My motivation to be a mentor comes from both gratitude for the mentors I have had in my career and the joy I feel at seeing the students I help achieve their own success. As a first-generation woman in the sciences coming from a low socioeconomic background, I know firsthand how difficult it can be for students like myself to prepare for higher education. I know my success in academia is due in large part to the mentors I had the privilege of working with, and I believe strongly in paying that privilege forward.
Mentorship
“Courtney’s joy is contagious. The moment she steps into a room, everything feels lighter. Her warmth, support, and positive spirit always uplifts me and makes the world feel like a brighter place. I hope to be at least half the person Courtney is when I’m in graduate school, she is such an inspiration!”
- Andrea G.
UCSB McNair Program Scholar
“Dr. Durdle’s vivacious spirit, infectious laugh, and wise mentorship has been known to all of us who have had the pleasure of working with her. Her insight into the graduate school process and human experience is absolutely invaluable and has guided so many of us to better essays, presentations, and decisions. While I will miss her love of Disney, Olive Garden, Cali, Uni, the human brain, and -of course- us (we all felt it), I am elated knowing that some folks in New England get to experience her. After all, everyone needs someone like Dr. Courtney Durdle in their lives!”
- Laila L.
UCSB McNair Program Scholar
“Since Courtney arrived at the McNair Program, her passion for teaching and helping others has always been evident. Her piece of advice for newly graduated students pursuing competitive research positions was “always do more”. Having worked with her closely, I recognize Courtney as the true embodiment of this motto. The level of attentiveness, time, and energy that Courtney provides her mentees is unlike any other graduate student I have worked under. Her enthusiasm, and willingness to patiently guide students through complex research tasks is truly admirable. Her mentorship style has fostered a positive and growth-oriented environment, thus making the world of research accessible to students like me, who were once extremely intimidated by it. Courtney has shaped my perception of leadership and inspired me to provide the same level of support to the undergraduates I will work with in the future.”
- Fatima G.
UCSB McNair Program Scholar
“Under Courtney’s guidance over the past year and a half, I was able to complete an honors thesis. I cannot thank her enough for the immense amount of time and wisdom she poured into helping me with this project - she consistently met with me at least once a week for an hour throughout my honors thesis about how oral hormonal contraceptives could impact auditory episodic memory in different emotional states. Although at times the project felt extremely daunting, Courtney was there at every step to demonstrate the process of psychological research in a comprehensible way.”
- Jessica S.
Miller Lab Research Assistant & UCSB Honors Thesis Mentee
“Courtney is one of the most inspiring individuals I’ve ever met both in her intelligence and her positive outlook on life! Her advice and belief in my success is a contributing factor to my continuing motivation toward pursuing academic achievements! Courtney always says that you don’t need to please everyone, only the right people, and I believe that Courtney is one of the right people to please!”
- Citlali I.
UCSB McNair Program Scholar
“We have seen Courtney aid students in more than just academics. At critical times, she has helped them navigate looming crises, such as juggling personal and familial commitments, and has attended to their moments of doubts and misgivings over their presence in academia. She meets with students on a consistent basis during her regular office hours and always makes herself available to talk with them about their needs. Courtney is excellent, too, with explaining to students the dynamics of project design, troubleshooting projects and technology, helping them deal with non-responsive faculty mentors, and generally demonstrating how to interact with faculty and graduate students in a professional setting. Given her background and understanding of the scholars’ experiences at the university, Courtney has been, and continues to be, effective in guiding first-gen, low-income, and underrepresented students navigate higher education and academia more broadly. ”
- Dr. Miroslava Chávez-García, Ph.D. & Dr. Veronica L. Fematt, Ph.D.
UCSB McNair Faculty Director & former UCSB McNair Program Director
“Courtney has been such a key part of the McNair Program for me–both for the optimistic energy she consistently brought to our seminars and her amazing advice as a writing specialist. Courtney helped me revise countless applications for my summer research programs, URCA, and other scholarships last year and I am so grateful for all her support through it all!”
- Isa R.
UCSB McNair Program Scholar
“Courtney is a shining example of what it means to go above and beyond in both your research and your service, and she serves as an excellent model to all of us here at McNair. In addition to providing high quality writing and research advising to our undergraduate scholars, she brought an avalanche of positive energy to everyone around her. We can’t wait to see her become a tenure-track faculty member who’s eager to mentor more aspiring researchers. Until then, we’ll make sure to keep her favorite piece of advice in mind as we guide our scholars into their own futures: follow your heart!”
- Mary Michael, Ph.D. Candidate
UCSB McNair Program Writing Specialist
“I have worked as a research assistant for Courtney for over two years now, and I have seen firsthand how she regularly goes above and beyond to ensure that everyone she mentors is successful in their education and research pursuit. No matter how overflowing her workload was, Courtney met with me every week to answer any questions I had about the research process. She advised me as I presented my research at multiple psychology conventions, and after I graduated from UCSB, she encouraged me to apply for publications. Most importantly to me, every time I was ready to throw in the towel, Courtney motivated me to strive to succeed. In short, I feel that Courtney has mastered the art of helping people, including me, prove that they are capable of more than they thought possible.
- Ana B.
Miller Lab Research Assistant & UCSB Honors Thesis Mentee
“The mentorship that I have had from Courtney while working in the Miller Memory Lab over the past year has been one of the most important experiences of my undergraduate career at UCSB. Courtney has guided me through each step of the research process since the beginning of this study and she has taught me what it takes to create and execute successful research. Courtney’s commitment to my success does not end at the work we have done together in the lab. She genuinely cares for the people that she works with and wants to see them succeed in every aspect of their life.”
- Kaitlyn D.
Miller Lab Research Assistant
