There are many faculty in the department that could serve as potential mentors. The first and simplest way to find faculty members is to go to the NRES website where we have a list of the faculty interested in helping online students with capstone projects and their areas of interest: http://nres.illinois.edu/sites/nres.illinois.edu/files/Available_Research_Directors.pdf
This is an incomplete list and there may be other faculty members who may also have an interest in your work if you have clarity/specifics on what you want to explore. So, after you have explored the list in the table above, check out the other faculty members by their biographies on the NRES website (also at http://nres.illinois.edu). Select a few faculty members who may have an interest and read about their most recent research. Does their work seem compatible with your interests?
If your work is somewhat similar to work they have done, most faculty are willing to set up an appointment to discuss your initial ideas and help you define the scope of your project. To approach someone for this type of counseling, simply send an email asking for an appointment to discuss ideas and help narrow down a possible topic. (This will let them know they are not at this point being asked to commit to a position as research director, but rather this is an exploratory call). Be sure to mention why you think they would be instrumental at helping you define your research project (e.g. their area of research or their area of teaching). And be sure to let them know you are an online student. In all cases, before you make contact consider three things: your skills, available resources, and timeline. These are important components that are often overlooked.
If you are still unable to find a faculty member with expertise in your proposed area of research, contact Piper Hodson or Renee Gracon for additional suggestions.
In the next Successories Blog, we will discuss how to prepare for your call.
If you are finding these Blogs helpful or have a request for a blog topic, please send your comments to Renee at gracon1@illinois.edu.