Baylor Receives Coveted Federal Grant to Launch McNair Program

Baylor University has been awarded an annual grant by the U.S. Department of Education in the amount of $232,265 for five years to implement the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program.

The McNair Program is highly competitive and is one of only eight federally funded TRIO programs, each of which are designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. Implementing the McNair Program places Baylor among a network of 150 institutions nationwide — “The McNair Family” — which focus efforts on helping underrepresented students earn degrees.

Named for NASA astronaut Ronald E. McNair who died on the Space Shuttle Challenger, the McNair Program cultivates and prepares low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students in STEM fields for doctoral programs.

“The big-picture goal of the McNair Program is to build the pipeline for future members of the academy. It’s important for underrepresented students in college to see professors who share similar experiences and have similar backgrounds to their own. The Department of Education will measure our success based on how many Baylor McNair Scholars are accepted into doctoral programs,” said Sinda K. Vanderpool, Ph.D., associate vice provost for academic enrollment management.

As part of the McNair Program, students will conduct research with faculty mentors in the summer, present at conferences, participate in GRE preparation courses and receive assistance with graduate school applications. Baylor’s grant funding will support 25-30 students each year with substantial mentoring and community building along the way.

“Baylor’s McNair Scholars will bene t not only from mentoring on campus but also the resources and support of other McNair programs nationally,” Vanderpool said.

The first cohort of the McNair Program will begin in spring 2018, and information sessions will be held during the fall semester.

Rachel Renbarger, an educational psychology doctoral student and former McNair Scholar, served on Baylor’s grant-writing team and credits the McNair Program for her success.

“Without exaggeration, McNair changed my life. I have no doubt that the program is the reason that I made it to graduate school at Baylor and have succeeded while here,” Renbarger said. “Not only did it give me the skills to become a scholar, it gave me a community to overcome the obstacles that come from having a first-generation, low-income background. It broadened my perspective, strengthened my resolve and continues to provide resources to help me navigate the world of academia. This program works.”