MCS Lead Mentor Courses:
The MCS Lead Mentor teaches courses in Fall, Winter, and Spring that prepare MCS majors for their future. The courses include professional development, career exploration, and a seminar series journal club.
![A person in a polka dot shirt and face mask standing in front of a group of students and gesturing while instructing a course on science writing.](/https/marinescience.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk9221/files/media/images/IMG_1087-2.jpg)
Resource Topics:
Peer Mentorship
These resources have been compiled and maintained by each of the past MCS Lead Mentors.
Links to outside organizations or materials are for the information and convenience of the user and do not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute or the University of California, Davis.
Individual Development Plan
For Mentees: AAAS myIDP Individual Development Plan (IDP) tool
Several articles to guide you through myIDP
For Mentors: The Mentor Mirror: A ‘Reverse’ IDP For Mentors
The Case for the Mentor Mirror by UCD Associate Provost of DEI, Dr. Renetta Tull
The myIDP tool above says it's for PhD students, but it is useful for any career stage!
Other Mentor/Mentee Tools
Podcast - NPR Life Kit: The Right Mentor Can Change Your Career. Here’s How to Find One
Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring from The National Mentoring Partnership
Maximizing Mentoring Relationships (YouTube Video) from UC Davis GradPathways
One mentor isn’t enough. Here’s how I built a network of mentors
From UCSF’s Accelerate Program
Defining Mentorship from the Beginning
JEDI in Marine Science
These resources have been compiled and maintained by each of the past MCS Lead Mentors.
Links to outside organizations or materials are for the information and convenience of the user and do not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute or the University of California, Davis.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at UC Davis
Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Resources and Retention Centers
JEDI in Marine Science / STEM more broadly
From A Special Issue of Oceanography entitled “Graduate Education in the Ocean Sciences” (2016) All articles are open access
Strategies for Increasing Diversity in the Ocean Science Workforce Through Mentoring by Johnson et al.
The Ocean Science Social Diversity Challenge by Gilligan & Ebanks
MS PHD’S: By and for Minorities by Ricciardi et al.
Minorities in Ocean Sciences: The LGBT Pride Weekend Edition
Diversity in STEM: What is it, why does it matter, and how do we increase it?
ESTEME:Equity in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Entrepreneurship
Imposter Syndrome
Recognizing and Addressing Power Dynamics in Science and Academia
Anti-Racism Resources
Scaffolded Anti-Racist Resources
Anti-Racism Resources for White People/Parents
You can’t defeat racism with ‘reading lists’
Doing The Work by Ambika Kamath
Why I’ve struggled with the pressure to assimilate when teaching
Latine in STEM
Addressing Settler Colonialism
Decolonization is for Everyone (TED Talk)
Accomplices Not Allies: Abolishing the Ally Industrial Complex
This Land (Crooked Media Podcast)
California Through Native Eyes: Reclaiming History by William J Bauer
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
LGBTQIA+ Resources
Queer in STEM: Workplace Experiences Reported in a National Survey of LGBTQA Individuals in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Careers by Yoder et al. 2015
National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals Inc.
Why you should use gender pronouns
Accessibility/Disabilities in STEM
STEM Climate for Students with Disabilities
It’s time to stop excluding people with disabilities from science
How immunocompromised people manage risk (Twitter Thread)
Mental Health in STEM
The Importance of Mental Health Awareness in STEM!
Women in Science
Quantitative Skill-Building
These resources have been compiled and maintained by each of the past MCS Lead Mentors.
Links to outside organizations or materials are for the information and convenience of the user and do not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute or the University of California, Davis.
UC Davis DataLab
The DataLab (formerly the Data Science Initiative) offers trainings, seminars, and consultations on a wide variety of data analysis and exploration.
Statistics
Statistics for Terrified Biologists
Linear Mixed Models with Applications to Evoluationary and Behavioral Biology
Programming in R
R-DAVIS course offered through the Graduate Group in Ecology
Weekly #TidyTuesday Challenges
Hadley Wickham’s R for Data Science
Programming in Python
Data Analysis and Visualization in Python for Ecologists
GIS
Getting Started with GIS via ESRI
Data Visualization / Figure Design
Data Visualization: A Practical Introduction by Kieran Healy
MIT Communication Lab Figure Design
Ten Simple Rules for Better Figures
Using Version Control / GitHub
R-DAVIS guide to setting up a Git repository with RStudio
A Quick Introduction to Version Control with Git and GitHub by Blischak et al. (2016)
MIT Communication Lab GitHub Resources
Best Practices for Organizing Code
Science Communication
These resources have been compiled and maintained by each of the past MCS Lead Mentors.
Links to outside organizations or materials are for the information and convenience of the user and do not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute or the University of California, Davis.
General Science Communication Resources
Science Communication Training
Science Says at UC Davis
Science Talk Courses - Cost ~$100 to participate in a Science Talk course
Writing Training / Opportunities
Scientific Filmmaking
Eric Sanford has also periodically offers a scientific filmmaking course at UC Davis - ECL 290
MIT Communication Lab Intro to Policy Communication
National Science Policy Network SciPol Resource Guide
Useful Twitter Hashtags
Science Communication
#SciComm: Science Communication
#SciWri: Science Writing
#SciPol: Science Policy
About Academia
#CCtoPhD: Community College to PhD
#ICanHazPDF: For PDFs you can’t access thru university licenses
Science Writing
These resources have been compiled and maintained by each of the past MCS Lead Mentors.
Links to outside organizations or materials are for the information and convenience of the user and do not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute or the University of California, Davis.
General Writing Advice
How to construct a Nature summary paragraph
Write Like A Scientist: A Guide to Scientific Communication
Writing Grants + Fellowships Application & Research Proposals
Fellowship Application Tips from
Graduate School Personal Statement
Writing Manuscripts/Papers
Ten simple rules for structuring papers by Mensh & Kording (2017)
Simple rules for concise scientific writing
Writing a scientific paper, step by painful step by Kevin Lafferty
From the MIT Communication Lab:
Writing a Talk / Presentation
MIT Communication Lab Public Speaking Tips
MIT Communication Lab Slide Deck Design
Designing a Poster
Mailing Lists
These resources have been compiled and maintained by each of the past MCS Lead Mentors.
Links to outside organizations or materials are for the information and convenience of the user and do not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute or the University of California, Davis.
CMSI and BML Lists
Find information about CMSI and BML listservs here
Other Campus Listservs
Undergraduate Research Center - Instructions to join their listserv are here
Internship & Career Center - Instructions to join their listserv are here
Other Listservs
Coral-List: opportunities and updates in coral reef science
Seven Seas Media: marine science in the United States and job opportunities across the country
Es_jobs_net: opportunities in environmental science
University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS): opportunities to join oceanographic cruises
ECOLOG-L: academic and non-academic positions and updates in ecology
For Black Marine Scientists: Black in Marine Science “Members Only” Section
Seminars
These resources have been compiled and maintained by each of the past MCS Lead Mentors.
Links to outside organizations or materials are for the information and convenience of the user and do not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute or the University of California, Davis.
Bodega Marine Laboratory Seminar Series
You can find information about the BML Seminar Series here
Check the CMSI Events Calendar for upcoming seminar dates
And find recordings of previous seminars here
Other Ocean Science Seminars (Online)
If You Have Questions About:
- Getting involved in the Marine Science Club:
- contact the Marine Science Club.
- Professional development opportunities and career planning:
- contact CMSI Lead Mentor Karolina Zabinski.
- Your undergraduate coursework and meeting degree requirements
- contact Mandy Rousseau, the Undergraduate Advisor for the major.
- Your undergraduate career, in general:
- contact Anne Todgham, the Master Advisor for the MCS major.
- How to share your experiences as a marine science student at UC Davis on the CMSI blog and social media:
- contact Jessica Lee, the CMSI Marketing Director.
- CMSI (Coastal and Marine Science Institute) programs,
- contact Moose O'Donnell, the CMSI Deputy Director.