PUMP Mission The Psychology Undergraduate Mentoring Program (PUMP) was formed to promote opportunities for undergraduates from historically underrepresented backgrounds to receive mentoring in the field of psychology. Our mission is to increase access for undergraduates of historically underrepresented backgrounds to receive high-quality mentoring within the UGA Psychology Department towards successful preparation for graduate school and careers in psychology and psychology-adjacent fields. A goal of PUMP also is to create a program culture that values the intentional visibility and accessibility of graduate and faculty mentors to undergraduate students. PUMP was founded by graduate students across Psychology programs, including Dominique La Barrie, Kharine Jean, Kelsey Corallo, Lauren Quast and Andrew Farkas, as an effort to improve diversity and inclusion within the department. The goals of PUMP include cultivating mentorship and professional development opportunities and sharing knowledge of psychology department opportunities and resources needed to navigate and succeed in graduate school. PUMP Contacts: Allison Skinner - Current Faculty Supervisor Apoorva Sarmal - Current PUMP Coordinator How does PUMP Work? Graduate students volunteer to participate in the program, and are prepared to mentor undergraduate students as they navigate a variety of areas of research in psychology. Mentorship is also provided on how to navigate preparing for and applying to graduate school. Mentees and mentors are matched based on overlapping interests and mentees’ research goals. All graduate mentors in the PUMP program complete a basic mentoring training to ensure they are prepared to help guide students in participating in the program. Benefits of being a PUMP mentee As an undergraduate mentee in the program, you will receive guidance from a thoughtful mentor, learn about basic research practices (i.e., literature review, correlational analysis, writing process), learn about different graduate programs in psychology, and possibly work alongside your mentor in composing your own independent research projects as mentor-mentee relationships progress. Additionally, mentees will have the opportunity to network with other graduate students and faculty members to learn about psychology as a career path. PUMP also works alongside Psi Chi, the Honors Program in Psychology, to collaborate on various events throughout the semester (i.e., CV and grad school workshops). If you are interested in being a PUMP mentee please complete this form. Benefits of being a PUMP mentor Being a PUMP mentor also offers many benefits to graduate students, including gaining mentoring experience, developing leadership qualities, and engaging with undergraduate students. Additionally, volunteering as a PUMP mentorship makes graduate students eligible for department mentorship awards and accolades. The skills gained as a PUMP mentor will demonstrate training and commitment to working with and leading undergraduates, a skill that is essential in the future work environment, including for those who want to pursue faculty positions in their careers. Most graduate students received some form of mentoring prior to graduate school, be it from a former professor, teacher or graduate student, that assisted them in navigating graduate school applications and in becoming competitive applicants to achieve their goals. Participating as a PUMP mentor allows you the chance to do the same for current undergraduate students. If you are interested in being a PUMP mentor please complete this form. If you have any questions, please reach out to Apoorva Sarmal (PUMP Coordinator) at Apoorva.Sarmal@uga.edu.
