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Learn About The McNair Scholars Program

Read about the important work that the McNair Scholars Program does at MU.

The McNair Scholars Program prepares undergraduate students from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in graduate education for continued study.

The program serves juniors and seniors of all disciplines, providing funding for research, staff support and professional development workshops and seminars. This academic year the program serves 32 scholars, including 18 scholars that are actively conducting research and 14 that completed their research last year as juniors.  

The scholars pursue diverse majors, including Psychology, English, Economics, Engineering, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. They come to Mizzou from both small towns in Oklahoma and Missouri as well as large cities in Texas, Arizona, and Illinois. They display academic excellence, with an average GPA of 3.7.

Current and Upcoming Highlights for the McNair Scholars Program include:

  • Senior Retreats for Graduate Application Preparation (Guest speakers break down the “nuts and bolts” of applying to grad school and crafting an effective personal statement and CV)
  • GRE Prep Classes (6 weeks of instruction)
  • Scholars participate in career exploration and lifestyle actualization workshops using the online platform Career Navideer. 
  • MU McNair Scholars present their research at Missouri-Kansas-Nebraska (MKN) Heartland Regional Conference
  • The McNair Scholars Program celebrates the life and legacy of Ronald McNair (our program namesake) during the annual MU McNair Day event in October. McNair Day serves to memorialize and honor Ron McNair as well as inspire and motivate McNair Scholars who are in pursuit of the PhD. During last year’s event, Dr. Iris Wagstaff, STEM Program Director in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Department of AAAS, gave a dynamic and engaging keynote address which explored mentorship, how to attract and ask for it in a meaningful way. She also spoke about the effectiveness of self-advocacy.
  • The MU McNair program celebrates the research and academic achievements of scholars at the 33rd Annual McNair Scholars Program Conference. McNair Scholars give poster and oral presentations of the research they conduct during the academic year. 

Interested in learning more? Email Jeremy Bloss at BlossJS@missouri.edu.