W.M. Keck Mentorship 2018 Award Winners

The Office of Academic Affairs has established three mentorship awards through support from the W.M. Keck Foundation. These mentorship Awards have been established to recognize extraordinary mentorship activities that go above and beyond regular advising, for example by developing new mentoring initiatives, assisting those that face significant challenges or are vulnerable, or creating new pathways for growth and empowerment. The recipients receive a monetary award of $1,500 for mentoring or advising activities.

Mentoring Undergraduate Students: 

Andrés Guerra, Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Andrés has created transformative experiences for undergraduate students in the Mines Chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers by inspiring students to reach beyond what they thought was possible academically and professionally.  He guides students toward understanding the strength in their unique values and how these values are crucial in solving the problems of tomorrow.

Mentoring Graduate Students: 

Terry Lowe, Teaching Adjunct and Research Faculty Member in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering.

Terry uses a specific set of skills that he considers critical for developing the next generation of leaders and mentors: self-awareness, Mines know-how (the ability to work within Mines to get things done), communication skills (especially listening), the ability to empower others, fostering a desire to help, motivating inventiveness, empathy, and a global outlook and understanding. 

Mentoring Faculty and Staff Members: 

Deb Lasich, Executive Director for Strategic Development.

Deb has worked tirelessly at Mines to facilitate the growth of others.  She has an incredible knack for honest and fruitful conversations, which pushes and empowers others to grow in their professional presence and confidence.  Deb successfully organizes events and designs learning opportunities for the growth and development of others.