Shimaossadat Mousavi wanted to hit the ground running when they hit the job market next year. Yawen He needed a few insights into the world of academic job hunting. And Sakshar Chakravarty was interested in tips on how to apply for a teaching position successfully.
All found the support and guidance they were looking for through a new Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering-led (BCOE) program geared to recruit and mentor future faculty mentors. Nearly 30 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from across the country participated in the Future Academics and Mentorship Excellence (FAME) program that launched this past spring.
The program includes a two-day workshop that connects emerging scholars with experienced faculty mentors, engages them with peer support networks, and prepares them for the job market.
“My long-term career goal is to become a faculty member in engineering where I can lead a research program focused on developing innovative biosensing technologies for public health,” said He, a PhD candidate in bioengineering from Virginia Tech. “The FAME workshop helped me move closer to these goals by offering practical insights into the faculty hiring process, building a strong application package, and navigating the academic job market.”
The program drew many BCOE students, such as Chakravarty, a fifth-year PhD candidate in computer science and engineering.
“I am still weighing between industry and academia for my future career,” Chakravarty said. “To make a conscious decision about pursuing an academic career, the FAME workshop helped me a lot. Now, I feel more confident about applying to faculty positions. The workshop helped me understand different aspects of faculty job search, preparation, and responsibilities.”
FAME program participants came from various engineering programs, including bioengineering, chemical and environmental engineering, and mechanical engineering.
The program stems from a nearly $550,000 grant from the University of California Office of the President, designed to help expand efforts to diversify BCOE’s engineering faculty. The award is part of the “Building a Pipeline for Diverse Future Faculty in UCR’s College of Engineering” initiative.
The initiative is led by Ahmed Eldawy, equity advisor and associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Rajiv Gupta, associate dean for academic personnel; and BCOE Dean Christopher Lynch.
In addition to BCOE, the program drew a total of 44 applicants from institutions such as UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, Virginia Tech, and CalTech. Of those, eight were invited to campus for the two-day workshop.
“I was inspired to apply to the FAME Workshop because it provides a unique opportunity to experience the transition from student to faculty role,” said Zichong Wang, a doctoral candidate from Florida International University. “As a third-year Ph.D. candidate in responsible AI, I value the workshop's focus on academic career preparation, particularly through mock interviews and department seminars that simulate the faculty hiring process. The practical training on developing research agendas and securing funding will help me build on my current work in causal machine learning and fairness in AI systems.”
Soyeong Kwon, a postdoctoral researcher from UC Irvine, credited the workshop for helping them become familiar with UCR’s application process.
“The mock interview was super-helpful as I could experience almost the same procedures that happen in the actual interview,” Soyeong said. “The panel session was really good as they gave instructive comments on the questions.”
Mohammadreza Barzegaran, also a postdoctoral researcher from UC Irvine, said the program and workshop supported his career goals.
“Discussions with the department chair and dean gave me a comprehensive understanding of the entire hiring process that I couldn't have gained as a student focused on individual research papers,” Wang said. “This experience helped me develop a five-year vision rather than the paper-by-paper approach typical in graduate school.”
Header: Eight participants in the 2025 Future Academics and Mentorship Excellence program workshop, held April 10-11, pose for a photo with Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering Dean Christopher Lynch.
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