A good mentor can lead their mentees toward new heights, but an outstanding mentor knows that if they create an environment marked by support and open communication, the possibilities are limitless.
Mei He, Ph.D., an associate professor of pharmaceutics in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, has received the UF Outstanding Postdoc Mentor Award from the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs for her efforts to create a nurturing, growth-oriented homebase for her postdoctoral mentees.
“Creating a positive, supportive environment and lab culture is essential,” said He, who received this award on April 8 during the annual UF Graduate School Awards and Recognition Ceremony. “I always put a lot of time into aligning my mentees’ career paths and helping them navigate their career goals. Once we have a clear path to pursue, they are quite efficient in achieving their goals. Sometimes, just serving as a coach to provide encouragement and experience is all that’s needed.”
The UF Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award is given to faculty members who demonstrate support of their mentees through challenging research projects or professional situations, personal challenges and career exploration and advancement. In addition to training her mentees in professional skills like research hypothesis development, scientific writing and reporting and presenting at conferences, He aims to offer gems of wisdom gained from her long-standing career in medical and pharmaceutical engineering.
“I am very open to having chats with my students about their professional or personal challenges. We even talk on the phone during holiday breaks if we need to navigate a situation. I totally understand my mentees’ difficult situations and try to help them with advice or suggested solutions,” He said. “If a challenging research question is out of our research lab expertise, I try to find resources and support from my collaborators.”
He’s approach to mentorship has garnered tangible results, as her students frequently take home top national honors for their research. For example, Xiaoshu Pan, Ph.D., a research assistant professor in the UF Department of Pharmaceutics, received a Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA, Foundation Fellowship and recognition for her research from the UF Office of Postdoctoral Affairs during her time as a postdoctoral trainee in He’s lab.
Pan said she nominated He for this honor to recognize her ability to create a space where postdoctoral researchers feel encouraged to explore diverse research directions, take intellectual risks and develop independence in their work. Pan recalled a moment in which she was struggling with an experiment that repeatedly failed, and she felt it was impossible to move forward. She turned to He for guidance, and after being asked a series of questions about her experiment, Pan realized a solution was possible.
“Through this discussion, I realized the issue might be technical, and that continuing the same approach might not be practical. Dr. He suggested reaching out to collaborators, who led us to a more feasible solution,” Pan recalled. “This allowed us to successfully move forward with our project. From this experience, I learned the importance of being practical, staying flexible and not hesitating to seek help.
“Dr. He’s mentorship has strongly shaped my professional journey by encouraging me to take action and trust my own ideas while remaining persistent and adaptable. This mindset has helped me remain proactive and forward-moving, even in challenging situations,” Pan added.
He said the biggest reward in her career is seeing her mentees grow into fully fledged scientists, achieving their career goals and unlocking new scientific discoveries.
“I hope all my mentees go on to lead very successful careers, either in academia or in industry, and that they land next-level positions after working with me,” He said. “I always emphasize working on the skills that they need to prepare for the next chapter in their careers.”
He was one of only two faculty mentors across the university to receive the UF Outstanding Postdoc Mentor Award in 2026.