October 5, 1999
LAWRENCE -- In 1986, Ronald McNair, who had become the second African-American man in space in 1984, was one of the seven astronauts who died in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger.
Since then, the McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Programs that were established in his name have helped enable students across the country to reach for the stars and fulfill their dreams.
In 1992, KU established its own McNair Scholars Program, which is aimed at low-income, first-generation college students as well as underrepresented minority students. The program helps prepare these undergraduates to be successful in graduate school by pairing them with a mentor to conduct research. Students devote an entire summer to their research; the program is so intense that students usually cannot hold a job, so the program allots a stipend and room and board allowance to each student.
"Mentors play a key role in the program," said Robert Rodriguez, academic service coordinator for the program. The students select their mentors themselves; the mentors are usually in the students' fields and have similar research interests.
Mentors meet with the students during the summer as often as they deem necessary, usually once a week.
Although the students do the research, the mentors also find that the program is a good learning experience.
Mentoring for Lawrence senior Simmie Berroya, Anthony Corbeill, associate professor of classics, was able to further explore his interests regarding Berroya's topic, "The Association of Classical and Christian Schools: Are They Really Classical?"
"I wish I had had something available like this. It's great," Corbeill said.
Another mentor, Anne Calhoon, assistant professor of teaching and leadership who worked with Jennifer Ivie, Broken Arrow, Okla., senior, said that she learned how rewarding the program was for the students involved.
"It is interesting to work with students who are motivated to learn and who are excited with the opportunity," Calhoon said.
The McNair Scholars Program also helped the mentors show their students basic skills needed for graduate school and beyond. By working with the students, mentors were able to go above and beyond what they could teach in the classroom.
"I was able to introduce [Jennifer] to basic research skills and broaden her knowledge about what was available for graduate research work," Calhoon said.
In September, the hard work of the students and their mentors was put to the test as the students presented their findings at the Kansas Union. Each student was given 10 minutes to summarize the information and conclusions they gathered during the summer.
Although the final symposium has come and gone, the students are not finished with their duties. Throughout the rest of the semester, the students have informational symposiums to attend and assignments for the program to finish. 14 of the McNair Scholars made presentations for the Sept. 17-19 Heartland Research Conference in Kansas City, Mo.
The students' work sometimes is recognized beyond the McNair program. In the past, McNair scholars have been published in journals and some have been asked to present their findings at conferences related to their field. Rodriguez said that the students' work is recognized because the quality is very high.
The McNair Scholars Program is federally funded under TRIO, which was established by Congress to help disadvantaged students. For more information on the program, call the McNair Scholars Program at 864-3412.
The 1999 McNair Scholars, their level and school or college, and home addresses are:
Gbiake Ajayi, senior in engineering, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Akinwumi Ajayi, 3058 W. Ninth St.
Simmie Berroya, senior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 1724 Kentucky, Apt. 3.
Aron Carlson, senior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 1746 New Hampshire St.
Vickie Kennedy, graduate student, 1337 Rhode Island St.
Tim Kochanski, junior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, son of Marsha Hughes, 114 Indian Ave.
Ericka Morris, junior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, daughter of Sharon Morris, 2500 W. Sixth St.
Angie Walden, junior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 1611 Harper.
Kent Bolton, senior in architectural engineering, son of Karen Bolton, 317 W. Gorin.
Ahmad Khalil, senior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, son of Mirriam Newman, 240 S. Pine Grove.
Madinah Hazim, senior in the journalism, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Omar Hazim, 3618 SW 30th St.
Aurora Marin, junior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jose Marin, 912 N. Sixth St.
Karen Boyd, senior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 3021 N. 45th St.
Michele Garrett, graduate student, daughter of Ken Garrett, 5434 Countyline Road.
Twilah Kiel, senior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, daughter of Chris and Lauri Harris, 336 N. 30th St.
Robert Loya, senior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, son of Mr. and Mrs. Yolanda Loya, 1318 S. 41st St.
Michael Bell, senior in architectural engineering, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Bell, 17731 Hamilton Road.
Jennifer Ivie, senior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ivie, 5839 S. Garnett.