McNair/SROP Scholars

Overview

The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program/Summer Research Opportunity Program - known at Michigan State University as McNair/SROP is co-named after Dr. Ronald E. McNair, the Challenger space shuttle crew member. McNair is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. This program encourages first-generation, low-income college juniors and seniors to enter doctoral study. McNair runs simultaneously with SROP, which is a minority undergraduate research program. The SROP initiative gives minority students the opportunity to acquire research skills necessary to be successful in graduate school. SROP is funded by the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) and Michigan State University. To promote equal educational opportunity, McNair/SROP offers a broad array of experiences that prepare students to enter and succeed at the graduate level. We start by assisting students in their search for faculty mentors. This mentoring process is vital to having students develop research expertise in their given field.

McNair/SROP provides an excellent opportunity for college juniors and seniors, majoring in diverse disciplines, to participate on the campus of Michigan State University. McNair/SROP scholars engage in research in their academic of the field they are interested in pursuing for graduate studies. They develop the skills and student-faculty mentor relationships critical to their success at the doctoral level.

McNair/SROP Scholars have taken their research skills and knowledge to some of the top graduate schools in the country, including UCLA, Purdue University, Cornell University, Case Western Reserve, Emory University, Northwestern University, Boston University, University of Michigan, Washington University in St. Louis, and Michigan State University. We are pleased that our students are responding well to the program services. The outcomes are measurable and program results are positive.

Purpose

The McNair/SROP Scholars Program encourages the target population to pursue graduate studies and expand their educational opportunities. The program focuses on preparing students for intensive research and the competitive graduate school admissions process.

The McNair/SROP Scholars Program provides an environment that is conducive to learning and personal development, while supplying a dedicated staff and faculty to assist students with their research and post-baccalaureate pursuits. Each student workswith a knowledgeable faculty mentor who has expertise in the research field. Students are exposed to a meticulous graduate school preparatory program, an abundance of research resources, and a generous stipend. In addition, McNair/SROP offers a broad array of experiences that prepare students to enter graduate school and persist at this advanced level.

2007-08 Scholars

Lauren E. Heard
Cona Marshall
Shabana Lakdawala