Applications for 2022-2023 have closed.

What is the Rising Tides mentorship program?

This is a new MISS program that encourages and supports mentorship between MISS members. Each mentor/mentee pair will be awarded $10,000. This program is for MISS Members who are interested in mentoring another MISS Member either remotely, in their lab or at their institution. Mentors can be at any career stage (Undergraduate to Late-career), but must be mentoring someone in an earlier career stage (High School to Mid-career). To be eligible to apply, mentorship teams must be working on a project related to elasmobranch research or conservation. Both mentors and mentees must be MISS members. ​
What do recipients receive?
This program will include a $2,000 mentor stipend, $5,000 student stipend and $3,000 for supplies and/or conference fees for mentorship pairs to work together for one year on a research project.  

Why was this program created?
Gender minorities of color are less likely to receive mentorship than their white male counterparts (Milkman et. al., 2014; Morzinski et al, 2002). Having access to strong mentors, particularly mentors who share similar identities, increases retention in STEM fields (Williams et al, 2015). With few gender minorities of color in faculty, post-doc or senior positions, these folks experience a higher mentorship burden than their white male counterparts and are often not compensated for this additional expected service.

Meet our 2022-2023 Mentor-Mentee Pairs and Projects

Mentor: Dr Sora Kim (Website) an assistant professor at University of Merced in California, USA
Mentee: Buddhi Maheshika Pathirana a current graduate student at University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka.
Project Title: The ecology of Spotted Ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei) with stable isotope analysis
Mentor: Dr. Lauren Simonitis (Website) a post-doctoral researcher at University of Washington and Florida Atlantic University in Washington and Florida, USA respectively.
Mentee: Valentina Garcia-Nunes a recent gradaute of Harriet Wilkes Honor College in Florida, USA.
Project Title: Ontogenetic and Sex-related Differences in Spotted Ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei) Sensory
Morphologies

Previous Mentor-Mentee Pairs and Projects

2021-2022 Cohort

Mentor: Dr. Daphne Nyachaki Bitalo
Mentee: Ms. Omolora Fola-Matthews
Project Title: Using DNA Barcoding to identify Sharks’ species off the Lagos and Ondo Coast of Nigeria
​Aim of the project: To use DNA barcodes to identify, at the species level, CITES-Listed shark species among fish products sold in selected markets in Lagos, Nigeria
Mentor: Dr. Sora Kim
Mentee: Sara Gharabaghi
Project Title: Foraging ecology of bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo) in Biscayne Bay, Florida
​Aim of the project: To use stable-isotope analysis to assess the diet and foraging ecology of bonnethead sharks in Biscayne Bay, Florida
This program is sponsored by: