2025 CERF Conference Mentorship Program

Sign Up for the CERF 2025 Mentorship Program!

The CERF 2025 organizing committee is pleased to offer the Mentoring Program as part of the conference. The program will offer an orientation for first time CERF Conference attendees and match up mentors (veteran CERF attendees) with mentees (students, early career professionals, and first-time CERF attendees). The purpose? To help student and early career participants benefit from the insights and guidance of “more seasoned” CERF members.

While mentoring can be an extended relationship, our focus for CERF 2025 is the conference experience. In addition to one-on-one mentoring, CERF 2025 will offer unique opportunities for mentors and mentees to share time together and an orientation to help first time attendees make the most of the conference.

Please Note: This offering is separate from the Rising TIDES program. Rising TIDES mentors and mentees will have independent programming prior to the conference and will be invited to the Mentorship Breakfast.

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First Time Attendee Orientation

When: Sunday, November 9th, 2025, 5:00 - 5:45 PM

Where: Session Room E10-a

What: First time at a CERF conference? Come join the event and hear from a panel of experienced CERF attendees on what to expect and how to get the most of your CERF experience.

What events can mentors and mentees attend together?

Welcome Reception

When: Sunday Evening, November 9th, 2025, 8:00 - 10:00 PM

Where: Exhibit Hall A

What: Meet mentors, mentees, and fellow CERF attendees.

Mentorship Breakfast                

When: Monday Morning, November 10th, 2025, 6:30 - 8:00 AM

Where: Grand Ballroom C/B21c

What: Meet and engage with each other over breakfast. Breakfast will include a short video about the benefits of mentoring.

What does it mean to be a mentor or mentee?

Mentoring may sound like a serious endeavor, but all it means is giving advice, offering to listen, and/or being supportive to someone (mentees) using your own experiences to provide perspective or specific skill guidance.

Pre-conference

  • Sign up when registering for the meeting as either a mentor or mentee.
  • Exchange emails with one another prior to the conference (or communicate in some other way).

During the conference

  • Be available to meet throughout the conference as suits each mentor-mentee pair. 
  • Meet up at the Sunday evening Welcome reception (Nov 9th, 8:00 - 10:00 PM).
  • Attend a Mentoring Program breakfast (Nov 10th, 6:30 - 8 AM, Grand Ballroom C/B21c), to meet and engage with each other over breakfast. Breakfast will include a short video about the benefits of mentoring.
  • Engage with other mentors and mentees at our designated table in the Exhibit Hall throughout the conference.

Post-conference

  • Follow up after the conference to address any questions or to continue engagement.

Who would be a great mentee?

YOU! The truth is that no matter what experience level you are, how old you are, or what your background is, everyone is always a mentee.You’ll learn so much! Interacting with your mentor can be intellectually stimulating, grow your communication skills, and provide a different point of view about your academic or career aspirations and opportunities. Never been to a CERF conference before? Looking to meet new folks and learn about all the great things CERF has to offer? Then becoming a mentee is right for you!

Who would be a great mentor?

YOU! You’ve been to CERF meetings in the past. You remember being excited, nervous, or even anxious about being surrounded by lots of people you didn’t know. There is always someone who will attend the meeting who could benefit from your experience. Everyone has gifts and talents to share. Strengthen the lessons you’ve already learned and see CERF through another’s eyes. You may build long lasting relationships. You may end up with a new student, post-doc, or colleague, or lifelong friend. Overall, you help build a more diverse and vibrant  Coastal and Estuarine Restoration Federation. Set the tone for the Federation by inspiring the next generation of leaders and scientists as a mentor for CERF 2025!

For more information about the Mentoring Program, please contact Loraé Simpson ([email protected]), Lori Sutter ([email protected]), or Corianne Tatariw ([email protected]).