TRiO Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program

McNair Program Mission:

 As one of eight federally-funded TRiO programs, the goal of the McNair Program is to increase the attainment of PhD degrees by students from underrepresented segments of society.  Funded by Congress through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the program prepares eligible participants for successful doctoral studies by providing opportunities for research or other scholarly activities; summer internships; seminars and other educational activities designed to prepare students for doctoral study; tutoring; academic counseling; and activities designed to assist participants in securing admission to and financial assistance for enrollment in graduate programs. 

Eligible participants demonstrate strong academic potential and are low-income, first generation in college students, or from populations underrepresented at the doctoral level.  The first McNair programs were funded by Congress in 1989, and pay tribute to Ronald E. McNair, PhD, crewmenber on the space shuttle Challenger. The McNair Program at Eastern Washington University, began in the 1995-96 academic year.

McNair Research Internship Opportunities:

 All selected EWU TRiO McNair scholars become part of the McNair community with faculty research mentors and staff dedicated to their success.  Scholars participate in research internships with faculty mentors in their majors, and the McNair project provides a stipend up to $2,800 for the research internship.  Scholars also earn up to 12 summer quarter credits for the internship project (with no tuition fee). EWU TRiO McNair also provides seminars on research and writing skills, assistance with identifying goals and creating plans to achieve them, support throughout the graduate school application process, preparation for the Graduate Record Examination and the opportunity to present McNair research at Eastern's annual Graduate and Undergraduate Research & Creative Works Symposium as well as at a national conference.

During the graduate application process, emphasis is placed on providing scholars with financial resources and support available to graduate students. EWU McNair Scholars have been awarded competitive teaching, research and graduate assistantships in graduate programs around the country, as well as fellowships such as the prestigious Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship.

TRiO Day McNair Scholar Speakers

Tuesday, April 3, 2012 -  2:00 pm

Kerensa Allison, PhD (EWU TRiO McNair 1996)

Current Position: Associate Professor, Anthropology (2012-2013)
Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, Idaho

Dr. Kerensa Allison earned a Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Eastern Washington University (EWU) in 1997; a Master of Science Degree in Biology from EWU in 2000, and a PhD in Anthropology from Washington State University in 2010.

In her own words: I am the oldest of three children who grew up in a rural apple-producing town on the Canadian border (population 1,700). My mother and father worked hard to make ends meet; welfare, frequent moves, and wage labor were all part of my adolescence. Graduating from high school in 1993, I enrolled at Eastern Washington University the next fall, where I found myself underprepared for the college experience.  Fortunately Eastern's TRiO Student Support Services provided the foundation to complete my biology degree, and acceptance into the TRiO Ronald E. McNair Scholar Program changed the course of my life. TRiO McNair at EWU is not solely about preparing students for the GRE or helping them write their statement of purpose for graduate school. McNair helped me break down my personal barriers of self-doubt, which haunts all first-generation and low-income students. McNair provided the guidance in application, personal support during my academic journey, and celebration when I finished both my Master's in Biology (EWU) and Doctorate in Anthropology (WSU).

I recently accepted a tenure-track position working for Lewis-Clark State College where 80% of the student body qualifies for TRiO services. I will continue the TRIO legacy to help guide, support and inspire the next generation of TRiO students. 

Cheryl Dykstra-Aiello (EWU TRiO McNair 2010 and 2011) 

Although both of Cheryl Dykstra-Aiello's parents dropped out of high school, they realized the power of an education and emphasized the importance of earning at least a high school diploma. In 1984, Cheryl graduated from high school with honors and was valedictorian, but because her family lacked financial resources, she felt the need to be practical and bury her dream of becoming a university graduate. For more than fifteen years, she settled into the life she had chosen, working as a bookkeeper and quashing her dream whenever it resurfaced. Fortunately, breast cancer taught her that life won't wait forever and, with her husband's support and encouragement, she finally returned to school to become a biology/pre-med major set to graduate with a B.Sc. in June, 2012.

Now, she dares to dream of becoming a Medical Scientist (M.D./Ph.D.) in order to help people by one day, perhaps, individualizing health care through research and clinical practice; something to which she believes her life path has led her. Becoming a McNair Scholar in 2010 has further shaped that dream by honing the research, writing and presentation skills needed in graduate school. Someday, Cheryl hopes she can inspire and challenge others to be more than they think they can be and to know they are never too old to follow their hearts or to allow their dusted off dreams to shine the way toward the life they deserve.

Graduate School Acceptances:

• University of California, Davis: PhD Program; Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology
• University of Nevada, Reno: PhD Program; Molecular Biosciences 
• Medical University of South Carolina: PhD Program; Biomedical Sciences
• University of Wisconsin, Madison: MA Program; Sports Psychology 

The Federal TRIO Programs (TRiO) are Federal outreach and student services programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. TRIO includes eight programs targeted to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to postbaccalaureate programs.  

For information about TRiO programs nationwide visit:  http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.htm

The TRiO EWU Ronald E. McNair Project is 90% federally-funded by Congress through the
U.S. Department of Education at $244,188 for 2012, and 10% EWU funded at $25,000.