McNair Scholars Program Offers UA Students Mentoring for Success

McNair Scholars Program Offers UA Students Mentoring for Success

Left to right: Dr. Carl Clements, Trimaine Paker, Dr. Jacqueline Morgan, Karen Torres, LaShondra Jones, Darren Surman

Students in the UA McNair Scholars Program work closely with faculty mentors on research projects. Pictured are (L-R) Dr. Carl Clements, professor of psychology; McNair Scholar Trimaine Paker; Dr. Jacqueline Morgan, former manager of the McNair Scholars Program; and McNair Scholars Karen Torres, LaShondra Jones and Darren Surman.

A select group of UA undergraduate students are conducting research and preparing for graduate school through the McNair Scholars Program. The national program, named after Dr. Ronald Ervin McNair, an astronaut who died in the Challenger space shuttle accident, provides a $3,900 stipend for undergraduate students to participate in a semester of funded research and to engage in other scholarly activities.

Each year, 20 UA McNair Scholars are chosen from a large pool of deserving applicants. Each student develops a topic of research related to his or her field of study, partners with a faculty member for mentorship and fully implements a research study project during his or her research internship. Students then make formal presentations of their research findings at the UA McNair Scholars Conference and submit papers summarizing their research. These papers are then published in the McNair Journal, an annual research periodical. The 2003 McNair Program students will present their annual research conference on Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. in Smith Hall.

McNair Scholar LaTisha Creagh of Bossier, La., said, "The research internship allowed me to learn the step-by-step process of conducting academic research ... I would strongly encourage any student who has determination and wants to be challenged on both an intellectual and personal level to take full advantage of this program."

The UA McNair Scholars Program was recently granted over $1 million in additional funding for the continuation of the research program. The McNair Scholars Program is a U.S. Department of Education TRIO project and the UA program must re-apply for funding every four years.

Dr. Jacqueline Morgan, currently assistant director of admissions for alumni and volunteer recruitment, served as UA McNair Scholars Program manager from its inception at UA in 1999 until last month.

"For the past four years, I have watched students become transformed as they engage in original research projects, present at national conferences and prepare their work for publication. They gain an appreciation for the process of contributing knowledge to their discipline and learn patience and perseverance as they face the normal obstacles related to research. Most importantly, they gain confidence as potential scholars," Morgan said.

To qualify for the program, a student must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; be a first-generation college student with a qualifying income level established by the U.S. Department of Education or be a member of a group that is historically underrepresented in graduate education; have at least a 3.0 GPA; have completed at least 60 semester hours; and demonstrate a potential for doctoral studies.

The program is currently accepting applicants for next year's class. Applications are available in the McNair Program Office, 326 Osband Hall, and the deadline to apply is Nov. 7. For more information regarding the McNair Scholars Program call 348-0572 or visit www.ctl.ua.edu/MSP.