Penn State McNair Scholars Program

Penn State McNair is one of 187 federal TRIO programs nationwide. Established in 1989 by an act of Congress and named after Dr. Ronald E. McNair, astronaut and laser physicist, the program is designed to provide services to academically talented low-income/first generation students and underrepresented students who express a strong desire to enroll into graduate school to earn a Ph.D. upon completing of the baccalaureate degree. Penn State McNair is housed with the Office of Graduate Educational Equity Programs in the Graduate School at Penn State. Since 1991, Penn State McNair has served over 280 students, assisted them with earning their baccalaureate degrees, and prepared them for success in graduate education. Penn State McNair provides undergraduate experiences to produce competitive graduate school applicants who have the skills and experiences necessary to succeed, including: • A comprehensive academic year component • Fostering mentoring relationships with Penn State faculty, staff, graduate students, and peers. • GRE preparation and Fee waivers • Attending and presenting at undergraduate research conferences at Penn State and nationwide. Penn State McNair conducts an intensive eight-week summer research program in collaboration with the Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP). Participants can earn a research stipend while conducting undergraduate research with a member of the Penn State faculty, participate in GRE prep seminars, attend professional development colloquia, present research findings at the annual McNair/SROP symposium held on the University Park campus, and co-author a research paper that is published in the annual Penn State McNair Journal.