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Grad Melissa Barthelemy Wins Mentorship Award
July 31, 2017 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Graduate Division names six winners for 2017 mentoring awards
The Graduate Division is pleased to announce the winners for two awards honoring graduate students who have distinguished themselves in the area of undergraduate research supervision. The Fiona and Michael Goodchild Graduate Mentoring Award is available to students in the College of Engineering; Mathematical, Life, and Physical Sciences Division of the College of Letters and Science; and the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management. The Dean’s Graduate Mentoring Award is available to students in the Humanities and Fine Arts and Social Sciences Divisions of the College of Letters and Science and the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education.
The winners of the 2017 Dean’s Graduate Mentoring Awards are:
- Aubrie Adams (Communication), nominated by Prof. Norah Dunbar
- Melissa Barthelemy (History), nominated by Prof. Randy Bergstrom
- Baron Haber (English), nominated by Prof. Christopher Newfield
These students are recognized for their excellence in and contributions to undergraduate research supervision and for encouraging others to become involved in these research efforts. Each of the winning students receives a $1000 award.
MELISSA BARTHELEMY // History
Research Interests
My dissertation looks at the ways that politics and memory have been mobilized in the wake of mass violence, such as school shootings. Much of my research looks at the Isla Vista Tragedy of May 23, 2014, when six UCSB students were killed and another 14 individuals were injured. I am also working at a national level to help develop a better system of support for archivists and historians who end up managing condolence projects when their community suffers a public tragedy.
Mentoring Experiences
In the wake of the May 23, 2014 tragedy, I mentored a team of students through the process of collecting, archiving, and curating a memorial archive. This project would not have been possible without these students! Several interns have continued to stay involved in the project even after graduating, and I’ve been able to help them in references for competitive graduate programs and job positions. It is great to see their hard work pay off. The most challenging aspect has been the intensely emotional nature of the work we’ve done together, but that’s also what has made it so valuable and meaningful. For me, a true mentorship relationship should involve reciprocity, openness, and trust.
What the Award Means to Her
Mentoring by graduate students is a crucial responsibility that frequently goes unrecognized as it often occurs during the spaces of office hours, responses to emails late at night, writing letters of recommendations for past students, giving advice on grad school and career prospects, and helping refer students to support services. I have benefited from fantastic mentors in my life who have done many of these things for me, and it is deeply meaningful to be acknowledged for my role in doing the same for others. I applaud the Graduate Division for recognizing the value of mentorship in fostering deeper relationships and building a healthier community, which contributes to the success of our students.