McNair Scholars Program

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McNair Scholars Program

• The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate
  Achievement (McNair) Program is one of the U.S.
  Department of Education funded TRIO Programs.
• TRIO Programs are a group of eight outreach
  programs designed to support and assist students
  from disadvantaged backgrounds to progress
  through the academic pipeline from middle school
  to attainment of a post-baccalaureate degree.
• While student financial aid programs are designed
  to help students overcome financial barriers to
  higher education, TRIO Programs are designed to
  help students overcome class, social, and
  cultural barriers as well.
• The RIT McNair Scholars Program is a newly funded
  program that started at the end of Spring 2008.
  It is a 4 year grant designed to provide students
  with enriching scholastic experiences and
  resources that prepare eligible scholars for
  post-baccalaureate education.

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Dr. Ronald E. McNair

• Accepted by North Carolina AT University, he
  graduated with a B.S. degree in physics in 1971.
  Continuing his education, he ultimately received
  his Ph.D. in quantum electronics and laser
  technology in 1976 at the Massachusetts Institute
  of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
• Dr. McNair's academic honors included being named
  a Presidential Scholar, a Ford Foundation Fellow,
  a National Fellowship Fund Fellow, a NATO Fellow,
  winner of Omega Psi Phi Scholar of the Year
  Award, and Distinguished Alumni Award.
• In addition to his numerous academic honors, Dr.
  McNair was an accomplished saxophone player and
  held a fifth degree black belt in karate.
• In January of 1978, Dr. McNair was selected as an
  astronaut candidate by NASA. The following year
  he would be qualified for an assignment on the
  Space Shuttle Challenger as a mission specialist
  astronaut. The Challenger concluded its mission
  in the first landing on the runway at Kennedy
  Space Center on February 11, 1984.

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Dr. Ronald E. McNair

• Nearly two years later, on a cold January
  morning, Dr. Ronald Erwin McNair would board the
  Challenger Space Shuttle on his second space
  mission. On January 28, 1986 tragedy would
  strike. Shortly after lift off from the Kennedy
  Space Center, Florida, the Space Shuttle
  Challenger exploded. Dr. Ronald McNair was one of
  seven individuals aboard who met an untimely
  death. Dr. McNair is survived by his wife, Cheryl
  and his two children.
• The United States Congress, named a fellowship
  program in Dr. McNair's honor, to recognize his
  remarkable academic and professional
  achievements. The purpose of the Ronald E. McNair
  Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program is to
  encourage low-income individuals who are first
  generation college students and/or traditionally
  underrepresented in graduate education to pursue
  doctoral study. Named for Dr. McNair, the program
  serves as a living memorial to a man who overcame
  seemingly insurmountable odds to be awarded his
  Ph.D. in physics and later, to realize his dream
  of becoming an astronaut for NASA. Dr. Ronald
  McNair once said, "True courage comes in enduring
  . . . persevering and believing in oneself." His
  life was truly an example of this statement.

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To be eligible to become a RIT McNair Scholar,
you must

• Be first-generation-college and low income
• First-generation-college having parents or
  guardians who have not earned a baccalaureate
  degree.
• And/or be an AALANA Student
• Be a continuing Sophomore or Junior at RIT (2nd
  or 3rd Year Students)
• The RIT McNair Scholars Program is for
  undergraduate students who are at least one year
  away from graduation.
• If in a five year program, 4th years are also
  eligible
• Intend to pursue a post-baccalaureate education.
• Masters or PhD program
• Have a 3.0 minimum cumulative GPA.

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RIT McNair Scholars Program-Opportunities

• Focusing on graduate school preparation, the RIT
  McNair Scholars Program demystifies the graduate
  school application process and provides students
  with a simulated graduate school experience,
  including research. The program offers a
  scholarly environment whereby students receive
  academic, financial, and social support. McNair
  Scholars
• Engage in Research. Participants conduct
  research under the guidance of a Faculty Mentor.
  Quality research projects provide a realistic
  picture of graduate school scholarship, while
  also preparing students for the doctoral school
  climate.
• Study Research Theories, Research Methods, and/or
  Research Ethics. Students will attend a research
  methodology/research ethics workshop. The
  course/workshop enables students to augment their
  research experience from a practical, a
  theoretical, and an ethical perspective.
• Develop Deliver Professional Research
  Presentations. Each student culminates his/her
  McNair Program experience by presenting his/her
  research at a Research Symposium. In addition,
  students have the opportunity to travel to
  additional McNair conferences nationwide and to
  network with graduate school representatives, as
  well as McNair scholars from across the country.
• Attend Graduate School Preparation Seminars and
  Workshops. Students attend weekly graduate school
  seminars and/or workshops that focus on specific
  topics designed to demystify the graduate school
  application process, including how to identify
  the graduate programs that fit their needs and
  interests, preparation for the Graduate Record
  Examination (GRE), and how to excel in graduate
  school.
• Visit Graduate Schools and Meet with Graduate
  Faculty Members. Students travel to various
  graduate schools throughout the country to
  examine institutions and departments as possible
  graduate school destinations.

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RIT McNair Scholars Program-Benefits

• Maintaining the goal of personal and professional
  excellence, the RIT McNair Scholars Program
  provides workshops on financial management,
  interpersonal communication, ethnicity and
  scholarship, and professional etiquette. In
  addition, McNair Scholars receive the following
• McNair Stipend. Students who conduct research
  will receive a competitive stipend. Summer
  housing and a food allowance are also provided.
• Mentoring. Each student is matched with a
  faculty mentor who provides individual guidance
  and mentoring regarding the graduate school
  application process and the completion of
  undergraduate research projects. Mentors serve as
  role models and are an essential resource for
  their McNair Scholar.
• Tutoring/Academic Counseling. Individual
  academic counseling from both the program
  director/coordinator and a faculty mentor enables
  students to maximize their undergraduate program
  and to prepare for graduate study.
• Assistance in Securing Financial Aid. Students
  receive support and guidance in securing
  undergraduate and graduate financial aid.
• Supportive Scholarly, Social, and Cultural
  Environment. Students engage in reading
  discussion groups, email exchanges, group
  dinners, and a variety of cultural events.

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RIT McNair Scholars Program-Rewards

• From the alliance with the program and the
  faculty mentor, scholars can gain the following
• Become acquainted with prestigious and nationally
  recognized educators and researchers in your
  discipline.
• Develop academic and research skills.
• Recognize your potential to become a successful
  educator and researcher.
• Learn from a teacher who is willing to take you
  under his/her tutelage.
• Share tasks with an experienced researcher who is
  willing to show you the ropes and let you grow as
  an individual and as a team player.
• Become invigorated with new perspectives that may
  lead to expanded research opportunities, and
  opportunities for publications.
• Have the opportunity to discover the true meaning
  of research and relate practice to theory.
• Develop skills to relate theory to practice.
• Have a confidante, a sponsor, a role model, an
  advisor, a teacher, and a "door opener," all in
  one.
• Learn to be a "team player" and improve your
  interpersonal and communication skills.
• Learn to become thorough, patient, responsible,
  curious, and creative.

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McNair Scholar Expectations

• Respect for others Courtesy and respect for
  others are fundamental elements of professional
  behavior. A professional strives to understand
  the differences among classmates and colleagues,
  provides fair constructive feedback when asked to
  evaluate others, contributes equitably in group
  work, and is punctual and avoids disrupting the
  work environment. Professionals respect others'
  expectations of confidentiality and privacy.
• Commitment to quality A professional aims for
  the highest possible standard of performance and
  endeavors to produce work in which he or she can
  take pride.
• Responsibility A professional takes
  responsibility for his or her own progress by
  completing their own work and being prepared for
  meetings and other activities. A professional
  also takes responsibility for his or her actions
  with care for consequences that might evolve and
  for how their actions will affect others.
• Personal integrity Professionalism is reflected
  by the extent to which others can rely upon you.
  A professional can be counted on to follow
  through on commitments, avoid conflicts of
  interest and bias, and adhere to the rules of
  organizations with which they are involved such
  as the McNair Scholars Program Office and
  Graduate School.

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Research Programs

• Research programs provide Scholars with the
  opportunity to conduct independent research in
  their field of interest under the guidance of a
  faculty member.
• Since research comprises the bulk of a graduate
  students career, participation in these summer
  undergraduate research programs is extremely
  beneficial in providing the skills and experience
  to succeed in graduate school.
• Independent research is something that graduate
  admissions committees recognize and value in
  their applicants. In certain fields, including
  the biological sciences, applicants are expected
  to have participated in independent scholarly
  research.
• Currently, undergraduate research is becoming
  more important and increasingly integrated in
  higher education curricula. The RIT McNair
  Scholars Program is designed to provide enriching
  and successful research experiences to you
  throughout the year.

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McNair Scholars Program Academic Year Activities

• Participate in Research Opportunities
• Graduate School Preparation Courses
• Graduate School Visits and Applications
• Academic/Research Workshops
• Cultural / Social Events
• Participation in local/regional/national
  conferences
• The Rochester Academy of Science
• Technical Writing Course
• McNair Research Seminar

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McNair Scholars Program Summer Activities

• Participate in Summer Research Experience
• Academic Assessments
• Research Preparation Seminars
• Academic/Research Workshops
• Cultural / Social Events
• RIT Undergraduate Symposium
• National McNair Conference in Buffalo, NY

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Opportunities for Faculty/Staff Involvement

• Faculty Undergraduate Research Advising Committee
  (FURAC)
• This committee helps with
• The McNair Scholar Selection Process
• Development of guidelines and policies for
  research experience and McNair program.
• Serve as internal evaluators for program and
  develop recommendations for development of
  program.
• Serve as scientific reviewers for RIT McNair
  Research Journal.
• Serve as a Faculty Mentor for a McNair Scholar.
• Recommend students for the RIT McNair Scholars
  Program.
• Provide information about research opportunities
  for RIT McNair Scholars.

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Faculty Mentors Responsibilities

• A mentor is a teacher, a counselor, and a
  role model who leads his or her mentee through
  guidance and who inspires him or her to move
  forward by providing continuous support,
  direction and advice.
• McNair Scholars credit their Faculty
  Mentors, rightfully, as vital to their success
  with the research internship and their overall
  progress towards graduate study. Faculty Mentors
  assist Scholars in developing professional work
  habits, research skills, and relationships
  conducive to future doctoral pursuits. Faculty
  Mentors collaboration with McNair staff, who
  provide administrative support, also contributes
  greatly to the effective operation of the program
  overall.

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McNair Staff

• Essie Sierra-Torres, MPH
• Director, McNair Scholars Program
• Building 13, Room 1336
• Phone [phone] Fax [phone]
• E-mail Essie.torres_at_rit.edu
• Linda White
• McNair Scholars Program Staff Assistant
• Building 13, Room 1334
• Phone [phone] Fax [phone]
• E-mail ljwpro_at_rit.edu