I think that the Mentor partnership aspect of the Kenan Fellowship is extremely valuable.  I know that I get fixed in the cocoon of my school much of the time and it’s really important to be spreading out and getting in touch with experts – we have to be “out there” to bring back real-world issues to our students.  My partnership with Dr. Dave Muddiman and his team at NCSU has been so helpful and eye-opening.  The work I did this past summer and just being part of a team that could sit around and talk about these complex investigations gave me so much “ammunition” to bring back to my class.

I do think it’s a two-way street, as well.  I know that several members of Dr. Muddiman’s team used the Kenan relationship in grant proposals that they were awarded.  Dr. Muddiman also mentioned to me in a recent visit that the lesson plans that I developed as a part of my experience helped him get some funding for new equipment from NC State.  He told me that the lesson plan he shared helped convey the importance of what he and his team do, and it helped convince some others that he is working to share that message to a broader community.  He also offered me a job next summer – which I was flattered and eager to accept.