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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Dr. Ronald E. McNair?

Ronald Erwin McNair was born October 21, 1950, in Lake City, South Carolina to Carl and Pearl McNair. In 1971, he received a B.S. in physics, magna cum laude, from North Carolina A&T State University. McNair then enrolled in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from which he was awarded a Ph.D. degree in physics in 1976.

He became a recognized expert in laser physics while a staff physicist at the Hughes Research Laboratory. Dr. McNair joined the space shuttle program in 1978, and NASA assigned him as a mission specialist aboard the 1984 flight of the shuttle Challenger.

For his academic achievements, McNair received three honorary doctorate degrees and numerous fellowships and commendations. Dr. McNair also held a fifth degree black belt in karate and was an accomplished jazz saxophonist. He was married and had a son and a daughter.

After his death in the Challenger space shuttle accident in January 1986, members of Congress provided funding for the Ronald E. McNair Post- Baccalaureate Achievement Program to encourage minority and low-income, first- generation college students to enroll in graduate studies. This program is dedicated to the high standard of achievement Ronald E. McNair's life represented.
 

What are the benefits?

Services provided by the McNair Scholars Program Include:

  • Research opportunities for participants who have completed their sophomore year of college
  • Mentoring
  • Seminars and other scholarly activities designed to prepare students for doctoral studies
  • Summer internships (with up to a $2,800 research stipend)
  • Tutoring
  • Academic counseling
  • Assistance in obtaining student financial aid
  • Assistance in securing admission and financial aid for enrollment in graduate programs
  • Application fee waivers

Program Activities

For each McNair Scholar there are counseling sessions where goals are set and individual plans developed for achieving goals. In addition, Scholars attend weekly seminars on negotiating the graduate school process, including selecting a graduate school, writing the personal statement, and obtaining financial aid. Non-academic variables, library methodology, and making effective research presentations are among the subjects covered in these seminars.

Other program features include:
bullet Course in Research Proposal Writing
bullet Orientation visits to research facilities and graduate schools
bullet Faculty Mentoring
bullet Preparation for graduate school entrance examinations
bullet Opportunity to compete for the Summer Research Institute
bullet The McNair Messenger, program newsletter

 

Faculty Mentors

Members of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County faculty work closely with McNair Scholars as mentors. Faculty Mentors are selected from the fields in which McNair Scholars intend to pursue research projects and/or graduate study. Faculty applicants for Mentor assignments are requested to complete a Faculty Information Packet, which includes a summary of research interests, a recent curriculum vita, and an indication of the level of involvement they plan to have as a Mentor with a McNair Scholar. McNair Scholars may select a Mentor from those with whom they have studied or worked. Faculty members are encouraged to apply to serve as Mentors.

 

What is The Summer Research Institute (SRI)?

McNair Scholars compete for positions as McNair Fellows in the Summer Research Institute (SRI). During the spring semester, Scholars register for a three-credit, upper-level course in which they learn about research processes and write a research proposal. Faculty members evaluate the proposals and recommend, to the Director, those scholars who will receive research fellowships and participate in the SRI. Guided by his/her Faculty Mentor, each fellow completes a research project, prepares a research paper, and presents research findings at a conference.

Other highlights of the fellowship are:

  • A $2,800 stipend and room and board for the Fellowship period
  • Tuition for an upper-level, three-credit, independent study course
  • Exposure to research facilities and graduate schools
  • Access to state-of-the-art equipment
  • Interaction with role models who have earned the Ph.D. degree
  • Mandatory seminars and workshops

The Summer Research Institute is an eight-week residential experience. The McNair Fellow is expected to carry out a research project under the guidance of a Faculty Mentor. This experience is research focused and should be the primary activity during the eight week period. The experience requires full-time participation.

 

 

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