WCC’s mentorship program both as a cohort mentor and as a  mentee, and I have also given and received mentorship in less formal venues throughout my  career. Some of my most valuable mentorship experiences have concerned personal  wellbeing in academia: managing time in a self-directed work environment, for example, and  maintaining a work-life balance when work can feel “always on.” As Mentorship Program  Coordinator, I hope to work with WCC members to develop further resources to support  classicists in establishing a sustainable work life at all career stages. 

Accessible, varied opportunities to give and receive mentorship build a classics community  that is welcoming to and supportive of all its members. This aspect of the WCC’s mission is  the one that has most inspired me to become and remain a member of the organization, and  if elected, I look forward to advancing it as Mentorship Program Coordinator.

CV - available here

Great mentors are the reason I’m still in this field. Many of them I met through the WCC, and I have now had the pleasure of being both mentor and mentee in the WCC’s cohort mentorship program multiple times over. The program helped me get my first book over the finish line, while connecting me with a group of students and scholars with whom I got to talk about the joys and sorrows of teaching, writing, publishing, and conferencing. At the same time, I am often humbled by how hard mentoring can be, and so doing it in a cohort is a fantastic innovation. No need to shoulder it alone! I have learned so much from how peer mentees mentor each other. In addition to the mentorship program, the WCC has provided abundant resources aimed at demystifying academia and the job market for students and scholars. I co-organized the job market series for the WCC with Amy Pistone and constantly refer students to these resources when preparing them to apply for jobs. I think this work of demystifying and clarifying is incredibly important for making Classics as a field more inclusive and accessible. Everyone should have access to good information and good mentors – multiple mentors!, as no one can be everything for anyone – as they navigate their programs and their jobs. To that end, I am running for WCC Mentorship Coordinator, to carry on the wonderful work that the WCC has been doing in this area for a long time, and to make this program accessible to all who need it.