Email: jawhitak@wisc.edu
Tell us about your professional background, and your current role and work at UW–Madison.
After earning my PhD in sociology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, my career has been a fascinating journey through teaching and research in both government and academic roles. My longest tenure was as a sociology professor at Edgewood College, a liberal arts institution in Madison, where I taught and mentored undergraduate students, lecturers, and assistant professors. The most intriguing chapter of my career was serving as a consultant and grant writer for the Secretary of Education in Veracruz, Mexico, where I assisted in securing resources for the programs and worked closely with community program staff to conduct research to evaluate the impacts of their work.
Currently, I manage the Research Mentor Training Program for the Delta Program in the Graduate School. In this role, I administer the program and work to expand access to more graduate students and postdocs and enhance what we offer. The best part of my work is guiding graduate students and postdocs in research mentor learning communities each semester to enhance their mentoring skills and foster inclusive practices.
What are your experiences with and philosophy about mentoring?
My mentoring philosophy, inspired by Beronda Montgomery, is fundamentally about nurturing each mentee’s potential rather than assuming deficits. Effective mentoring involves clear communication, seeing the whole person, and setting healthy boundaries.
I’ve mentored a diverse group of people over the years including students, postdocs, academic staff, assistant professors, and government program staff. At Edgewood College, I supported undergraduates through research projects and their overall academic journeys, and mentored early career faculty in research, teaching, and service. In Mexico, I provided guidance in program evaluations. Presently, at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, I train graduate students and postdocs in effective and inclusive research mentoring. In all these mentoring roles, I most value reciprocal experiences, learning among and between people with different talents, skills, backgrounds, and cultures.
I approach mentoring with humility and a growth mindset, continuously adapting my practices to better support my mentees.
Please share something important, interesting, or fun about yourself.
I have an adorable and friendly three-legged dog named Lulu, with soft white fur, who has led me to find friendship and kindness from other humans, including some new friends in my neighborhood and at the dog parks! She’s also a favorite among the neighborhood children. In my free time, I also love taking long, meandering walks in the hilly woods with a good friend. Lastly, every Sunday, I get together with friends to play music. We may chat, eat, and drink more than we play music, but that’s ok!
What do you enjoy most about facilitating Delta Research Mentor Learning Communities for graduate students and postdocs?
Every semester, I find myself saying, “That was the most amazing group of smart, kind, and committed people. I love them!” At some point, I realized that this happens every semester! By far, my favorite part of the work is meeting really interesting people from such diverse backgrounds and research disciplines. While guiding them, I learn so much every semester from the wisdom and perspectives of the participants in the learning communities.