McNair

This summer, 12 Wesleyan students who identify as first-generation/low-income learned more about research methods and proposal-writing through the first McNair Bootcamp. Held in conjunction with Wesleyan's Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Program and the Wesleyan Mathematics and Science Scholars (WesMaSS) Program, the bootcamp provided a solution for summer research students who were unable to transition their in person research projects into remote research during the COVID-19 pandemic. "You certainly don't want students doing organic chemistry in their kitchens back home," said bootcamp co-founder Erika Taylor, associate professor of chemistry. "Many types of research aren't able to be translated to 'virtual research'…

Erika Taylor, associate professor of chemistry, is honored for being among the "Top 35 Women in Higher Education" in the March 20 issue of Diverse. Taylor joined the Wesleyan faculty in 2007 and teaches courses in the areas of organic chemistry, biochemistry, environmental chemistry, and bio-medicinal chemistry, among others. She's also associate professor, environmental studies, and associate professor, integrative sciences, and takes a multidisciplinary approach to investigating problems at the biological chemistry interface. Diverse acknowledged Taylor for "striv(ing) to find ways to exploit enzymes found in nature to perform reactions that can help advance the fields of chemistry and medicine."…

Several Wesleyan undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and alumni attended the 235th American Astronomical Society meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, Jan. 4–8, 2020. "The meeting was a huge success, and we were thrilled to have such a large contingent of Wesleyan students able to attend and present their research," said Seth Redfield, associate professor and chair of astronomy. Wesleyan McNair Fellow Rachel Marino presented a poster titled “HD106906 Debris Disk Morphology and Origin of an External Perturber." Her advisor is Meredith Hughes, associate professor of astronomy. Hunter Vannier '20 shared his research titled “Mapping the Local Interstellar Medium: Using Hubble to…

Two Wesleyan McNair Fellows recently participated in the largest multidisciplinary and multicultural STEM diversity event in the country. From Oct. 31–Nov. 2, Elizaveta "Liz" Atalig '21 and Ekram Towsif '21 joined more than 4,000 peers at the 2019 SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science) conference in Hawaii. For more than 45 years, SACNAS has served as an inclusive organization dedicated to fostering the success of Chicano/Hispanics & Native Americans, from college students to professionals, in attaining advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership within STEM. Attendees of the three-day conference are immersed in cutting-edge scientific…

This semester, Wesleyan's Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, which assists students from underrepresented groups in preparing for, entering and progressing successfully through post-graduate education, received a five-year renewal grant from the U.S Department of Education. Wesleyan's program will receive $232,265 annually, for a total award of $1,161,325. The federal money is supplemented with an additional $50,000 per year from the President. Since 2007, the program has supported 135 students all of whom were first-generation college and low-income and/or from groups underrepresented in graduate school. The program provides research opportunities and funding, mentoring, graduate school admissions assistance and academic support…

This spring, the 10 McNair Fellows of the Wesleyan Class of 2017 are presenting their undergraduate research projects at Senior Talks on Thursdays at noon from April 18 through May 4, in Allbritton 311. The presentations describe the research that students have conducted with Wesleyan faculty mentors. Many of these projects also are the subject of student theses or final papers presented for the Wesleyan BA requirements. The Wesleyan University Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program, established in 2007, assists students from underrepresented groups with preparing for, entering, and progressing successfully through postgraduate education by providing guidance, research opportunities, and academic and financial…

This fall, the Office for Equity and Inclusion will coordinate five Wesleyan cohort programs: the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, the Wesleyan Math and Science Scholars Program (WesMaSS), the Upward Bound Math-Science Program, and the Posse Veteran Scholars Program. The initiative is called Pathways to Inclusive Excellence (PIE). "It makes sense organizationally to place these programs under the same umbrella, in order to increase a sense of community amongst students, faculty and staff,” said Antonio Farias, vice president for equity and inclusion/Title IX officer. “Our vision is to increase the flow of students in grades 9…

Suzanne O’Connell, professor of earth and environmental sciences, faculty director of the McNair Program, together with Ed Laine ’69 and Kerry Brenner ’94, attended a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NAS) workshop in Washington, D.C. on April 20-21. The three were involved in a report on Service Learning in the Geosciences. O’Connell presented the report at the meeting. Laine, recently retired from Bowdoin College, was on the meeting steering committee, while Brenner, a senior program officer in the Board on Science Education in the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (NAS) coordinated the meeting. A summary…

Science in Society major Stacy Uchendu '17 is participating in Wesleyan's Ronald E. McNair Post Program, which assists students from under-represented groups in preparing for, entering and progressing successfully through post graduate education. Stacy is researching second generation biofuels as a McNair Scholar.

This summer, 13 students had an opportunity to work closely with a faculty mentor to conduct research, as well as get a leg up in the grad school application process, through the McNair Program. For 10 weeks, they studied topics in psychology and neuroscience, earth and environmental science, biology, physics, and science in society. The McNair Fellows, all rising juniors and seniors, are either low-income, first-generation college students or members of a group traditionally underrepresented in graduate school. The fellows may be engaged in research in any field, though the vast majority focus their studies in the sciences. This summer, eight fellows were fully…

Two Wesleyan students presented their research at the McNair Research Talks April 17 in Exley Science Center. The Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program is one of the federal TRiO programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The program’s mission is to create educational opportunities for all Americans regardless of race, ethnic background, or economic circumstance. It assists students from underrepresented groups prepare for, enter, and progress successfully through postgraduate education. First generation college students from low-income families or African-American, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian, Native American Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaskan Natives qualify as McNair Fellows. Since 2007,…

The U.S. Department of Education awarded Wesleyan's Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program with a $1.1 million grant on Sept. 31, 2012. The award will support the McNair Program through Sept. 30, 2017. The Ronald E. McNair Program was established at Wesleyan in 2007 and assists students from under-represented groups in preparing for, entering and progressing successfully through post graduate education.

Students Accelerate Their Research Skills through New Summer Bootcamp

Taylor Named a “Top 35 Woman in Higher Education” by Diverse

Students, Alumni Attend Meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Hawaii

McNair Fellows Present Research at Diversity in STEM Conference

McNair Program Receives Refunding, Will Continue to Support Underrepresented Students

2017 McNair Fellows Present Research Projects in Senior Talks

Office for Equity and Inclusion Coordinates Pathways to Inclusive Excellence Initiative

O’Connell, Alumni Participate in National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Workshop

Uchendu ’17 Researches Production of Biofuels as McNair Scholar

McNair Summer Fellows Perform Research, Prepare for Grad School

McNair Fellows Research Plasma Underwater, Serpentine Soil Plants in Puerto Rico

Department of Education Funds Wesleyan’s McNair Program through 2017