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McNair Scholars
Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program
Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program is a federal TRiO program funded by the U.S. Department of Education in the amount of $261,888 annually from 2022-2027.
The program is named for Ronald E. McNair, a North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro) and MIT educated physicist, the second African American to fly in space. The program is in dedication to his high educational achievements.
The McNair Scholars Program at TWU
The McNair Scholars Program at TWU is to prepare currently enrolled TWU undergraduate students for future PhD enrollment through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. The goal of the program is to increase PhD awards for students who are low-income and first-generation (neither parent has earned a Bachelor’s degree) and/or from underrepresented (African-American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American, Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian) segments of society.
The value of McNair
The McNair Program offers scholars access to significant resources that will help McNair participants become successful at the graduate level and ultimately achieve a Ph.D. Although it may not yet be entirely apparent for new scholars, being part of McNair encompasses benefits ranging far beyond stipend dollars received and seminars/trips attended during your undergraduate career. Being a McNair Scholar carries prestige and recognition at a national level and is a great honor for any student who successfully completes all program requirements. It is a chance to build a solid reputation, bolster credentials, and enjoy personal relationships and a support network that will hopefully last beyond graduation from TWU.
Ronald E. McNair, PhD
Dr. Ronald McNair’s many distinctions include being a Presidential Scholar (1971-74), a Ford Foundation Fellow (1971-74), a National Fellowship Fund Fellow (1974-75), and a NATO Fellow (1975). He was also a sixth degree black belt in karate and an accomplished saxophonist. Because of his many accomplishments, he was selected by NASA for the space shuttle program in 1978. His first space shuttle mission launched successfully from Kennedy Space Center on February 3, 1984. Dr. Ronald E. McNair was the second African American to fly in space. Two years later he was selected to serve as mission specialist aboard the ill-fated U.S. Challenger space shuttle that exploded one minute, thirteen seconds after it was launched.
After Dr. McNair's death, members of Congress provided funding for the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program to encourage low-income and first-generation college students, and students from historically underrepresented ethnic groups to expand their educational opportunities by enrolling in a PhD program and ultimately pursue an academic career.
Program services
We offer scholarly activities designed to prepare students for PhD studies, including research opportunities, mentoring, and advising.
- Academic & Skill Enrichment Workshop
- Academic Counseling
- Campus Visits (In-Person & Virtual) to Graduate Schools/Programs
- Career Exploration
- Explore Funding for Graduate School Workshops
- Financial Planning/Literacy for Graduate Programs
- Information Regarding the Appropriate Graduate Schools/Programs
- Travel to Research Conferences
- Tutoring
- Up to $2600 Summer Research Stipend
- Writing Graduate Admissions Essays and Graduate Interview Training
Contact McNair Scholars Program
Page last updated 4:01 PM, August 16, 2023