The Operator Algebras Mentor Network: Impact of Community-Based Mentoring

TL;DR

This study evaluates the Operator Algebras Mentor Network's impact, showing that community mentoring benefits women and minority genders by enhancing networking, self-promotion, and awareness of gender issues in operator algebras.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence on the positive effects of community-based mentoring for underrepresented groups in operator algebras.

Findings

Mentoring improves networking abilities.

Mentoring increases self-promotion skills.

Mentoring raises awareness of gender issues.

Abstract

This paper aims to determine if membership within the Operator Algebras Mentor Network (OAMN) is beneficial to its members. The OAMN is an international mentoring initiative that offers support in small groups to women and minority genders in the particularly male-dominated field of operator algebras (OA) in mathematics. Expected advantages of membership include raising awareness of the lack of gender diversity in this field, providing advice to mentees by mentors (e.g., pertaining to career or work/life balance), broadening one's network in OA, etc. A questionnaire was sent to OAMN members and a control group of non-members at similar institutions and similar positions to collect their experience with the mentoring initiative and perception of gender dynamics within the OA discipline, together with basic demographics. The initial analysis of the data collected shows that mentoring junior women and other minority genders in the area has a positive effect on mentees' networking ability, self-promotion, and raising awareness of gender issues within OA as a whole.