Physics & Astronomy Community Excellence: Structured Near-Peer Mentorship in Doctoral Degree Programs

Meaghan McMurran; Ryan Rice-Smith; Stephanie Urbano Stawinski; Tyler Smith; Vidya Venkatesan; Helena Garcia; Jake Rudolph; Arianna Long; M. Katy Rodriguez Wimberly; Suyash Jain; Brian Sato; Franklin Dollar

doi:10.32374/2026.6.1.150ra

Authors

Meaghan McMurran Postsecondary Education Research and Implementation Institute, University of California, Irvine https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5650-7052
Ryan Rice-Smith Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5543-2850
Stephanie Urbano Stawinski Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8169-7249
Tyler Smith Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1732-8040
Vidya Venkatesan Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5638-4344
Helena Garcia Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4322-1607
Jake Rudolph Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8171-1434
Arianna Long Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7530-8857
M. Katy Rodriguez Wimberly Department of Physics and Astronomy, California State University, San Bernardino https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1848-5571
Suyash Jain Postsecondary Education Research and Implementation Institute, University of California, Irvine
Brian Sato Postsecondary Education Research and Implementation Institute and Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1489-0705
Franklin Dollar STROBE, NSF Science & Technology Center, University of California, Irvine https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3346-5763

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32374/2026.6.1.150ra

Keywords:

near-peer mentorship, inclusive educational environments, academic persistence, graduate student retention

Abstract

We have developed a near-peer mentorship program in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine. The Physics and Astronomy Community Excellence (PACE) program is a graduate student led initiative designed to acclimate students and foster community through structured near-peer mentorship. Established in 2018, PACE provides guidance on academic resources, mental health, and various aspects of the graduate experience. Survey data indicates that PACE has had strong positive impacts on participants. Mentors, including those from historically underrepresented groups, report benefits including increased leadership skills, sense of belonging, and motivations for continuing in the field.

Physics & Astronomy Community Excellence: Structured Near-Peer Mentorship in Doctoral Degree Programs

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