TMS Mentoring Program

This program, open exclusively to TMS members, is an opportunity for materials science and engineering professionals to expand their networks, gain knowledge and insights, build new skills, and broaden their engagement with TMS.

The TMS Mentoring Program pairs mentees seeking guidance and support with more experienced members of the Society who are willing to commit time and energy to the professional development of another member. Mentorships are meant to encourage participation in the mission of TMS by developing personalized professional goals to guide and expand the mentees’ understanding of volunteer possibilities within the Society.

Applications Now Open for 2025 TMS Mentoring Program:
Apply by September 30, 2024

• Be a TMS Member with three or more years of experience volunteering within the Society
• Commit to the development of a mentee leadership progression plan for the mentee
• Participate in one-on-one regular mentoring meetings with their mentee throughout the duration of the program year
• Meet with the mentee at the TMS Annual Meeting and/or Materials Science & Technology (MS&T) conference and facilitate introductions to TMS members and activities.

Apply as a Mentor

• Be an active TMS Member. Members at any career stage are eligible.
• Have an interest in actively contributing to the materials profession as a TMS member through participating in various committees, events, and special initiatives
• Meet with your mentor in person at the TMS Annual Meeting and/or MS&T and participate in regular phone or virtual check-ins

Apply as a Mentee

How the Program Works

Each mentee and mentor will be matched based on information provided during the application process. A kick-off event will occur at the TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition to allow mentors and mentees to meet in person, as well as to meet others in the program. Pairs are expected to meet on a regular basis for the duration of the one-year program. Together, the mentee and mentor will develop and implement a personalized Mentee Progression Plan for future volunteerism activities within TMS based on the mentee’s aspirations and current level of involvement.

Mentoring Pairing Process

The Mentee application identifies the candidate’s current level of involvement and experience with TMS and their ultimate volunteerism aspirations within the organization. Similarly, the mentor application provides details regarding their education, professional experience, background, as well as any volunteer roles they’ve held within TMS. These two complementary sets of information will be used by the TMS Mentoring Program Working Group to align mentee interests and aspirations with the mentor best suited to inform and assist the mentee with their volunteerism goals.

All matches will be made no later than December 15th and communicated no later than January 15th of the following year.

1. No mentee is guaranteed any specific mentor in this program
2. No mentee will be guaranteed any specified or unspecified leadership or volunteerism role within TMS as a result of participation in this program
3. All mentees invited to participate in this program are expected, AT A MINIMUM, to maintain their TMS membership for at least one full year following the conclusion of their involvement in this program.

Mentee Responsibilities

Mentees will work with their mentor to develop a personalized and custom progression plan for their volunteerism activities within TMS based on their aspirations and their current level of involvement. In addition to meeting with their Mentor in person at the TMS Annual Meeting and/or Materials Science & Technology (MS&T), the Mentee will participate in regular phone or virtual check-ins with their Mentor throughout the year. As a consequence of accomplishing the goals of their progression plan, the Mentee will also become involved in various TMS committees, events, and special initiatives. Please note that seeking or recruiting employment is not the purpose of this experience or this program.

Mentor Responsibilities

The role of the Mentor is to assist the Mentee with developing and implementing their personalized progression plan, using guidance and member development principles provided by the TMS Mentoring Program. This includes meeting with the Mentee at the TMS Annual Meeting and/or Materials Science & Technology (MS&T) conference and facilitating introductions to TMS members and activities that can enable them to fulfill their leadership goals. The Mentor will also participate in regular phone/virtual check-ins with their Mentee throughout the year to assess their progress and provide guidance.

TMS Commitment to Becoming a More Inclusive Society

The TMS Mentoring Program supports inclusion, prioritizes the promotion of previously underheard voices, accelerates development pathways of members towards TMS leadership opportunities and reduces the inertia associated with new member engagement. Participants in the TMS Mentoring Program hail from all different backgrounds and specialties including the Society’s most underrepresented populations. In recognition of TMS’s broader diversity, equity, and inclusion goals, the program organizers will actively encourage participation by TMS members who: a) hail from one or more racial or ethnic underrepresented populations and/or b) identify as LGBTQ+ and/or c) are disabled (visibly, invisibly, and/or neurodiverse).

Interested In Volunteering?

If you are interested in helping to manage the TMS Mentoring Program, please consider becoming a working group volunteer. Contact TMS Membership Program Manager Courtney Hammer at chammer@tms.org for more information.

* Quotes on this page were provided by participants in the TMS Leadership Development Initiative (LDI), the predecessor to the TMS Mentoring Program. You can read more about the LDI in the article, "TMS LDI: Accelerating Diverse Leadership Across Every Level of the Society," in the September 2022 issue of JOM