WaMPS Mentoring Programs

Mission statement

Reimbursements Forms

To submit reimbursement requests for the WaMPS mentoring program and events, please visit the link below. 

 https://msu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3yYuZiJ5EuDInT8.

Mentors, please keep in mind that for the 2025-2026 Grad-Grad and Grad-Undergrad Mentoring Programs, each pair can be reimbursed up to $30 per week for your meeting. Per university policy, only food and non-alcoholic beverages can be reimbursed and funds do not roll over if not used. Tips will be reimbursed up to 20%, and any receipts submitted for reimbursement must be itemized. 

Graduate-Graduate Mentoring Program

The Graduate-Graduate Mentoring Program is run in the fall and spring semesters in which a more senior graduate student mentors a current first or second year graduate student on a semester-by-semester basis. Participation in this program, while optional, is highly recommended due to the accrued benefits from the program. Mentor/mentee pairs will meet up to once a week for coffee or lunch, which will be reimbursed up to $30 by WaMPS. First year students get to hear what to expect from the program, how to prepare for their upcoming years, meet some of the older graduate students, and have someone to talk to! As second-year students begin to transition out of coursework and start focusing on research, they can get some advice about preparing for their first committee meeting and other questions that may arise. Similarly, the older graduate students are able to interact with the newer faces in the program and be a source of encouragement/friendship in addition to professional development through mentoring.
 

The deadline to sign up for the 2025-2026 Grad-Grad Mentoring Program has passed. If you are interested in signing up in the future, join our WaMPS Mailing List here!

Graduate-Undergraduate Mentoring Program

The Graduate-Undergraduate Mentoring Program is run in the fall and spring semesters in which a graduate student from any year can mentor a current undergrad on a semester-by-semester basis. This program is a great opportunity for grad students to provide tips, experience, advice, build community with current undergrads, and gain professional development through mentoring. Mentor/mentee pairs will meet up to once a week for coffee or lunch, which will be reimbursed up to $30 by WaMPS. 

The deadline to sign up for the 2025-2026 Grad-Undergrad Mentoring Program has passed. If you are interested in signing up in the future, join our WaMPS Mailing List here!

Undergraduate-Undergraduate Mentoring Program

 

The Undergraduate-Undergraduate Peer Mentoring Program, also called Pair Production, is facilitated by the Society of Physics Students (SPS). The purpose of this mentoring program is to pair upperclassmen in the Physics and Astronomy department with those who are newer to the program (underclassmen, transfer students, folks who changed their major) to form stronger connections between fellow undergrads. Mentors will give insight into the undergraduate experience by helping mentees navigate through the physics major at Michigan State!

The deadline to sign up for the 2025-2026 Pair Production Program has passed. If you are interested in signing up in the future, please contact SPS.

REU Mentoring Program

The MSU Department of Physics and Astronomy and its research groups hold the REU Summer Internship Program, which is a 10-week internship for up to 12 undergraduate students and is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Through the collaborative initiative between WaMPS and the MSU Department of Physics and Astronomy, WaMPs organizes the REU Mentoring Program - a program where these undergraduate students are paired with a MSU graduate student. 

The REU Mentoring Program was built to provide supplemental resources and support for MSU Physics and Astronomy REU students. They meet and build relationships with graduate students, learn about opportunities available in physics and more broadly within academia and industry, and engage in social activities where they get to know each other, their mentors, and other REU students at MSU. 
 

Social Activities

WaMPS recognizes the importance of not only building community and a network, but also the importance of mental health. Our Mentoring Co-Chairs organize picnics, trivia, game night, and other activities where the REU students can socialize and relax.

Mentoring Program(s) Supports

The Mentoring Program(s) strive to support undergraduate students by:

• Collectively creating and maintaining a safe space for the cultivation of open, authentic, and honest relationships between graduate and undergraduate students
• Providing insight into graduate studies and life through exposure to and via encouragement to explore different disciplines and post-baccalaureate tracks 
• Encourage students to reflect on their academic experiences and consider how they wish to move forward with their future whether pursuing graduate studies or industry

These goals can be met by discussing the following topics with undergraduates provided below:

• Discussing the norms and expectations of the mentee/mentor relationship
• Transition to being a graduate students (norms & expectations)
• Differences and similarities of the norms and expectations of an undergraduate student vs. a graduate student (adjusting to the university)
• Mental health
• Underrepresentation that the parties are facing or creating awareness
• Discussing tests/exams & coursework
• Applying for research positions (including REUs)
• Research goals, topics, & practices
• Research advisors and mentors
• Discussing the long-term career goals of both mentee and mentor
• Discussing work-life balance or time management

The Mentoring Program(s) strive to support graduate students by:

• Cultivating healthy and equitable relationships as mentors
• Building communication skills through discussion and reflection
• Encouragement to share and reflect on their own experiences to give insight to or validate mentees’ experiences, and support the growth of their mentees and themselves through discussion of successes and challenges in their (referencing graduate or undergraduate students) careers  

These goals can be met by discussing the following topics with graduate students provided below:

• Transition to being graduate student (norms & expectations)
• Mental Health
• Subject exams
• Research goals, topics & practices
• Research advisors and mentors
• Camaraderie
• Discussing long-term career goals
• Work-Life Life Balance or Time Management
• Teaching

The Mentoring Program(s) strive to support postdoctoral research fellows by:

• Sharing knowledge and experience with current graduate student(s)
• Provide exposure to various different backgrounds 
• Aim at further developing communication as a scientist 

These goals can be met by discussing the following topics with postdocs provided below:

• Academic job applications 
• Grant applications and writing
• Developing and managing collaborations
• Developing and managing research projects 
• Writing and publishing papers
• Transitioning to being an Early Career Researcher