Dr. Clinton Dixon has been actively engaged in mentoring students at Fort Valley State University since he joined the faculty in 1972. He has focused on developing and maintaining support from early contact with pre-college students through to their graduate degrees and careers, and was noted for his high standards, personal involvement, and extending himself outside the classroom. In 1995, Dixon established the program, "Increasing Minority Admissions and Enrollment in Health Professions," which has provided mentoring and program support to Georgia's African-American youth. In six years, that program has involved more than four hundred thirty-one high-school students in activities that focused on their preparation for college through Scholastic Aptitude Test preparation workshops, rigorous academic curricular activities, computer literacy sessions, and field trips/site visits. At least twenty-seven participants have enrolled in graduate degree programs. More recently, the program has been extended to include middle-school students.
Dixon's activities with college students feature peer mentoring, with students assisting in taking science activities to middle schools, and assisting in judging science fairs. Undergraduates also present papers in national scientific meetings and participate in monthly seminars that support their transition to graduate and professional schools.
Dixon was also commended for disseminating his mentorship model to his faculty at FVSU, who have also developed skills in working well with students and supporting their development, as they award-winning scientists.
