The program prepares promising undergraduate students from groups traditionally underrepresented in graduate education to enter and complete doctoral degree programs. The program schedule can be found on the McNair home page at www.uwyo.edu/seo/mcnair-scholars-program/.

Dolores Cardona, UW associate dean of students, opens the program at 9 a.m.

McNair Scholars presenting research this year, listed by hometowns, titles of their projects and UW mentors, are:

— 9:20 a.m.: Norma Lira, Jackson, “La Batalla Invisible: Mexican Immigrant Women and Domestic Work in the Equality State,” with Lilia Soto, American Studies Program assistant professor, and Robert Perea.

— 9:40 a.m.: Ana Garcia-Ceballos, Laramie, “Calculating Minimum and Maximum horizontal stress from anisotropic properties in the Rock Springs Uplift, Wyoming, USA,” with Subhashis Mallick, Department of Geology and Geophysics professor, and Hema Sharma.

— 10 a.m.: Rex Yeigh, Buffalo, “Planet photometry using a robotized telescope,” with Department of Physics and Astronomy Assistant Professor Hannah Jang-Condell and David Kasper.

— 10:40 a.m.: Alexander Hampton, Gillette, “Signage in the West: Creating Museum Verbiage for the Hell Gap Site,” with Mary Lou Larson, Department of Anthropology professor, and Elizabeth Lynch.

— 11 a.m.: Jazlynn Hall, Laramie, “Finding bioclimatic spaces to extend the utility of modern pollen analogues,” with Department of Geography Associate Professor Thomas Minckley and Shannon Mazzei.

— 11:20 a.m.: Dylan McCurdy, Casper, “The Environmental Sociology of American Buddhists,” with Matthew Painter, Department of Sociology assistant professor, and Chloe Skaggs.

— 12:40 p.m.: Elizabeth Grindle, Pavillion, “An overview of stable isotope analysis methodologies for use in archaeological human remains,” with James Ahern, Department of Anthropology professor, and Les Brown.

— 1 p.m.: Brittney Arevalo, Rawlins, “Applying the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to Parkinson’s disease,” with Division of Communication Disorders Assistant Professor Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker and Allison Long.

— 1:20 p.m.: Kathie Beasley, Laramie, “Let’s Talk about Shrimp! A Survey about Shrimp Consumption in Wyoming,” with Dannele Peck, associate professor, and Chian Jones Ritten, assistant professor, both in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics; and Jenny Beiermann.

— 1:40 p.m.: Rachel Surratt, Quitman, Texas, “Navigating the Everyday: Street-Involved Women and Provision of Services,” with Gender and Women’s Studies Program Associate Professor Susan Dewey, Rhett Epler and Joshua Kronberg-Rasner.

The McNair Scholars Program is a graduate school preparation program for students interested in earning a Ph.D. Services include a paid research internship, mentoring from UW faculty members, GRE (Graduate Record Exam) preparation classes, academic support and tutoring, and assistance with the graduate school application process.

To read the original article posted on July 27y the University of Wyoming, please click here.

Even as a Greybull High School (GHS) student, Talysa Stockert knew that she wanted to go onto higher education and achieve something with brother Kajen — be the first among their family to earn college degrees.

With high expectations for a high-achieving student nearing the end of her University of Wyoming college career, Stockert wants to obtain a doctoral degree so she can secure a college teaching position; she now has a passion for research.

That’s largely due to her research conducted through her major in energy systems engineering, a program offered through the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the UW College of Engineering and Applied Science. Stockert also participated in the university’s McNair Scholars Program, which pairs UW students with faculty mentors to conduct meaningful research in a laboratory.

The 2009 GHS graduate has had a passion for various types of research. During her high school career, she won first place in her division at the Wyoming History Day competition, and twice had winning projects in the Wyoming State Science Fair, enabling her to compete at the international science fair.

The History Day and state science fair are all held on the UW campus, which made it a natural fit for Stockert to enroll at the university four years ago.

It was by chance that she learned about the McNair Scholars program when it was recommended by her UW Student Success Services adviser.

“I didn’t think it was for me until two years ago when I started to think seriously about going to graduate school,” Stockert says.

The McNair Program is for first-generation, limited-income or minority undergraduate students who seek doctoral degrees. The program is a project of Student Educational Opportunity, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs at UW.

“It means a lot to me to be given this opportunity to get a college degree and having my family’s support,” Stockert says. “Wanting to continue my education is really why I am here.”

She credits the UW McNair program’s Zackie Salmon and Susan Stoddard for guiding her.

“The McNair program has been one of the most rewarding experiences that I have had on campus,” Stockert adds. “Susan and Zackie help you know what is needed to get into and be in graduate school.”

As an engineering student, Stockert was able to partner on her McNair project with Yuan Zheng, a mechanical engineering asssistant professor, and Dan Mosiman, a graduate student in the department.

This past summer she presented her research, “An Experimental and Theoretical Study of Flows in a Twin-Screw Extruder for Vehicular Hydrogen Storage,” at the McNair Scholars year-end program. She will continue to work on the project throughout the semester.

“The work we are doing is testing the concept of using a twin-screw extruder to transport ammonia borane throughout a hydrogen vehicle,”she says. “Ammonia borane is a hydrogen carrier many institutions are researching as a fuel for a hydrogen car.”

Using this material, Stockert hopes to maximize the amount of usable hydrogen power the car can carry without compromising the fuel mileage from the weight of that fuel. The problem, she says, is that ammonia borane is a solid material, and the current fuel lines in that vehicle are designed for a liquid, such as gasoline.

“This is where the twin-screw extruder can be used to move the ‘sticky,’ solid material around a hydrogen vehicle,” she explains.

The full name of the device is a self-wiping, co-rotating twin-screw extruder designed by a UW senior design team guided by Zheng and Scott Morton, senior design instructor.

The first phase of Stockert’s research was during the summer, when she studied the device to understand how it works and if it would be effective in transporting the material.

“This was really digging into the science behind the twin-screw extruder by researching current designs and running various experiments,” she says.

The second phase, that she is just beginning, is redesigning the machine to address any of the problems that were found in the initial research. Since she and Zheng are now just beginning this stage, the next steps are to apply for funding to start the research.

“UW has been a great experience for me. The engineering department has a great support staff and, if you ask, they can lead you to great opportunities,” Stockert says. “Dr. Zheng fit nicely with my research style. He let me progress at my own pace while helping me to achieve more at the same time. Through his guidance, I was able to understand what it takes to be a graduate student and that it was something that I truly enjoyed.”

– Originally posted by University of Wyoming  on September 17, 2012

Shelly Hogan, Ph.D. is the director of the MSU McNair Scholars Program

When Shelly Hogan first came to Montana State University as a student 17 years ago, she never imagined herself as a scholar.

“I was a first-generation college student and from a lower income Montana family and really believed that the outstandingly scholastic and privileged students were the ones who went on to earn Ph.D.s,” said Hogan from her office in Montana Hall.

Yet, Hogan did recently earn a doctorate — hers is in food science from Virginia Tech — and is now helping other bright MSU undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds earn graduate degrees.

Hogan is the new director of the MSU McNair Scholars Program, a support program that serves low income, first-generation college students as well as students from minority backgrounds who intend to go on to graduate school.

MSU recently was awarded the $880,000 U.S. Department of Education Ronald E. McNair post-baccalaureate program. The national fellowship program is named for a nationally recognized physicist and a NASA mission specialist astronaut who died in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986.

McNair applicants, who should have completed 60 credits, must be committed to earning a graduate degree. Interested students may come from any major but should have at least a 2.75 GPA, although a 3.0 GPA is preferable.

Applicants have until March 11 to apply for acceptance into the program. An information session for interested students will be held at 3 p.m. Feb. 17 in SUB 168.

Within two years, MSU will support 26 undergraduate McNair Scholars. Hogan said that among the benefits of the program is a graduate school preparatory program. Each student will receive stipends and tuition waivers for conducting summer undergraduate research under the guidance of a faculty mentor from any discipline or major. All students will receive training in writing, public speaking and graduate school preparation through the McNair Scholars fall seminar series and GRE prep course. Students will also receive financial support for registration and travel for presenting their research at conferences locally and nationally. Additionally, students will have financial support for visiting graduate schools, graduate school applications waivers, and a high likelihood of securing a graduate school scholarship.

Hogan said she believes a key component to the McNair Scholars Program is the in-depth academic advisement and one-on-one faculty support for student research opportunities. It is that type of mentorship and hands-on experience that gives students confidence and exposure, as well as knowing what to expect in graduate school, she said.

Hogan knows that the journey from undergraduate to doctoral degree can seem daunting. It certainly was not something she considered while growing up in Stillwater county and Billings.

“I was the first in my family to complete college,” recalls Hogan, who attended MSU on academic and golf scholarships as well as federal loans.

Hogan said she was fortunate to have been a student-athlete. The lasting friendships, travel opportunities and competitive experience were great, and being a student-athlete provided structure appealed to her.

“I didn’t take the most direct path (to a doctorate),” Hogan said, adding that it took her 11 years to earn her Ph.D. after completing her bachelor’s at MSU “Looking back, I realize a great deal of my academic success was a result of hard work and making key connections with faculty mentors while receiving much needed support from family and friends.”

Still one to relish a challenge, Hogan said she is excited to start the McNair Program from the ground up. She said the McNair director position allows her to enjoy her two passions: mentoring students and being close to her family in Montana. She also teaches courses in nutrition in the MSU College of Education Health and Human Development at MSU.

“The … (McNair) program speaks to me,” Hogan said. “I am a firm believer that higher education will open doors to opportunities that you often never knew existed. I am a proof of that.”

Article originally posted at: http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=8016

For more information about MSU McNair’s program, see: http://www.montana.edu/mcnair/index.html. Or, call the McNair Scholars Program at 994-5072.

Shelly Hogan, Ph.D. is the director of the MSU McNair Scholars Program

When Shelly Hogan first came to Montana State University as a student 17 years ago, she never imagined herself as a scholar.

“I was a first-generation college student and from a lower income Montana family and really believed that the outstandingly scholastic and privileged students were the ones who went on to earn Ph.D.s,” said Hogan from her office in Montana Hall.

Yet, Hogan did recently earn a doctorate — hers is in food science from Virginia Tech — and is now helping other bright MSU undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds earn graduate degrees.

Hogan is the new director of the MSU McNair Scholars Program, a support program that serves low income, first-generation college students as well as students from minority backgrounds who intend to go on to graduate school.

MSU recently was awarded the $880,000 U.S. Department of Education Ronald E. McNair post-baccalaureate program. The national fellowship program is named for a nationally recognized physicist and a NASA mission specialist astronaut who died in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986.

McNair applicants, who should have completed 60 credits, must be committed to earning a graduate degree. Interested students may come from any major but should have at least a 2.75 GPA, although a 3.0 GPA is preferable.

Applicants have until March 11 to apply for acceptance into the program. An information session for interested students will be held at 3 p.m. Feb. 17 in SUB 168.

Within two years, MSU will support 26 undergraduate McNair Scholars. Hogan said that among the benefits of the program is a graduate school preparatory program. Each student will receive stipends and tuition waivers for conducting summer undergraduate research under the guidance of a faculty mentor from any discipline or major. All students will receive training in writing, public speaking and graduate school preparation through the McNair Scholars fall seminar series and GRE prep course. Students will also receive financial support for registration and travel for presenting their research at conferences locally and nationally. Additionally, students will have financial support for visiting graduate schools, graduate school applications waivers, and a high likelihood of securing a graduate school scholarship.

Hogan said she believes a key component to the McNair Scholars Program is the in-depth academic advisement and one-on-one faculty support for student research opportunities. It is that type of mentorship and hands-on experience that gives students confidence and exposure, as well as knowing what to expect in graduate school, she said.

Hogan knows that the journey from undergraduate to doctoral degree can seem daunting. It certainly was not something she considered while growing up in Stillwater county and Billings.

“I was the first in my family to complete college,” recalls Hogan, who attended MSU on academic and golf scholarships as well as federal loans.

Hogan said she was fortunate to have been a student-athlete. The lasting friendships, travel opportunities and competitive experience were great, and being a student-athlete provided structure appealed to her.

“I didn’t take the most direct path (to a doctorate),” Hogan said, adding that it took her 11 years to earn her Ph.D. after completing her bachelor’s at MSU “Looking back, I realize a great deal of my academic success was a result of hard work and making key connections with faculty mentors while receiving much needed support from family and friends.”

Still one to relish a challenge, Hogan said she is excited to start the McNair Program from the ground up. She said the McNair director position allows her to enjoy her two passions: mentoring students and being close to her family in Montana. She also teaches courses in nutrition in the MSU College of Education Health and Human Development at MSU.

“The … (McNair) program speaks to me,” Hogan said. “I am a firm believer that higher education will open doors to opportunities that you often never knew existed. I am a proof of that.”

Article originally posted at: http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=8016

For more information about MSU McNair’s program, see: http://www.montana.edu/mcnair/index.html. Or, call the McNair Scholars Program at 994-5072.