WNU Summer Institute
Mentor Coaches
Mentor coaches are those with expertise in their field
who guide others by listening without judgement,
questioning for clarification, and challenging
for results.
Rationale:
In addition to providing up-to-date information on a broad
range of topics related to nuclear science and technology,
an overarching goal of the WNU Summer Institute is to
encourage communication and team building among future
leaders from around the world committed to using nuclear
technology for sustainable development. We hope to foster
a network of talented individuals who will continue to
maintain contact long after the Institute ends.
In addition, it is important to provide some continuity
and perspective for the young professionals and advanced
graduate students who will be attending the Institute
to enable them to obtain the maximum benefit from this
unique experience. For these reasons a key feature and
fundamental strength of the WNU Summer Institute will
be the use of mentor coaches.
The design of the Institute and the characteristics of
the Fellows (learners) provide yet more reasons for the
inclusion of mentor coaches.
- Among the 75 Fellows from 33 countries, there are
significant differences in educational background, work
experience, cultural awareness, use of English, and
personal and professional goals.
- They will be privy to sessions by more than 40 different
presenters, most of whom will be coming in for brief
periods.
- The program also features scheduled group meetings
to promote teamwork while (1) reviewing and discussing
the presentations, (2) preparing responses to case studies,
and (3) considering how best to complete final group
projects and presentations.
- There also will be a Lectures on Nuclear Leadership
series featuring an additional 6 to 8 prominent individuals
selected from among leaders and pioneers connected in
some way with nuclear science and technology.
- In addition, we have scheduled field trips to labs
in the Idaho Falls area and to Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
- A variety of optional recreational activities also
is planned.
The quality of the applicants and their excitement and
appreciation at being selected for this opportunity provides
a promising foundation. The Fellows appear to be exceptionally
bright, self-sufficient and highly motivated individuals
who have been identified as future leaders by their supporting
organizations. They should be up to the challenge. Although
they are expected to be adequate or better users of English,
no doubt some of them may have difficulty keeping up with
the Institute's fast and intensive pace at first.
The role of the mentor/coach will be to work closely
with the Fellows and with the program coordinators to
achieve the Institute's intended goals. Most mentors will
be there for the entire Institute to provide guidance
and cohesion. However, in one or two instances two individuals
may split the six weeks. Their teams will have two different
mentors during the Institute.
Mentor Coach Responsibilities
The mentor coaches' tasks that we have identified to
date are:
- Meet regularly with two small teams of Fellows (each
of which will consist of 6-7 people from different countries)
to
- Organize weekly reviews of recent academic sessions
to clarify any confusion or raise questions that
may lead to further understanding
- Be available to help groups analyze weekly case
studies and prepare to share their responses with
the larger group (We anticipate that the case study
discussions with all Fellows together will be led
by an experienced case study leader.)
- Support and encourage groups to make progress
on their final projects
- Work with individual Fellows as needed
- Serve as a counsellor/advisor for any Fellows
with academic or personal concerns
- Solicit ongoing feedback from Fellows regarding
the Institute and share that feedback with the Institute
Coordinators immediately and/or during weekly meetings
with the other mentors, as appropriate.
- Contribute to the Institute's effectiveness by
- Introducing faculty presenters and, if appropriate,
chairing some of the sessions where there may be
a panel of presenters
- Facilitating/encouraging participation or interaction
by the Fellows in the academic sessions and various
small group and all-Fellows activities
- Evaluating individual sessions and the overall
Institute as a basis for addressing any issues regarding
the current program and planning future Institutes.
- Assisting in collecting and organizing materials
provided by presenters, some of which may be used
(with their author's permission) for publication
of the Institute's proceedings and other publications.
The mentors who have agreed to serve:
- Have significant experience in work related to nuclear
science and technology, and a broad perspective of the
field. In this situation, they are not expected to serve
as specialists immersed in and interested primarily
in a narrow discipline. Nor are they expected to have
all of the answers. Rather, their challenge is to encourage
the Fellows to reflect on, consider and interpret the
information they have received and to question and search
out information for projects using the library, Internet,
technical experts and other resources.
- Understand that their role is to guide but not dominate
discussions and to be supportive of a variety of viewpoints
and perspectives taken by Fellows and presenters
- Are committed to contributing to the development of
future leaders of the field whose work will be based
on ethical values and a global perspective
Advantages to mentors
- Participate in a new and exciting venture
- Attend a series of presentations from international
experts and meet with them at social events and informally
as time permits
- Help broaden the perspective and thinking of future
global leaders
- Join the fun, fellowship, and optional recreational
opportunities, as desired.
Below is a list of mentors for the 2005 WNU Summer Institute.
Click on their names for biographical summaries.
Gilbert
Brown
Professor, Nuclear Engineering University of Massachusetts
- Lowell, MA USA
Yves
Chelet
Director of Institut National des Sciences et Techniques
Nucléaires (INSTN), Saclay, France (retired)
Ravi Grover
Director, Strategic Planning Group, Department of Atomic
Energy, India and Director, Knowledge Management Group,
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India
Waclaw
Gudowski
Professor, Swedish Centre for Nuclear Technology Department
of Physics,
Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Debu
Majumdar
Senior Nuclear Advisor, Idaho Operations Office, Department
of Energy, Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA
Jean-Louis
Nigon
Deputy Vice-President for Research and Development, Cogema,
Paris, France (retired) and Chief Coordinator, World Nuclear
University Working Groups. London, U.K.
John Sackett
Associate Director, Argonne National Laboratory (retired),
Chicago, IL; Idaho State University, Research Professor
of Engineering, Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA
Bobby
Seidel
Scientist, Argonne National Laboratory - West, Idaho Falls,
Idaho, USA (retired)
Alan Waltar
Director of Nuclear Energy (retired), and Senior Advisor,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Seattle,
WA, USA
