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MEDIA CONTACT: Jan Fitzpatrick, (585) 275-4128
September 27, 1994
The U.S. Department of Education has increased its support of a program at the University of Rochester that encourages underrepresented minorities to pursue doctoral degrees. The University has received $173,647 for the Fiscal Year '94-'95, which begins October 1. [The grant for FY '93-94 was $130,000.]
Named after the African-American astronaut who was killed on the Challenger in 1986, the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program gives talented students who are members of underrepresented minority groups [African-American, Hispanic, Pacific Islander and Native American] the extra guidance they may need to fulfill their academic potential, said Jesse Moore, University associate dean of graduate studies. Before graduating, the students participate in summer research projects to gain a clear idea of what research in their chosen discipline is like, and to develop the skills graduate schools expect from top candidates.
Historically, members of certain minority groups have not earned doctorates in numbers that reflect their size in the population at large. They are therefore underrepresented in occupations for which doctoral degrees are required, such as teaching and research positions at universities, or research jobs in the industrial sector. The federal education department funds efforts like the McNair program to correct this imbalance.
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The University of Rochester (www.rochester.edu) is one of the nation's leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering is complemented by the Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, and the Memorial Art Gallery.
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