Eleanor Main Graduate Mentor Awards

In 2014–15, LGS established two new awards to recognize graduate faculty and graduate students who set the standard for mentorship excellence at Emory: the Eleanor Main Graduate Mentor Awards. 

Eleanor Main Graduate Mentor Awards

LGS recognizes the importance and value of mentorship in graduate education. Named for an extraordinary faculty member, mentor and Emory leader, the Eleanor Main Graduate Faculty Mentor Award and the Eleanor Main Graduate Student Mentor Award are presented annually during commencement, and each carries a significant monetary prize.

Mentorship is a unique cornerstone of graduate education. Faculty mentors shape the graduate student experience in ways that advance academic progress while also preparing students for success in their careers and as engaged global citizens. Mentors care about student interests and wellbeing, work with them to set goals and chart a path forward. In turn, well mentored students become the next generation of excellent mentors, wherever their research and scholarship may take them.

The Eleanor Main Mentor Awards are a highly visible way for the Laney Graduate School to recognize graduate faculty and graduate students that set the standard for mentorship here at Emory. It is fitting, then, that they are named in honor of the late Dr. Eleanor C. Main.

About Eleanor Main

Dr. Main joined the Emory faculty in 1969. During her time at Emory, she served as Chair of the Department of Political Science, Director of the Division of Educational Studies, acting Dean of Emory College, interim Dean of the Laney Graduate School, Associate Dean of both the College and Laney Graduate School, and Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Studies. The impact of Dr. Main at Emory cannot be overstated. A strong advocate for colleagues and students, her legacy of leadership at Emory is grounded in scholarship, wisdom, generosity, compassion, and commitment to the values that inform and guide the work we do at the Laney Graduate School and, indeed, Emory University.