McNair Scholars Program accepting applications until Nov. 5

Since its inception at Portland State in 2003, the Ronald E. McNair Scholars program—which introduces underrepresented, first generation and low-income students to academic research—has seen 170 individuals pass through its ranks. These students have since been accepted at graduate and doctorate programs at schools such as Georgetown University, Oxford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Currently, it is accepting applications for its 2011 cohort.

“The Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program was established in 1986 by the U.S. Department of Education and named in honor of Challenger Space Shuttle astronaut, Dr. Ronald E. McNair,” said Dr. Jolina Kwong, the program’s assistant director.

According to Kwong, the benefits that students in the program receive include a summer research internship funded by a $2,800 stipend, faculty mentoring, help in publishing their research and assistance in graduate school admissions.

One of the most important aspects of the program is the individual mentoring students receive from faculty members.

“The mentors make the program happen,” said Faaleava Toeutu, the program’s director. “It really doesn’t work without [them].”

The research that students conduct with the support of their mentors varies in topic from environmental issues to modern-day slavery in Portland.

One student, Jacob Sherman, has been involved in research that directly affects PSU. If you have ever walked past a “Hydration Station” on campus, then you are witness to Sherman’s work.    

“Just last year, we applied for and were awarded upward of $40,000 to install more water bottle refilling stations on campus over the next couple years,” Sherman said of his work with the group Take Back the Tap.

Its goal is “to ultimately see the university eliminate the use of bottled water at all events on campus,” he said.  

He has been conducting research on how people’s perceptions of water affect their water consumption.

“For my research I surveyed over 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students at Portland State about their perceptions of water,” Sherman said. “[Our goal was] to figure out how their perceptions influence their water-drinking behavior, as they specifically relate to drinking tap water on campus, bottled water on campus and using the hydration stations on campus.”

Sherman will present his research this week to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education in Denver, Colo. 

Like many graduates of the program, Sherman said he feels prepared for the world of academia.

“Before this program, I had no idea how to do research,” Sherman said. 

Another scholar, Ayole Waritu, also said she had little research experience before her participation in the McNair program.

“When I first started learning about research, it sounded like when I first came to America,” Waritu said.   

From the very beginning of the program, students meet with members of their cohort to learn how to do research. One of the unique aspects of the program is that students are taught a number of different research techniques to implement instead of relying on one standard method.  

“One of the really important aspects of the program is that it allows us to go into academic research with more than one way of figuring things out,” said Kathryn Mills, a McNair scholar and student speaker.  

In the coming year, the program will be competing for grant money to renew its next funding cycle in 2012. Currently, the program is in the process of recruiting undergraduates for the 2011 cohort.  All applications are due on Nov. 5. For more information, visit www.mcnair-program.pdx.edu.  ?