What Scholars Say

Rebekah Huber, PhD

Associate Professor, Oregon Health & Science University

Compass helped me build a strong foundation for my lab. It not only enabled me to create an environment that fosters growth and collaboration but also enhanced my abilities as a mentor and leader. I love having a lab manual, resources, and concrete best practices to navigate challenges effectively.

Safiyyah Okoye, PhD, MSN, RN

Assistant Professor, Drexel University

I really loved seeing this leadership and management scholarship and guidance clearly laid out in a digestible way and in a way that was straightforward to apply. It took a lot of the mystery out of this aspect of the academic job that so few seem able to articulate. It gives me confidence and assurance to have a library of resources on this topic and a peer mentoring team to discuss concerns and questions.

Karina Kruth, PhD

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Iowa

The program made me solidify and codify my ideas…however, I may not have known how to implement them. The manual is genius–I’m hoping to get my own lab, and I will 100% be using the manual. Many times since I took the Compass course, I’ve seen situations in other labs that caused serious problems that could have been averted with clear communication of expectations. Having a manual to reference for that will be so helpful…I am now much more strategic about mentorship, rather than just flying by the seat of my pants and feeling it out; it is much more effective.

Stephanie Carreiro, MD

Associate Professor, UMass Chan Medical School

I enjoyed learning about what we classically think of as “soft skills” in a very structured and objective way. The program normalized a lot of my feelings toward the importance of transparency, teamwork and community in a lab setting, whereas traditionally, the focus was on productivity above all else. The strategies are applicable to leading my research team, but also, I anticipate, will help me in other leadership roles as I advance my career.