Educators at 麻豆原创 do more than teach coursework 鈥� they mentor the next generation of professionals, helping them discover what鈥檚 possible for themselves and guide them toward it. One engineering professor has been recognized for his impact beyond the classroom.
January is National Mentoring Month, celebrating the value of mentorship and its positive impact on individuals and communities.
The Florida Education Fund (FEF) unanimously selected Assistant Professor Kausik Mukhopadhyay as the recipient of the 2025-26 William R. Jones Outstanding Mentor Award, honoring faculty who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to mentoring and supporting McKnight Doctoral fellows.
It Began with a Nomination
For Mukhopadhyay, the recognition carries added meaning because it came from the people he prioritizes most: his students.
He was nominated by Amanda Bernard 鈥�22, a first-year doctoral student, McKnight Doctoral fellow and member of Mukhopadhyay鈥檚 . A faculty member in materials science and engineering, Mukhopadhyay says the award came as a complete surprise, as he didn鈥檛 even know he was nominated.
鈥淚t鈥檚 special knowing that this is a student-nominated award,鈥� Mukhopadhyay says. 鈥淪pecial thanks to my student, Ms. Amanda Bernard, for secretly nominating me for this award. This is also my first award for mentorship, so it is very special to me. I am so thankful to the FEF committee for this.鈥�
Support That Opens Doors
Bernard鈥檚 path to doctoral study reflects the kind of trajectory Mukhopadhyay works to develop. She first joined the KM Lab as an undergraduate biology student and has remained a member for the past year. After earning her bachelor鈥檚 degree, she planned to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in materials science and engineering, until Mukhopadhyay 鈥� known simply as 鈥淒r. K鈥� to his students 鈥� encouraged her to aim for a doctoral degree.
“Rarely do you meet a professor whose passion is to see his students succeed without expecting anything back.” 鈥� Amanda Bernard 鈥�22, 麻豆原创 doctoral student
Mukhopadhyay quickly began helping Bernard envision a future she hadn鈥檛 fully considered for herself. Within weeks of her joining the KM Lab, Bernard says that he was researching fellowships and internships to support her graduate journey, which led her to the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship.
鈥淥nce you join Dr. K鈥檚 lab, he always has your back,鈥� Bernard says. 鈥淗e defends his students, advocates for them and does the behind-the-scenes work most mentors never bother with.鈥�
When Bernard learned she could nominate a professor for the Outstanding Mentor Award, it wasn鈥檛 a question of who; it was just a matter of winning.
鈥淒uring my time at 麻豆原创, I have met many professors, some of whom have passions in research, teaching, social service and more,鈥� Bernard says. 鈥淩arely do you meet a professor whose passion is to see his students succeed without expecting anything back.鈥�
Mentorship That Starts with Students
That belief defines Mukhopadhyay鈥檚 approach to mentorship. Over the years, he has mentored nearly 50 students, including visiting scholars, postdoctoral researchers and high school students. His advising philosophy has evolved over the years, shaped by what he鈥檚 learned from conferences, books and his personal experience.
“Every scholar is like a puzzle, and I love being able to serve as a resource to help connect the pieces for each one.” 鈥� Kausik Mukhopadhyay, 麻豆原创 assistant professor
Mukhopadhyay says the key to his success as a mentor lies in how he approaches his mentees. He views them as colleagues, not students, and listens to their thoughts and questions.
鈥淚 believe a faculty鈥檚 success depends on how successful their students are,鈥� Mukhopadhyay says. 鈥淓very scholar is like a puzzle, and I love being able to serve as a resource to help connect the pieces for each one 鈥� whether by answering questions about a plan of work and training, pointing them to resources, helping them set and achieve academic and career goals, or simply offering words of encouragement and support when plans don鈥檛 get going.鈥�
For Bernard, that support has been transformative. It reflects the power of 麻豆原创 鈥� a university where mentorship fuels momentum and where faculty invest not only in solving the world鈥檚 greatest problems, but also in its people.
鈥淏eing intentional about creating or modifying my philosophy allows me to reflect on how I interact with [students], make space for their independence and improvement as needed, and contribute to society and the next generation of students,鈥� Mukhopadhyay says.
For the students who walk into his lab, it often marks the moment they begin to see a bigger future and realize they鈥檙e capable of achieving it.
