AI in the Loop: College Student Attitudes Toward AI-Assisted Peer Mentoring

Presentation Type: Poster
Authors: Emily Hersch, Mia Lamont,  Alexandra Werntz,  Jean Rhodes
About: This survey study examines undergraduate students’ perceptions of peer mentors’ use of AI to augment support. Findings indicate that students are concerned about the impact of AI on the authenticity and quality of the mentoring relationship. Participants emphasized that AI should function as a supplementary tool, not a substitute for effective mentoring, and raised important questions about the ethical and transparent use of AI. Overall, the results suggest that universities should design AI-integrated support systems that align with student values and center authentic, human-centered mentoring relationships.

Can I Help With That? Understanding First-Year College Students’ Goal Setting within a Peer Mentoring App

Conference: International Society for Research on Internet Interventions (ISRII)

Presentation Type: Poster

Authors: Emily Hersch, Alexandra Werntz, Yangyang Deng, Harun Gunasekaran, Jean Rhodes

About: This study examines the impact of goal setting within a peer mentoring app among first-year undergraduate students. Findings indicate that goal setting is associated with higher GPA, life satisfaction, and academic self-efficacy. The results suggest that online mentoring platforms incorporating goal setting can enhance the effectiveness of mentoring relationships and help colleges offer proactive support based on students’ real-time challenges and priorities.

 

Final Emily Hersch ISRII Poster

Degrees of Success: Best Practices and Innovations for Mentoring Underrepresented College Students

Conference: National Mentoring Summit 2024

Presentation Type: Workshop

Authors: Matthew Hagler, Sarah Schwartz, Jean Rhodes, Alexandra Werntz, Elizabeth Raposa, and Megyn Jasman

About: The workshop presented research demonstrating the challenges underrepresented students face in understanding colleges’ “hidden curriculum” and the key role mentors can play in demystifying it. Best practices and cutting-edge innovations in this area were highlighted, such as using mobile technology and youth-initiated mentoring strategies to facilitate mentee engagement and help-seeking.

 

2024 mentoring summit Hagler

 

 

Mentor Summit 2024_Schwartz

 

 

2024 mentoring summit Hagler RAPOSA

 

 

MENTOR Summit 2024

“Can you give me some tips about this?” Task-shifting and just-in-time training for camp counselors supporting camper mental health

Conference: 2023 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Conference.

Presentation Type: Poster

Authors: Monica Arkin, Rachel O. Rubin, & Robert P. Lubeznik-Warner

About: Task-shifting and just-in-time training for camp counselors supporting camper mental health.

 

ABCT_print

Social Networks & Trauma: The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mentoring Outcomes

Conference: 2023 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Conference.

Presentation Type: Poster

Authors: Saniya Soni, Emily Hersch, Cyanea Poon, Alexandra Werntz, Jean Rhodes

About: The relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and mentoring outcomes

 

ABCT Poster '23

“Not just fun and games”: Experiences of summer camp counselors supporting camper mental health

Conference: 2023 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Conference

Presentation Type: Poster

Authors: Monica Arkin, Rachel O. Rubin, & Robert P. Lubeznik-Warner

About: Experiences of summer camp counselors supporting camper mental health.

 

ISTSS

Examining College Student Engagement with a Peer Support App: Implications for Student Wellbeing

Conference: 2023 Society of Digital Mental Health Virtual Conference

Presentation Type: Poster

Authors: Emily Hersch, Saniya Soni, Megyn Jasman, Alexandra Werntz, and Jean Rhodes

About: This presentation examined whether student engagement with MentorPRO differed by race, first-generation, and international student status. We found that students from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities engaged more with their peer mentor and used a self-assessment more frequently than their White peers.

 

SDMH Flash Talk Final_EH

 

Research Proposal: Supportive Accountability for University Students’ Engagement with the Healthy Minds Meditation Application

Conference: Association for Psychological Science 2023 Conference

Presentation Type: Poster

Authors: Emily Hersch, Megyn Jasman, Jordan Cherry, Saniya Soni, Alexandra Werntz, and Jean Rhodes

About: In this poster, we propose an 8-week randomized controlled trial to test whether supportive accountability from a peer mentor will increase university students’ engagement with the Healthy Minds Meditation Application and lead to greater improvements in mindfulness-based skills compared to students who use Healthy Minds without supportive accountability.

 

Emily Hersch APS Poster Final

Implementation of a Technology-Enhanced Peer Mentor Referral System for First-Year University Students

Conference: Association for Psychological Science 2023 Conference

Presentation Type: Symposium

Authors: Megyn Jasman, Alexandra Werntz, and Jean Rhodes

About: During a symposium about leveraging technology and data to improve college and university communities’ wellbeing, a presentation was given on findings from the pilot year of MentorPRO. The full paper can be found here.

 

APS23 Presentation_Megyn_PDF

Bridging the Gap: Technology-Enhanced Peer Mentoring Programs

Conference: University Conference on Teaching and Learning (UCTLT) at the University of Massachusetts Boston

Presentation Type: Presentation

Authors: Saniya Soni, Megyn Jasman, Alexandra Werntz, and Jean Rhodes

About: This presentation covered how technology-enhanced peer mentoring programs can bridge gaps in college services. Findings were presented from a pilot study of a technology mentoring platform for freshman college students.

 

Bridging the Gap_ Technology-Enhanced Peer Mentoring Programs

Supporting Mentees with Anxiety ​Effective Strategies for Promoting Mental Health​

Conference: National Mentoring Summit 2023

Presentation Type: Workshop

Authors: Alexandra Werntz and Saniya Soni

About: This workshop worked to demystify anxiety and encouraged those in attendance to think critically about how mentoring programs can support our nation’s mental health.​

 

Werntz_Soni_MENTOR-supportingyouthanxiety

Lessons Learned: Providing Supportive Accountability to Individuals Enrolled in an Online Anxiety Intervention

Conference: 2021 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Conference. Theme: Promoting Cognitive and Behavioral Practice and Science in the Context of Public Health, Social Justice, Policy, Research, Practice, and Training.

Presentation Type: Symposium presentation

Authors: Alexandra Werntz. University of Virginia: Alexandra Silverman, Henry Behan, Suraj Patel, Miranda Beltzer, Mehdi O. Boukhechba, Laura Barnes, Bethany A. Teachman

About: This project has implications for providing supportive accountability for the use of online anxiety interventions. More specifically, the impacts of integrated coaching were examined with the MindTrails intervention for a sample of anxious adults.

 

Coaching lessons learned ABCT 2021