NSU Connect Matches NSU Alumni and Students in First Installment of Mentorship Mondays

NSU Connect (www.nsuconnect.net) is a dedicated online community for NSU students, alumni, faculty, and staff to connect with each other for involvement and job opportunities.

In a brand-new initiative called “Mentorship Monday,” the NSU Alumni Relations team pairs a current NSU student and an NSU alumnus together to share shark insight in a related field or major.

The first official match within this program is between a new graduate student in the NSU’s marine science program, Chris Mayer, along with current NSU employee and NSU alumna, Melissa Dore, Ph.D.

In relation to being paired with Mayer, Dore has an extensive background in the area of marine biology. Dore has spent the last 25 years working her way down the eastern seaboard. Her first job was at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution where she was an editor for the journal Oceanus. Following that, Dore conducted mangrove research at the Bahamian Field Station on San Salvador.

After gaining expertise with a machete, she went to NSU’s Oceanographic Center for her M.S. in Marine Biology and Coastal Zone Management. Subsequently, after Hurricane Andrew destroyed her mangrove research, she decided to move on to something much smaller, something so small it takes and electron microscope to see them. Her research included looking at Foraminifera and Ostracoda and their use as environmental indicators.

Currently, Dore is the Director of Academic Support and Administration for the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences working with students of all levels. With Dore’s experience from the classroom and field, she advised Mayer in the best ways to become successful in the field of Marine Biology.

During Dore and Mayer’s virtual “Mentoring Monday Matchup” session, Dore advised Mayer to volunteer in a lab “because showing one’s ability to their professor will allow them to see someone’s potential and invest in them.” Likewise, a student’s current research should be in tandem with the lab they’re working on.

Whether it is finding an opportunity in a lab or volunteering hours for a professor, Dore explained that “taking initiative is huge, and that showing your worth as a student is a key staple to success.”

Dore also suggested to always be present, reliable and enthusiastic since these are notable attributes a professor looks at when selecting students for a project or lab.

Mayer, who is currently volunteering in Dr. Abby Renegar’s coral toxicology lab and is preparing to start in Dr. Joana Figueiredo’s marine larval ecology lab, is excited to be on track for an engaging future in protecting and conserving our oceans and marine life. With the help of his mentor, Mayer is projected to graduate with his M.S. in Marine Science in the Spring of 2022.

Similar to Dore and Mayer’s story, other mentorship matches are in the works and are being paired based on specific career or research areas. NSU Connect is actively pairing NSU alumni and students and encourages all sharks to participate in Mentorship Mondays. NSU alumni and students can participate by signing up and posting on www.nsuconnect.net