McNair summer program offers glimpse of grad school

ach of the 17 sessions at the McNair Program's Summer Research Conference on August 2 began as such sessions often do: students nervously clipping on a microphone and prayerfully loading a PowerPoint presentation. Invariably those initial awkward A/V moments passed. What remained was a series of 20-minute presentations that yielded a glimpse into an intensive summer research program aimed at encouraging minority students to pursue careers in higher education.

Brianne Hawes from Colgate University, Amanda Duran '07, Andrew Lee '08, and Elizabeth Garcia, '08 (from right) listen as fellow McNair students present findings from their summer research projects on August 2.

The participants, 10 of them undergraduates from the University, have been selected to take part in the Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program, named in honor of the late Challenger space shuttle astronaut and laser physicist. The program is funded through a grant from the United States Department of Education with the mission of increasing the numbers of low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented minority undergraduates who pursue doctoral degrees and go on to careers in research and teaching at the University level.

Research projects ranged from atomic physics to economics to psychology. Beth Olivares, who directs the program, says this summer featured an unusually diversified collection, including an unprecedented number of humanities-focused projects. "In an ideal world this is what the program would look like. Students from different disciplines spending time with each other, learning about other students' area of focus, and sharing ideas," says Olivares.

The Rochester McNair program is one of a handful in the country that accepts applications from other institutions, offering students from smaller schools access to the University's research facilities. Among this summer's participants were students from Colgate University, Morehouse College, Canisius College, the College of New Jersey, Hampton University, and the University of MarylandBaltimore County. In addition to research experience, the McNair students also get a chance to practice for the Graduate Record Exam with prep workshops and to take part in a class called Culture of the Academy that is designed to prepare them for life as a graduate student.

McNair student Samantha Stern '07 offers her analysis of Toni Morrison's novel Beloved and how the author uses the main characters to develop the themes of identify, self, and love.

Samantha Stern '07, an English major from Winchester, Va., was studying in London during the spring semester when she decided to apply to the program. She hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in African and African-American literature and has aspirations both as a teacher and researcher. Her work this summer explored the themes of identity and love in Toni Morrison's novel Beloved, a work Stern described in her summary presentation as "a slave narrative like no other, with its nonlinear and convoluted style that forces the reader to put together the story like a puzzle."

Stern says the experience gave her a real taste of scholarly research, but, perhaps more important, provided practical knowledge about the graduate school experience, emphasizing issues that affect minority students.

"It was all about how to get there and what to do when you get there," says Stern. "That kind of insider knowledge is especially useful to me since I'm a first-generation student. My parents just can't offer guidance since they haven't been through the experience of preparing and applying for graduate school. It can be a rather daunting task if you're not sure how to navigate the terrain."

In addition to practical knowledge, Olivares says the summer program gives participants a chance to practice presenting research to an audience with the option to present at a disciplinary conference. "That experience alone helps build up their CVs and gives them an advantage when applying for graduate school. It's one of the most significant ways to distinguish themselves as a candidate."

Stern says she has no doubt the conference and the summer program as a whole have given her an advantage. A few of the graduate school applications she's already completed specifically mentioned the McNair program. "It was an intense experience, but I'm so glad I applied. Not only did I get to research a topic I love, but I got to conquer--at least somewhat--my fear of public speaking in the process. Beats a summer job at the country club any day."