In 1986, Ronald McNair, who in 1984 had become the second African-American man in space, was one of the seven astronauts who died in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger.
Research presentations cap off intensive effort
By Julie Sachs
In 1986, Ronald McNair, who in 1984 had become the second African-American man in space, was one of the seven astronauts who died in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger.
Since then, the McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Programs that were established in his name have helped enable students across the country to reach for the stars and fulfill their dreams.
In 1992, KU established its own McNair Scholars Program, which is aimed at low-income, first-generation college students as well as underrepresented minority students. The program helps prepare these students to be successful in graduate school by pairing them with a mentor to conduct research. Students devote an entire summer to their research; the program is so intense that students usually cannot hold a job, so the program allots a stipend and room and board allowance to each student.
"Mentors play a key role in the program," said Robert Rodriguez, academic service coordinator for the program. The students select their mentors themselves; the mentors are usually in the students' fields and have similar research interests.
Mentors meet with the students during the summer as often as they deem necessary, usually once a week.
Although the students do the research, the mentors also find that the program is a good learning experience.
Mentoring for Lawrence senior Simmie Berroya, Anthony Corbeill, associate professor of classics, was able to further explore his interests regarding Berroya's topic, "The Association of Classical and Christian Schools: Are They Really Classical?"
"I wish I had had something available like this. It's great," Corbeill said.
Another mentor, Anne Calhoon, assistant professor of teaching and leadership who worked with Jennifer Ivie, Broken Arrow, Okla., senior, said that she learned how rewarding the program was for the students involved.
"It is interesting to work with students who are motivated to learn and who are excited with the opportunity," Calhoon said.
The McNair Scholars Program also helped the mentors show their students basic skills needed for graduate school and beyond. By working with the students, mentors were able to go above and beyond what they could teach in the classroom.
"I was able to introduce [Jennifer] to basic research skills and broaden her knowledge about what was available for graduate research work," Calhoon said.
Earlier this semester, the hard work of the students and their mentors was put to the test as the students presented their findings at the Kansas Union. Each student was given 10 minutes to summarize the information and conclusions they gathered during the summer.
Although the final symposium has come and gone, the students are not finished with their duties. Throughout the rest of the semester, the students have informational symposiums to attend and assignments for the program to finish. Their schedule is still crammed, and Rodriguez said that 14 of the students are preparing presentations for the Heartland Research Conference in Kansas City, Mo.
The students' work sometimes is recognized beyond the McNair program. In the past, McNair scholars have been published in journals and some have been asked to present their findings at conferences related to their field. Rodriguez said that the students' work is recognized because the quality is very high.
The McNair Scholars Program is federally funded under TRIO, which was established by Congress to help disadvantaged students. For more information on the program, call the McNair Scholars Program at 864-3412.