Welcome to McNair Scholars Program at WVU
The Ronald E. McNair Scholars Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education in honor of a remarkable man who dared to make his dreams a reality.
Through a grant competition, funds are awarded to institutions of higher education to prepare eligible participants for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. Participants are from disadvantaged backgrounds and have demonstrated strong academic potential. Institutions work closely with participants as they complete their undergraduate requirements. Institutions encourage participants to enroll in graduate programs and then track their progress through to the successful completion of advanced degrees. The goal is to increase the attainment of Ph.D. degrees by students from underrepresented segments of society.
Click here
to view the 2002 WVU McNair PowerPoint slide show.
About Ronald E. McNair
“Before You Can Make a Dream Come True, You Musf First Have One”
Ronald Ervin McNair, the second African American to fly in space, was born on October 21, 1950, in Lake City, South Carolina to Carl and Pearl McNair. In 1967, McNair graduated from Carver High School in South Carolina. He attended North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, where, in 1971, he graduated magna cum laude with a BS degree in physics. In 1976 he earned his Ph.D. degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After gaining national recognition as a physicist at Hughes Research Laboratories, Ronald McNair was one of 35 applicants selected from a pool of ten thousand for NASA’s space shuttle program. In 1984 McNair became a mission specialist aboard the flight STS-11 of the shuttle Challenger, orbiting the earth 122 times. He was also a sixth degree black belt in karate and an accomplished jazz saxophonist.
On the morning of January 28, 1986, McNair’s second space flight ended in tragedy when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after take-off. McNair was only 36 and is survived by his wife Cheryl Moore and their two children Reginald Ervin and Joy Cheray.
After his death in the Challenger explosion, the U.S. Congress named the newly established Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program for Ronald E. McNair to encourage undergraduate students to enroll in graduate studies in order to earn a doctoral degree. The program targets low-income, first-generation and students from under-represented groups. This program is dedicated to the high standards of achievement inspired by Dr. McNair’s life.
Contact Us
The McNair scholars office is located on the Downtown Campus on the first floor of the Student Services Center. At the McNair Scholars office, a dedicated staff awaits to answer any questions you may have about the program. For the students participating in the program, the door is always open for questions and liaisons on matters concerning research and assistance
Anita Mayer, Program Director
Anita.Mayer@mail.wvu.edu
Dr. Betty Mei, Assistant Director
Betty.Mei@mail.wvu.edu
Leilani Browning, Graduate Assistant
Leilani.Browning@mail.wvu.edu
WVU McNair Scholars Program
Student Services Center
PO Box 6212
Morgantown, WV 26506-6212
Phone: (304) 293-4316Â
Fax: (304) 293-4365
