This study has explored key contributors of graduate student motivation for a career within academia after program completion and the potential effects of a virtual or remote learning and teaching environment on that motivation. Evidence suggests that two main contributors to a programs ability to maintain and grow their academic research talent are a graduate students’ experiences both as an instructor and in their personal relationship with their mentor or advisor. Evidence further suggests in-person communication and socialization are at the heart of these factors. The positive connection between those experiences and the motivation to remain in higher education lend evidence to the importance of nurturing that same communication and socialization within virtual and hybrid environments.