December 15, 2014

Peter Batra, Research Analyst in the Clinical Pharmacy department at the U-M College of Pharmacy, was recently awarded the 2014 Mentor of the Year Award by the University of Michigan Mentorship Program.

The University Mentorship Program provides an opportunity for new first-year undergraduate students to connect with volunteer mentors who are knowledgeable about the University in order to ease the transition from high school to college. Open to all first-year students, the Mentorship Program is one of many Michigan Learning Communities available to all students. The program is designed to help first-year students become more acclimated to campus life, broaden access to all that Michigan has to offer, and helps build relationships between students, faculty, and staff.

The program matches up small groups of first-year students with one upper-level peer mentor and one faculty/staff mentor. As a peer or faculty/staff mentor, Batra served as a role model and connected with first-year students. Only 25 faculty/staff members are accepted each year from all over the University. Mentoring relationships are complemented by a series of pre-planned skill building activities, social events, and other opportunities.

“Pete is very dedicated to the program and genuinely enjoys getting to know his mentees. He works hard to make sure each mentee feels welcome and benefits from the program. He goes above and beyond for his mentees by arranging his schedule to accommodate meeting with them once a week, in addition to mentorship and group events, states Haley Kehus, a student employee for the Mentorship Program.

According to Kehus, “Pete has developed great relationships with his mentees, and he has proven his dedication to the program over the years. It is so refreshing to meet someone who dedicates his time wholeheartedly to a program like Mentorship.”

Batra has been involved in the Mentor Program for six years this year and plans to continue for a 7th year. Batra’s mentorship group consists of 10 mentees.

“Pete is a terrific research analyst and has excellent knowledge and practice in conducting survey research. It is an added benefit to this University that individuals like him enjoy sharing in their knowledge of the University and Ann Arbor with incoming students. I also know that Pete does the same thing for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in our research group,” adds Karen Farris, Chair of Clinical Pharmacy, Charles R. Walgreen III Professor of Pharmacy Administration. 

Batra received this well-deserve award at Winterfest on Wednesday, December 10, 2014, the year-end celebration for the conclusion of the mentorship program for incoming students.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time in the Mentorship Program. This is my 6th year now in the program as a Faculty/Staff mentor and while each year is different, I think I learn more from the students than they get from me. More recently, I’ve been getting the scoop on the latest smart phones but in the past they have filled me in about the dining halls, housing, and the special events going on around the undergraduate community,” ends Batra.

More information about this award can be found at the U-M Mentorship website.

Congratulations to Peter this outstanding accomplishment!