Chui Lab

Mentoring

“My ultimate goal is to support a sea of change in which mentoring is not simply added onto a laundry list of responsibilities but engrained into our DNA as ‘who we are’ and ‘what we do’.”

Michelle A. Chui, PharmD, PhD

Excellence in Mentoring Initiative

Dr. Michelle Chui PharmD, PhD, serves as the UW-Madison School of Nursing’s Faculty Lead, for the Excellence in Mentoring Initiative. She was hired into this position in August 2025 following a lengthy and successful career as a Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy. Candidates for this position must have demonstrated the ability and commitment to mentor undergraduate and graduate students who have experienced adversity, including first-generation students and Pell grant recipients. (https://facstaff.provost.wisc.edu/faculty-hiring-and-retention-resources/)  

By investing in mentorship across career stages, the School of Nursing will foster a more inclusive and sustainable academic environment. 

Dr. Chui is thrilled to serve in a position that places an emphasis on bolstering the hopes, dreams, and future success of School of Nursing students and faculty who have defied the odds to be in their positions today. 

The NURTURE Program

Through her role, Dr. Chui will lead the NURTURE (Nursing Unrepresented Researchers Thriving through Unity, Resilience, and Empowerment) – Excellence in Mentorship Initiative in the School of Nursing Program.

This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.

Who is served by the NURTURE Program?

  • Undergraduate Students (Pre-licensure BSN and other undergrad nursing pathways) 
  • Graduate Students (DNP, PhD) 
  • Tenure-Track Junior Faculty 
  • Clinical-Track Junior Faculty 

NURTURE Program Goals

  1. Establish equitable and effective mentorship relationships tailored to each group’s unique needs. 
  2. Provide professional development opportunities that build confidence, leadership skills, and resilience. 
  3. Foster community and belonging among underrecognized students and faculty. 
  4. Increase academic and career success for underrecognized scholars across all career stages. 
  5. Create a replicable, sustainable model of mentorship within the School of Nursing. 

NURTURE Program Design and Implementation

1. Assessment of mentorship needs and identification of gaps through surveys or focus groups with 

  • faculty,
  • students,
  • and early career researchers.

2. Engagement of key stakeholders during NURTURE Program design through collaboration with 

  • SON leadership,
  • Diversity Officers,
  • and research mentors.

3. Development of NURTURE Program framework

  • structured after ADEPT, AHEAD, STRIDE framework. 
  • offering targeted support such as 
    •  grant-writing workshops. 
    • mentorship pairings. 
    • leadership training. 

4. Integration of NURTURE Program into existing faculty development initiatives

  • through analysis of fit to promote seamless integration.

5. Launch and evaluation of NURTURE Program:

  • Implement pilot NURTURE Program with small cohort 
  • Track NURTURE scholar outcomes such as: 
    • grant success 
    • career advancement 
    • retention

NURTURE Program Core Components

  1. Building a Supportive Mentorship Network
  • Develop a robust, inclusive network of culturally aware mentors across the School. 
  • Provide resources, training, and community-building opportunities to empower faculty, staff, and senior students to serve as effective mentors. 
  • Foster an environment where mentorship excellence is valued, visible, and part of the School’s everyday culture. 
  1. Professional Development Workshops
  • Skill-building workshops tailored to undergraduate students, graduate students, and early-career faculty needs (e.g., publishing, grant writing, resilience, navigating clinical academia). 
  1. Community-Building Events
  • Regular informal gatherings and team-building activities to foster networking, social support, and belonging, possibly in collaboration with campus-wide initiatives, the health science schools, and the SoN Associate Dean for Health Equity and Community Engagement 
  1. Regular Scholar Check-ins
  • Scheduled one-on-one or small group check-ins to: 
    • Anticipate and address emerging barriers. 
    • Proactively “unhide” the hidden curriculum (e.g., unwritten rules about networking, research, leadership). 
  1. Inclusive Individual Development Plans (I-IDPs)
  • Scholars will be invited to create and maintain an Inclusive Individual Development Plan (I-IDP) that: 
    • Sets personalized goals across research, practice, leadership, and service. 
    • Captures non-traditional markers of success and resilience, such as advocacy, caregiving, and community engagement. 
    • Encourages holistic, strengths-based career development. 
  1. Guest Speakers & Panels
  • Nursing leaders/role models from diverse backgrounds sharing mentorship strategies, career journeys, and lessons learned. 
  1. Recognition and Visibility
  • End-of-program celebration, certificates, and storytelling features that publicly highlight mentee and mentor contributions. 
  1. Evaluation and Feedback
  • Ongoing formative and summative evaluation to capture participant experiences, track progress, and refine programming. 

A Word from Dr. Chui

“Mentoring nursing students, graduate students, and junior faculty is something I hold deeply important. These individuals often face unique challenges in navigating academia, and I’m committed to being a supportive guide, offering not only guidance but also a sense of belonging and advocacy. I believe mentorship can be transformative—helping individuals overcome barriers, gain confidence, and realize their potential. Through this work, I aspire to foster a community where everyone can thrive, ultimately making a meaningful and positive impact on both the nursing field and health disparities. 

My first task will be to engage in a number of one-on-one and small group listening sessions to determine what is needed. What I will be listening for are feelings of isolation, the burden of being a spokesperson, concerns about speaking up in class, and the potential for stereotyping. Historically underrepresented students and faculty frequently have greater family responsibilities, and so I will be listening for burnout and the need for these individuals to make choices between succeeding at the SON and their other commitments. My experience with the ICTR pathway programs has been that these individuals need opportunities for high-touch and regular engagement. Through these listening sessions, I hope to begin to build relationships with students and faculty, and would be honored to meet with them regularly moving forward. 

I also want to make systemic change. Thus, I plan to work in tandem with SON leadership to  

  1. create a cohesive and supportive community of first-gen and historically underrepresented faculty scholars in order to,  
  2. develop a historically underrepresented student mentorship program that includes  
    • faculty role models,  
    • in-person discussions in a safe and inclusive structure,  
    • and peer to peer support.  

I hope to create a systemwide network of mentors and mentees in the SON that leads to a culture shift that allows for open discussions about implicit bias, impostor syndrome, allyship, and challenges in advocacy for equity.  

My ultimate goal is to support a sea change in which mentoring is not simply added onto a laundry list of responsibilities but engrained into our DNA as ‘who we are’ and ‘what we do’. 

I believe academia must strive to take a more inclusive approach – welcoming and embracing different groups –  to create a community in which all can thrive. The UW School of Nursing’s commitment to mentoring resonates with my desire and responsibility as woman of color and academic leader.” 

– Michelle A. Chui, PharmD, PhD