McNair Scholars Program at Trinity University

Please help us continue to prepare well-qualified undergraduate students for graduate school success. 

PURPOSE

As with all non-profit organizations, our Program budget is limited. We need your help to continue the legacy of Dr. McNair and provide financial support to this wonderful program. Your gift will help us cover additional Program costs that may otherwise be at the students' expense.

ABOUT THE McNAIR PROGRAM

The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program (the McNair Scholars Program) prepares well-qualified undergraduate students for success in doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. Working closely with their academic advisors, the Director, Associate Director, Program Specialist, McNair Tutorial Faculty, and faculty research mentors, McNair Scholars receive comprehensive, ongoing academic career support.

Dr. Ronald Ervin McNair (1950-1986) received a B.S. in Physics from North Carolina A & T University in 1971 and a Ph.D. in Molecular Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976. He was only the second African American in space and died aboard the Challenger during his second Space Shuttle mission. The U.S. Congress paid tribute to Dr. McNair’s accomplishments and legacy by naming the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program in his honor.

ELIGIBILITY

Trinity University students representing all undergraduate majors are invited to apply for the Program if they meet the following eligibility requirements:

• A U.S. Citizen or permanent resident

• Interest in pursuing graduate study

• A low-income student who is also a first-generation college student (neither of your parents/guardians has earned a bachelor’s degree)  AND/OR

• A member of a group that is underrepresented in graduate education, which includes American Indian or Alaska Native, Black or African American, Hispanic/Latino/Latina, or Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

BENEFITS

Beginning their sophomore year, selected Scholars are provided with an array of academic and career counseling services and cultural enrichment experiences, including:

• Paid Summer Research Experience (SRE)

• Expenses-paid travel to research conferences throughout the U.S.

• Expenses-paid travel to graduate research institutions

• GRE test preparation

• Graduate school application assistance

• Waived or reduced graduate school application fees

• Local visits to significant educational, research, and cultural institutions

SUMMER RESEARCH

The centerpiece of the McNair Scholars Program is a one-on-one research mentorship with a professor at Trinity University or another research institution. During the summers following their sophomore and junior years, McNair Scholars work closely with a faculty mentor and are able to continue their faculty-sponsored work during the academic year.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS 

Here are just a few of the highlights of the McNair Program: 

• Since 2007, the McNair Program has served 118 first-generation, low-income, and/or underrepresented students

• 36 Scholars are currently enrolled in a bachelor's program

• 65 Scholars have earned a bachelor's degree

• 3 Scholars are currently enrolled in a professional graduate program

• 2 Scholars have earned a professional degree

• 11 Scholars are currently enrolled in a master's program

• 16 Scholars have earned a master's degree

• 12 Scholars are currently enrolled in a doctoral program