Over 30 years of experience with developing formal and informal mentoring programs for organizations and associations, with particular emphasis on students and postdoctoral scholars.
- Launched a multi-faceted Mentoring Initiative on behalf of the Linguistic Society of America, which included:
- an online mentor matching facility
- a new mentoring award
- pop-up mentoring events at external and LSA-sponsored conferences
- training programs and resource materials for mentors
- development of webinars and online content with mentoring resources
- evaluation and assessment tools
- Partnered with multiple organizations focused on promoting effective mentoring programs for under-represented groups, including women and ethnic/racial minorities.
- Served as the Executive Director of the National Postdoctoral Association, whose primary goal was to ensure professional success for trainees during a period of mentored apprenticeship.
- Led a grant-funded project to foster effective mentoring relationships between scholars at Tribal Colleges and Universities and those at research-intensive institutions.
- Participated as a mentor in numerous programs offered by Phi Beta Kappa, SUNY-Binghamton and the George Washington University.
- Mentored scores of student interns and externs via hosted programs at my workplace.
Alyson is a valued colleague who embraces peer-to-peer mentoring and professional development. Her knowledge of the challenges facing small associations and creativity in addressing those issues is wide-ranging. As a fellow Executive Director representing her organization within the ACLS, Alyson was both a thought leader and a generous contributor to our listserv and to conferences/workshops held over the past 14 years. Most importantly, she brings a wealth of experience and wisdom in nonprofit management that is critical to those working in the field.
Margery B. Daniels, Executive Director, International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR)
Alyson really cares about nurturing the talents of students and early career scholars. I worked with her as a summer intern and then later as a paid consultant assisting with conference planning tasks. Alyson is an excellent coach and mentor who models best practices through her management approach to bringing out the best in people.
Shane Taylor, Subject Expert Teacher, Basis Education; Former Student Intern, Linguistic Society of America
I got to know Alyson during my time as an LSA student intern. She consistently provided valuable guidance, input, and instruction. Alyson’s mentorship aligned with her overall interest in ensuring that my time at the LSA was enriching for me as a student, and that I was exposed to the professional environment and attributes of public sector work. As a mentor she was dependable, interested in receiving feedback, and provided important insights for someone beginning to explore career options.
Sonya Trawick, Ph.D. in Language Science and Linguistics, former LSA Student Intern