Becky W. Packard

professor, Mt. Holyoke College

Becky Wai-Ling Packard is interested in the intersection of motivation, identity, and mentoring. Packard's research focuses on the mentoring of women pursuing science and technology careers; the aspirations and mentoring of urban ethnic minority low-income adolescents, especially in science and technology; and understanding complex pathways toward higher education. She has designed mentoring programs in the context of her courses featuring partnerships between Mount Holyoke students and area youth from nearby Holyoke and Springfield. She received the Volunteer of the Year Award from Girls Inc., Holyoke. Packard's work is supported by the National Science Foundation's CAREER program. In June 2005, she went to the White House to receive the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government upon early career scientists. Packard's numerous scholarly articles have been published in such journals as *Career Development Quarterly*, *Mentoring and Tutoring*, *Journal of Career Development*, *Journal of College Science Teaching*, *Advancing Women in Leadership*, and *Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy*.