McNair Scholars to present undergraduate research at Scholars Colloquia, Poster Session

McNair Scholars to present undergraduate research at Scholars Colloquia, Poster Session

The Office of Institutional Diversity and McNair Scholars Program are pleased to announce the Spring Scholars Colloquia and Poster Session of undergraduate research during February. All colloquia presentations and the poster session are free and open to ACTC students, faculty and staff. Faculty members are encouraged to announce the upcoming sessions as learning or extra credit opportunities for their students during class.

The Scholars Colloquia and Poster Session were created as a celebration of undergraduate student scholarly endeavor. The colloquia and poster presentations are the culmination of significant efforts on the part of McNair Scholars and their faculty mentors. The goal is to encourage scholastic endeavors that focus on either the generation of new knowledge or the creative integration of existing scholarship into new formalisms.

The chief foci of the Spring Colloquia and Poster Session are on developing excellence in undergraduate research and beyond. The McNair Scholars Program provides first-generation underrepresented college students an opportunity to share their research and network with other scholars and faculty.

The research is presented in two ways:

  • Oral panel presentations are modeled on the professional academic meeting style. Each panel will consist of three to four McNair Scholars who will spend 10 minutes discussing their research as a member of the panel. Questions will be allowed at the end of each panel presentation, and scholars are given an opportunity to respond.
  • The Poster session is designed to foster one-to-one interaction and provides an opportunity for scholars to share the results and findings of their research.

Both programs are an embodiment of the McNair Scholars Program commitment to the whole person and to the intellectual, spiritual and professional development of its students. Crucial to this mission is the dedication and involvement by faculty and administration. During February, their research will be presented at weekly colloquia sessions from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Room 116, McNeely Hall. (See schedule below for dates.) On Saturday, Feb. 28, all McNair Scholars will participate in a poster session from 1 to 3 p.m. in Room 155, Murray-Herrick Campus Center.

Since June 2008, McNair Scholars have been working with faculty mentors in their respective fields of study. The research presentations are multidisciplinary in nature. One scholar has presented her research at the University of California-Berkeley and another will present her research at environmental conferences in Houston, Texas, and Canada. All scholars are required to present their research at a national McNair conference or at a discipline-related conference or meeting.

Colloquia dates and scholars presenting on these dates are listed below:

Feb. 12:

  • Ransom Fobanjong, political science, University of St. Thomas
  • Fushcia -Ann Hoover, engineering, University of St. Thomas
  • Paul Maitland-McKinley, biology and Japanese, Macalester College
  • Ali Ngasa, finance, University of St. Thomas

Feb. 17:

  • Aquanette Early, social work, University of St. Thomas
  • Reginald Evans, English-writing, University of St. Thomas
  • Amy Westmoreland, psychology, University of St. Thomas

Feb. 19:

  • Clemon Dabney, pre-med-neuroscience, University of St. Thomas
  • Hieu Nguyen, pre-med, University of St. Thomas
  • Chinwe Obi, nursing, College of St. Catherine

Feb. 24:

  • Christen Glass, psychology, Macalester College
  • Maria Ortiz, pre-law, Hamline University
  • Aubrey Strenger, psychology, University of St. Thomas
  • Mai Cha Vang, psychology, University of St. Thomas

The McNair Scholars Program is a national merit-based and need-based scholarship award and graduate school preparation program designed to encourage first-generation college students, underrepresented in graduate education, to consider careers in college teaching and to prepare for doctoral studies. The prestigious program provides research opportunities, faculty mentors, and opportunities to publish and or present research findings, and assist students with application to graduate school.

The program, named for the late astronaut Dr. Ronald E. McNair, who died in the 1986 space shuttle Challenger explosion, is supported by the Council of Graduate Schools and the Department of Education's Council for Opportunity in Education.

For more information about current scholars, their research topic and faculty mentors, or program information, visit the McNair Scholars Program Web site.