10/14/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/14/2024 07:40
Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]
CANYON, Texas - West Texas A&M University student research into weight-loss drugs, foster care and ground beef patties, among other topics, will be highlighted at an upcoming event that marks a major anniversary of an academic program.
The McNair Scholars Research Showcase will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 15 in the atrium of Cornette Library on WT's Canyon campus.
During the showcase, which will officially commemorate the program's 25th anniversary, 15 McNair students will display posters and discuss their research with WT students, faculty and staff, as well as community visitors.
Becoming a McNair Scholar allows students to conduct and present undergraduate research guided by a faculty mentor, said Victoria Salas, director.
"This experience elevates students' options for graduate school, and most of our students are fully funded in graduate programs here and across the country," Salas said. "For first-generation students, this is life-changing; increasing their level of education changes their lives both economically and intellectually."
The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, or the McNair Scholars Program, at WT prepares underrepresented, low-income and first-generation undergraduate students for doctoral study through research and other scholarly activities.
In 2022, the program won a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, providing $275,000 in annual funding for five years.
The program has been offered at WT since 1999. In that time 261 McNair Scholars have earned their bachelor's degrees, and another 154 have earned graduate or professional degrees.
WT's McNair Scholars program now serves 30 students per year, who receive the guidance of a mentor overseeing the research project; seminars on graduate school admission process, research methods and financial aid; a $2,800 research stipend; a $300 research supply allowance; tutoring, academic counseling and intense GRE preparation; admission and financial aid assistance; preparation for research conference preparations; fee waivers for graduate applications; and paid conference travel.
Participating students and their research topics include:
McNair was one of six crewmembers who died Jan. 28, 1986, when the Challenger exploded shortly after launching at Cape Canaveral, Fla.
After his death, Congress named a research program in his honor - the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, or the McNair Scholars Program. It is designed to prepare underrepresented, low-income, and first-generation undergraduate students for doctoral study through research and other scholarly activities.
McNair - who, in addition to his work as a physicist, also was a talented musician and decorated martial arts champion and instructor - was the second African American to fly in space.
McNair Scholars are an important component in WT's goal of becoming a regional research university, as outlined in the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.
That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign's new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $160 million.
About West Texas A&M University
WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 58 undergraduate degree programs, one associate degree, and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest's finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men's and women's athletics programs.
Photo: The 2024-2025 cohort of West Texas A&M University's McNair Scholars Program are, front from left, Najely Ascacio, Daisy Pando, Marlene Jantes, Gracee Roberson, Amaya Coronado, Raven King, Lizett Silva, Jodi Vance-Furlow and Audrey Rangel, and, back from left, Luis Martinez, Fernando Anguiano, Axel Villa, Bryce Hutson, Alvaro Valdez and Luis Alfredo Avila. They will present research Oct. 15 at the McNair Scholars Research Showcase.
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