CLAS Faculty Receive Doctoral Mentoring Awards
Professors Connie Mulligan and Timothy Vollmer honored for support of grad students
Connie Mulligan, professor of anthropology, and Timothy Vollmer, professor of psychology, were among the recipients of the University of Florida Graduate School’s 2021-2022 Faculty Doctoral Mentoring Award for their innovative and thoughtful approaches to supporting students completing their dissertations.
The award is given annually to outstanding faculty members who have created a quality experience as mentors for doctoral and Master of Fine Arts students.
In the anthropology department, Mulligan has designed a class entitled “Foundations for a Career in Anthropology” to help first-year graduate students take ownership of their dissertation research and apply their experiences to their professions.
Mulligan believes a collegial and supportive environment for her graduate students are important attributes to their success. Both in the classroom and in her research laboratory for genetic and genomics research, she encourages her students to problem-solve as free thinkers.
“I believe my primary role in mentoring graduate students is to empower them and provide them with opportunities to build their careers,” Mulligan said in a statement about her philosophy.
Vollmer also believes encouragement and confidence can help his students succeed in their own research. “I take more pride in that focus than in anything else I do,” he said in his statement.
With a focus on behavior analysis, Vollmer believes in modeling good research, ethical standards and dissemination skills as a key method to help his students find their own way in the field. Positive reinforcement and empathy are other tactics Vollmer believes drive student success and builds respect among their relationships.
“All of us in our culture have certain features of our jobs that we do not enjoy, but few of us are fortunate enough to have aspects of our job that bring us pure joy,” Vollmer wrote. “My students bring that to me.”
Awards are given to about five faculty doctoral advisors, nominated by their students, peers and higher-level administrators. Each winner will receive a $3,000 cash award and $1,000 to support their graduate students.