Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring Award
Nominations for the Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring Award will be accepted until April 5, and the Award Committee will make its determination of the award winner by April 30. The award will consist of a $1,000 honorarium (to be split if there is more than one awardee), a citation, and a plaque, which will be presented at a ceremony arranged by the co-sponsors in June.
The winning mentor(s) will be selected for his or her efforts in supporting the work and developing the careers of junior staff. Examples of typical mentoring activities include the following:
- Advising junior staff to help them create career opportunities, networking skills, and contacts for growth and development
- Counseling junior staff and providing resources to help develop their technical writing, analysis, presentation, and organizational skills and knowledge
- Encouraging junior staff growth and career development through attendance and oral presentations at meetings with higher-level officials and staff members from other agencies, professional associations, training courses, and conferences
- Motivating junior staff and building self-confidence through feedback on their efforts, being a listener when that is needed, and creating a caring and supportive environment
- Serving as a role model for junior staff through professional expertise; information and insights; balancing collegial and personal roles; and including everyone across rank, race, ethnicity, and seniority
Nominations should be prepared in the form of a letter or memorandum summarizing the nominee’s actions that support and encourage junior staff in the federal, state, or local statistical community in developing their careers. Nominations may be accompanied by up to six supporting letters, which should be attached to and submitted with the nomination. Photo copies and email copies of support letters are acceptable.
Descriptions of what nominees actually do are the strongest demonstration of candidate mentoring. Examples include “the mentor is a source of advice,” “counsels with long-term goals in mind,” “thought I was well-qualified even though I had some doubts,” “encourages staff members to seek out positions that will increase their visibility and stretch their professional capabilities.” These are more explicit and unique to the mentor than generic statements such as “the mentor is a coach … a teacher.”
Nomination packages should be mailed to The Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring Award Committee, c/o The American Statistical Association, 732 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314-1943.
The Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring Award was established to honor Griffith, who died in August 2001 after working for more than 25 years in the federal statistical system. Throughout her career, and especially in her later senior management positions at the National Center for Education Statistics and the National Science Foundation, one of Griffith’s highest priorities was to mentor and encourage younger staff members to learn, grow, and recognize and seize career opportunities as they came along.
Download the form (PDF) for more information about the nominating process. If you have questions about the award, contact Rick Peterson at rick@amstat.org or Kevin Cecco at kevin.cecco@irs.gov.
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