Embry-Riddle Establishes McNair Scholars Program with U.S. Department of Education Grant
The Daytona Beach campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University now offers a McNair Scholars Program thanks to a four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education totaling $879,596.
Named for fallen Challenger astronaut Dr. Ronald McNair, the McNair Scholars Program is a federally funded education-outreach program designed to motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The program prepares qualified undergraduate students for doctoral study, with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of underrepresented students obtaining doctorates.
“The competition among colleges and universities for these prestigious grants is very stiff, so we’re proud and delighted to have won such a substantial sum,” said Dr. Maranda McBride, director of the McNair Program at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus and an assistant professor of human factors and systems. “With this funding we’ll be able to assist 25 McNair Scholars each year in reaching their educational and career goals.”
To be eligible for the McNair Scholars Program, a candidate must be a low-income/first-generation college student or a member of a federally defined minority group underrepresented in graduate schools (African- Americans, Hispanics/Latino/as, Native Americans/American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Pacific Islanders). A candidate must also be a sophomore, junior, or senior with a minimum GPA of 2.7 enrolled in a program of study that has a doctorate as its terminal degree.
McNair Scholars receive the following: a scholarship; help in seeking financial aid; tutoring; academic and career counseling; and mentoring by a faculty member who holds a doctorate. Various workshops help the students sharpen their skills in studying, test-taking, and research. Each Scholar enrolls in a research methodology/statistics class, attends professional/research conferences, and participates in a research project, with a paid summer research internship included. The students are also assisted in visiting and applying to graduate schools.
For more information on the McNair Scholars Program at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus, contact Dr. Maranda McBride at (386) 226-7926 or dbmcnair@erau.edu
