Become a Mentor

OGA Appointment

Oak Ridge Graduate Advisor is an appointment classified by UT HR as ‘joint faculty’. The OGA appointment is reserved for Oak Ridge Scientists who have been approved by the Bredesen Center Credentials committee to serve as primary faculty advisor for a PhD student and have identified and mutually committed to an individual student enrolled in one of the BC programs. The role of the OGA is to provide primary support to the development of your student from research technician to independent researcher and innovative contributor to the field of study.

This appointment is for you if you:

• Hold a PhD and have supervisor approval to mentor a doctoral student
• And a student admitted or enrolled in one of the BC programs have agreed to work together for their dissertation research
• Have capacity to invest time and guidance to the maturation of your student
• Are ready to commit to supporting a student financially, academically, and professionally through the duration of their degree program

Advising a student includes:

• Financial support (see details below)
• Consistent one-on-one meetings to discuss academic and research progress
• Communication with BC staff to support your student’s success
• Being informed of Bredesen Center requirements and procedures
  • and supporting your student’s responsibility to excel

Don’t have a student yet, or aren’t ready to commit? Become a Friend!

Friend Appointment

‘Friend’ appointments are reserved for Oak Ridge Staff Scientists who want to get involved with the Bredesen Center, but aren’t immediately serving as primary advisor for an individual student.

This appointment is for you if you are:

• recruiting students you plan to advise
• applying for funding for a future student
• just interested in informal mentoring opportunities.

You get to control your level of engagement without a long-term commitment

• Speak in seminar
• Review new student applications
• Participate on administrative committees
• Host students for lab rotations
• Recruit students

Let us keep you up to date on your preferred participation with minimal paperwork.

• Contact Callie Laughlin claughl1@utk.edu
• Complete a Personal Data Form
• Complete Interest Survey so we can limit our contact to your interests

Already have a student and ready to fully commit? Become an Oak Ridge Graduate Advisor!

The Bredesen Center provides students with funding until they identify a research advisor within their first Fall or Spring semester of enrolling in the program. Once a student begins to contribute to a project, advisor funding will support the work students contribute.

A more detailed layout of our funding model is provided for your reference.