MAPS-Pittsburgh: Fall 2025 Mentoring Circles Kick-off Event

On September 17, 2025, we hosted the Fall 2025 Kickoff of our Mentoring Circles Program, part of the WIB MAPS (Mentorship, Advisors, Peers, Sponsorship) initiative. The event took place at the LifeX Building in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood and welcomed students, trainees, and professionals across the life sciences to connect, learn, and begin building small-group mentoring relationships. During the kickoff, we explored the mission of WIB, an overview of MAPS and the importance of building meaningful relationships, do’s and don’ts of the mentor–mentee relationship, the power of informational interviews, and the new Mentor/Mentee Bio Book that will support stronger, two-way matching.

The program is led by MAPS Co-Chairs Alison Gerlach, Qianqian Liang, and Sri Chaparala, with support from WIB-Pittsburgh chapter leaders Tiffany Prince and Beth Stronach, whose combined expertise set the tone for an inspiring evening of introductions and idea-sharing. This fall, participants will join mentoring circles that meet monthly from October through April, typically consisting of 1–2 mentors and 2–3 mentees, covering topics including professional development, academia-to-industry transitions, career growth, work–life balance, and leadership, with the goal of fostering meaningful connections that empower women at every stage of their careers. For those who couldn’t attend, the Kickoff Slide Deck is available by emailing pittsburghmaps@womeninbio.org. We look forward to another successful cycle of mentoring.

Submitted by Qianqian Liang