November 10, 2004

McNair Program Offers UCSD Juniors And Seniors
Wide Range Of Research, Grad School Preparation

By Michael Dabney

The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program at the University of California, San Diego is recruiting juniors and senior of all majors who are interested in obtaining a Ph.D.

The program, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, serves low-income students at UCSD who are the first in their families to attend college, and/or who are underrepresented students (African American, Latino, Chicano, American Indian/Alaskan Natives). Students must be juniors or seniors and have a GPA of at least 3.0.

UCSD McNair Program students Alice Tsai and Trong Shawn Ta discuss research findings at an undergraduate research conference held this year at Penn State University. In addition to conducting one-on-one research with UCSD faculty, McNair scholars also present their work at established research conferences around the country.

Administered by UCSD’s Academic Enrichment Programs ( a unit of Student Affairs), the McNair Program provides undergraduates with one year of research outside the classroom with a faculty mentor, and participation in other scholarly activities that offer effective preparation for doctoral study.

Through the McNair program, says Paul Albert Lacson, program coordinator, students not only gain valuable experience in preparation for graduate school, but also get the unique opportunity to work closely with a distinguished professor in their field of interest.

“The McNair Program seeks to accelerate the progress of students from being mere consumers of knowledge to producers of it,” Lacson says. “Doctoral students learn quickly they are expected to contribute original scholarship to their fields of study.”

He adds: “Since many McNair scholars are the first in their family to obtain a bachelor’s degree, let alone a Master’s or Ph.D., they face significant challenges in finding out about opportunities for graduate scholarships and academic careers. The McNair Program assists them in meeting such challenges.”

In addition to one-on-one work with a professor, McNair undergraduates also participate in monthly seminars on graduate school, social events with UCSD faculty, and all expenses-paid trips to present their research at national conferences.

McNair Scholars earn eight units of academic credit during winter and spring quarters, and participate full-time during the summer when they continue their research, earning four additional units of credit. The program pays students a $2,800 stipend and also assists with preparation for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

For more information, students may visit http://aep.ucsd.edu/default2.htm, or contact Paul Albert Lacson at Academic Enrichment Programs, University Center, Building 411; (858) 534-2937.

Media Contact: Michael Dabney, (858) 822-3432