The Ronald E. McNair Program at

Truman State University

Who is Ronald E. McNair?

Dr. Ronald E. McNair was the second African-American to travel in space.

In addition to being an astronaut, he was the first in his family to attend college, and ultimately earned

a Ph.D. in Physics from M.I.T.

He was an inspiration to people everywhere to strive for academic and personal excellence.

What is the McNair Program?

The McNair Program provides academic

support and research opportunities for

underrepresented college students who wish

to pursue graduate, non-professional programs of

study leading to doctoral degrees.

Interested in Applying?

To be eligible, it is required that you be

ALL of the following

□ a full-time Truman State University undergraduate □ a student of at least sophomore status (have 30 or more earned credits) □ a United States citizen, permanent resident, or

student in the USA for a non-temporary purpose □ plan to pursue a doctoral degree (Ph.D.)

Eligibility Requirements

An income-eligible, first-generation college student

OR

A student from an underrepresented group in graduate education - which includes Black (non-Hispanic), Hispanic, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander students

To be eligible, an applicant must be EITHER

The McNair Staff

Dr. Sylvia Macauley, Program Director

Dr. Heather Cianciola, Research Coordinator

Janet Blohm-Pultz, Program Coordinator

Kelly Mourning-Byers, Administrative

Assistant

Benefits of Participation

• Academic advising

• Individual faculty mentoring

• Presentation opportunities at conferences

• Funded summer research internships

• Free GRE preparation

• Graduate school visits

• Graduate application assistance

Timeline for Participation

Upon acceptance into the McNair Program,

participation would begin in the Spring

2015 term and continue until you

successfully complete your doctoral degree.

SOPHOMORES

Spring Semester 2015

Academic advising

Mentoring by faculty member

Seminars and workshops

IDSM 131 for STEM-majors

SUMMER 2015 INDV 360: McNair Research Internship I in May interim for non-STEM majors

Explore research interests

Create research proposal

Research & writing workshops

SUMMER 2016 INDV 460: McNair Research Internship II

10 wk summer program

Research & writing workshops

Conduct graduate-level

research project

Present at research conference

Graduate admission advising

GRE preparation

JUNIORS

Academic Year (Aug '15 -May '16)

3 cr. McNair course Spring 2016

Advising and mentoring

Seminars and workshops

Explore graduate schools/visit

Develop final research proposal

SENIORS

Academic Year (Aug '16 -May '17)

Graduate application assistance

Travel to research conferences

Graduate school visits

Graduate funding advising

Faculty mentoring

Graduation from Truman

ENTER GRADUATE SCHOOL

Sophomore Year

Select a Faculty Mentor

Academic Advising

Seminars & Workshops

Summer before Junior Year

INDV 360: McNair Research Internship I

During May Interim period

Seminars & workshops

Research proposal design

Research trip to Wash U

*Includes paid housing, 2 credit hours and $600 stipend

Workshops & Seminars

Academic Advising

Faculty Mentoring

Preparing a Research

Proposal

Financial and economic

literacy

Junior Year

Junior Year – Spring Term

INDV 400: Graduate School Preparation

3-credit hours methods of scholarly investigation

professional ethics

research proposal writing and submission

components of a successful application to graduate school

factors to consider when selecting prospective institutions

applying for fellowships and assistantships

preparing to become a teaching assistant in grad school

Summer before Senior Year

INDV 460: McNair Research Internship II (Summer Ten Week Session)

Research

Workshops

Mentoring

Free GRE Preparation

Research Presentations

*Includes housing, 4 credit hours and $2,800 stipend

Senior Year & Beyond

Graduate Admissions

Advising

Application Fee

Waivers

GRE Fee Waivers

Research Conferences

Graduate School Visits

Workshops & Seminars

Workshops and seminars are conducted by

McNair Staff, Truman faculty, and outside

speakers and provide McNair Scholars with

exclusive advice and guidance for success as

both an undergraduate and graduate

student.

Sophomore Workshop Topics

Minimizing Loan Debt and Winning Scholarships

What You Can Do

with a Ph.D.

The Graduate School Experience: Student Perspective

Junior & Senior Workshops

Creating your Curriculum Vitae

Linking up with Prospective Graduate

Faculty

Drafting a Persuasive Personal

Statement

Financing Your Graduate School

Education

The First Year of Graduate School

and Beyond

Mentoring

Each new McNair Scholar is paired with a

faculty mentor, who will provide guidance in academic advising, scholarly research, and the graduate application specific to the discipline.

Research

McNair Research Internship I

McNair Research Internship II

Research Presentations at

conferences such as the McNair Research Presentation at Truman, the MKN Heartland Regional Conference and the University of California – Berkeley National McNair Symposium

Opportunity for publication in The McNair Scholarly Review of Truman State University

Scholar Perspective

▫ Participated in the 2013 INDV 360: McNair Research Internship I, including a visit to Washington University

▫ Completed the 3-credit INDV 400: Graduate School Preparation course during Spring 2013

▫ Completed a paid summer research program in 2013 at Washington University in St. Louis

▫ Presented the results of his research at and 2013 Leadership Alliance National Symposium in Connecticut and at the 17th Annual Heartland MKN Research Conference in Kansas City, MO

▫First-year graduate student in the PhD history program at the University of Michigan, fully funded

David Hutchinson

Application Procedures A completed McNair application includes:

• An online application form which requires uploading a writing sample and composing brief written responses to two prompts

• Two references from faculty members, one of whom must be in your major area of study

• Photocopy of the appropriate IRS tax form delivered to McNair Program office

• Online application opens October 1 and all application materials are due November 1

Note: There may be an additional interview process.

Online Application

Performance Objectives

• Objective 1: Participants served during the project year will complete appropriate research or scholarly activities during the McNair Program academic year.

• Objective 2: Bachelor’s degree recipients will be accepted and enrolled in a postbaccalaureate program of study by the fall term of the academic year immediately following the completion of the bachelor’s degree.

Performance Objectives

• Objective 3: First year graduate students will continue to be enrolled in graduate school at the beginning of the fall term of the next academic year.

• Objective 4: McNair Program participants will attain a doctoral degree within ten (10) years of the attainment of the bachelor's degree.

Questions?