National Mentoring Community

The APS National Mentoring Community (NMC) facilitates and supports mentoring relationships between Black/African, Latinx, and Indigenous undergraduate physics students and physics mentors. Membership in the NMC is free for both Mentors and Mentees.

Vision
The APS NMC program envisions a future in physics and related fields in which no one is marginalized* or minoritized** on the basis of race or ethnicity. To help achieve this vision of justice and fairness, the program prioritizes mentoring, professional development opportunities, and access to resources for students from Black/African, Latinx, and Indigenous students seeking degrees in physics.

Mission Statement
The mission of the APS NMC is to address the minoritization and marginalization of people in physics by providing personal and professional development to mentors and mentees, matching mentors and mentees, and providing resources to mentees.

*marginalized - a person or group whose experiences are ignored or pushed to the periphery of a larger group or society.

**minoritized - (of a group) to be of a smaller number than another (or other groups) as a result of policies or practices of people in the majority group. For example, being a racial minority in a region due to immigration policies that do not allow (or limit) people of a certain racial group immigrating into the region.

Join NMC

Becoming a Mentor

There is currently a temporary pause on accepting new NMC Mentors. To receive updates on how to become a NMC Mentor in the future, please fill out our interest form.

Becoming a Mentee

Mentees are welcome to continue to apply.

Join the NMC as a Mentee

Please note: Check that your APS Affiliation matches your current Institution before joining the National Mentoring Community. This is to ensure mentors and mentees are paired appropriately according to location.

Join the conversation in the National Mentoring Community APS Engage Community! Here is where you can meet other NMC mentors and mentees, have your questions answered by NMC mentors (or answer Mentee questions) and receive updates from NMC Staff. Once you sign up to join the NMC, you will automatically be added to our APS Engage Community. For questions, please contact nmc@aps.org

NMC Conferences & Events

National Mentoring Community Reception at March Meeting 2023

• Tuesday, March 7 , 4:30 - 6 pm PST
• Harrah's Las Vegas, Parlor B

Join us to learn more about the APS National Mentoring Community (NMC).We especially encourage current mentors and mentees to join to connect in-person. The NMC facilitates and supports mentoring relationships between Black/African, Latinx, and Indigenous physics students and physics mentors. Membership in the NMC is free for both Mentors and Mentees. Complimentary headshots are available to students when they RSVP.

Learn more and RSVP

Past NMC Conferences & Events

BEAM Fund

The Bringing Emergency Aid to Mentees (BEAM) Fund provides small grants to NMC Mentees who are facing sudden financial emergencies so that they can continue their physics studies and earn their degrees.
More about BEAM Fund

TEAM-UP Together Scholarship

The TEAM-UP Together Scholarship Program (TUTSP) will support African American students in the pursuit and attainment of their bachelor’s degrees in physics and astronomy.
More about TEAM-UP Together

DACA

A list of resources has been gathered to help DACA students navigate the educational opportunities available to them.
 DACA Resources

My association with the APS NMC played a pivotal role in changing my attitude about supervising undergraduate research. My mentee’s first poster win, based on her summer research, was at the APS National Mentoring community meeting in Houston in 2016. Since then she has co-authored three papers with our research group, currently working on a fourth one and won a number of poster contests at various locations. She owes part of her success to her participation in the APS NMC.

– Rohana Wijewardhana, University of Cincinnati, NMC Mentor