Beef Researcher Mentorship Program matches mentees with mentors

Sep 17, 2014

The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) has announced the names of the mentors who will be participating in the Beef Researcher Mentorship Program.

The news is an update to the launch of the mentorship program, which was made public last month. Four mentors have agreed to participate in the inaugural year of the initiative.

Mentors will help researchers develop knowledge, skills and networking abilities necessary in order to be successful in applied research and extension programs aimed at benefiting the Canadian beef industry. The researchers will be able to go to their mentor as a resource to discuss information about cattle production, industry issues, and examine industry challenges and opportunities.

“When scientists have a better understanding our of industry’s needs, and are motivated to produce applicable, solution-based research results and see them through to adoption, that’s extremely valuable to our industry,” Tim Oleksyn, Chair of the BCRC and a producer from Shellbrook, Saskatchewan said in an August 2014 release.

The mentees that were invited to participate in the pilot phase of the mentorship include: Drs. Emma McGeough, Bill Biligetu and Raquel Rodriquez Doce. BCRC explained that it will revaluate the success of the program after the first year, with the intention of opening up a public application process in the future. There are three mentees and four mentors, with one mentee being partnered up with two mentors.

Funding for the mentorship was made possible thanks to the technology transfer program under the second phase of the Beef Cattle Industry Science Cluster.

The 2014/15 mentee/ mentors include:

Mentee: Emma McGeough Co-Mentors: Janice Bruynooghee and Sandy Russell
Mentee: Bill Biligetu Mentor: Aaron Ivey
Mentee: Raquel Rodriquez Doce Mentor: Graeme Finn

More information about the Beef Researcher Mentorship Program and the participants’ biographies can be found at: www.beefresearch.ca

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