Grace Medley writes about her mentor Brian Harris-Kojetin who was the Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring award winner in 2013.

This year’s special issue is all about mentoring. Mary Kwasny and Colleen Stiles-Shields discuss mentoring using the motivational interviewing technique; Terry Speed looks at what mentoring is and isn’t; and Mark Ward shares his tips for peer-to-peer mentoring. Also included in this list is a piece by David Hunter and Murali Haran, who look at the positive outcomes of academic mentoring. We also feature several influential statisticians such as Mary Gray, Doug Zahn, Terry Speed, and Brian Harris-Kojetin. And we made sure to post many of the ASA’s mentoring programs in this issue. Enjoy!

The ASA Mentoring Award honors those people recognized by their colleagues for their sustained efforts over a long period supporting the work and developing the careers of statisticians.

The ASA Committee on Minorities in Statistics has offered one of two concomitant programs every year at the Joint Statistical Meetings. These programs are often spoken of interchangeably, as the core objectives of fostering enduring mentoring relationships and preparing statisticians of diverse backgrounds for career success are a common thread.

The Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring Award is meant to encourage mentoring of junior statisticians in federal, state, or local government.

Eric Vance, associate professor of applied mathematics and director of the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis (LISA) at the University of Colorado, Boulder, interviews one of his mentors, Doug Zahn.

Nawar M. Shara, associate professor of medicine at Georgetown University, interviewed her mentor, Mary Gray, professor in the department of mathematics and statistics at American University.

Finding a mentor has its challenges and, keeping that in mind, the Biopharmaceutical Section initiated a mentoring program to facilitate networking opportunities and support the professional development of its members.

Show your enthusiasm and give first-hand accounts of how your ASA membership has been a great investment in your career.

Jean Yang, professor at the University of Sydney School of Mathematics and Statistics, interviews her mentor, Terry Speed.