Scholars of Excellence
Outstanding Graduate Faculty Mentor Award
The Outstanding Graduate Faculty Mentor Award recognizes USF Graduate Faculty who
demonstrate the highest level of quality in the mentoring of graduate students in
teaching, research, and service. Some of the qualities of an exceptional graduate
student
mentor include, but are not limited to:
- Committed efforts to assist the mentee with networking, job placement and professional development.
- Provision of sound counsel and advocacy on academic and non-academic issues.
- Selflessness in the commitment of time.
- Service as a role model for teaching, research, and outreach.
- Maintenance of a long term commitment with the mentee past graduation and throughout the trajectory of their career.
- Elevation of the productivity and success of the mentee beyond what they could normally achieve.
2022 Outstanding Graduate Faculty Mentor Award Recipients

Dinorah Martinez Tyson, Ph.D.
Award Winner
Community and Family Health
College of Public Health
Teaching Philosophy
"Teaching and mentoring are the most fulfilling part of my job. In the classroom, I draw from experiential and transformative approaches that incorporate and build on student’s experiences and strengths. One of my goals is for students to leave my courses ready to apply the concepts and skills they learn during the class. In this manner, graduate students can better learn how theory, methods/research techniques and skills can transfer to real world settings. I recognize students’ contributions and lived experience. Regardless of title, we all have something to contribute. They are my colleagues in training.
Mentoring is about building relationships that may last well past graduation, being there without judgement while still giving timely and constructive feedback. It is about talking with, rather than at. I strive to create an environment of inclusivity, mutual respect, and collaboration in class as well as on our study research teams. Mentorship is about being present, providing guidance, having open communication, and engaging in active listening which are also essential to be an effective teacher."

Ráchael Powers, Ph.D.
Honorable Mention
Criminology
College of Behavioral and Community Sciences
Teaching Philosophy
"I aim to provide holistic mentorship in a safe environment that recognizes that students are the key stakeholders in their education. I see my role as a graduate student mentor to be inclusive of all aspects of their development and I commit to my students for the duration of their careers. As a first-generation college student, I recognize the challenges, outside of coursework, faced by students. As such, I aim to provide mentorship on their progress through the program and research, but also in navigating academia generally and becoming professional scholars. I leverage opportunities to provide mentorship, such as co-mentoring undergraduate students involved in research. At the core of my research is understanding that individuals have agency, and the role of support systems is respecting that agency and empowering individuals. This extends into my mentorship philosophy. How students define their success is important to me and I see my role as supporting them to reach their goals.
Likewise, I am flexible in my mentorship style to align to students’ needs. Some students prefer a structured approach and some students thrive with a more relaxed approach. To be able to provide this kind of mentorship requires an open and ongoing dialogue in a safe environment. My ultimate goal in graduate student mentorship is to not only help them develop the technical skills and substantive expertise to succeed as impactful researchers, but to empower them to be independent scholars who are able to advocate for themselves and take ownership of their success."
Past Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award Winners
2021
Award | Name | Discipline | College |
---|---|---|---|
Recipient |
Yu Chen | Molecular Medicine | Morsani College of Medicine |
Honorable Mention | Aisha Durham | Communication | College of Arts and Sciences |
Honorable Mention | Jerome Breslin | Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology | Morsani College of Medicine |
2020
Award | Name | Discipline | College |
---|---|---|---|
Recipient | Jianfeng Cai | Chemistry | College of Arts and Sciences |
Honorable Mention | Robert Dedrick | Educational Measurement and Research | College of Education |
Honorable Mention | Robert Frisina | Biomedical Engineering | College of Engineering |
2019
Award | Name | Discipline | College |
---|---|---|---|
Recipient | Chuanmin Hu | Professor of Marine Science | College of Marine Science |
Honorable Mention | Valerie Harwood | Professor of Integrative Biology | College of Arts and Sciences |
Honorable Mention | Raymond Miltenberger | Professor of Applied Behavior Analysis | College of Behavioral and Community Sciences |
2018
Award | Name | Discipline | College |
---|---|---|---|
Recipient | Les Shaw | Professor of CMMB | College of Arts and Sciences |
Honorable Mention | Kathy Hyer | Professor of Aging Studies | College of Behavioral and Community Sciences |
Honorable Mention | Rasim Guldiken | Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering | College of Engineering |
Honorable Mention | Manh-Huong Phan | Physics | College of Arts and Sciences |
2017
Award | Name | Discipline | College |
---|---|---|---|
Recipient | C. Victor Fung | Professor of Music Education | College of The Arts |
Honorable Mention | Jonathan Rottenberg | Professor of Psychology | College of Arts and Sciences |
2016
Award | Name | Discipline | College |
---|---|---|---|
Recipient | Pamela Hallock Muller | Professor of Marine Science | College of Marine Science |
Honorable Mention | Sara Green | Associate Professor of Sociology | College of Arts and Sciences |
Honorable Mention | Michael Lynch | Professor of Criminology | College of Behavioral and Community Sciences |
2015
Award | Name | Discipline | College |
---|---|---|---|
Recipient | Sylvia Thomas | Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering | College of Engineering |
Honorable Mention | Sarina Ergas | Professor of Civil and Electrical Engineering | College of Engineering |
Honorable Mention | Kevin A. Yelvington | Professor of Anthropology | College of Arts and Sciences |
2014
Award | Name | Discipline | College |
---|---|---|---|
Recipient | Paul Spector | Distinguished Professor of Psychology | College of Arts and Sciences |
Honorable Mention | Nancy Romero-Daza | Professor of Anthropology | College of Arts and Sciences |
Honorable Mention | Camilla Vasquez | Associate Professor of World Languages | College of Arts and Sciences |
2013
Award | Name | Discipline | College |
---|---|---|---|
Recipient | Tammy Allen | Professor of Psychology | College of Arts and Sciences |
Honorable Mention | Sanjukta Bhanja | Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering | College of Engineering |
Honorable Mention | Mya Breitbart | Associate Professor of Marine Science | College of Marine Science |