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EWU McNair Scholar Angélica García-Macías Awarded Frances B. Huston Medallion

04/24/2020 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

Congratulations to EWU McNair Scholar Angélica García-Macías! Angélica has been selected to receive a 2019-2020 Frances B. Huston Medallion Award for the College of Social Sciences. This award is presented to only 20 graduating students each year who have a strong academic record and have demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities at Eastern and in the community. Angélica has been a student advisor for Welcome Week Orientation, a mentor for the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), and both a Legislative Affairs Associate and a Superior Court Justice Associate for ASEWU. She is a dancer, choreographer, and fundraiser for Ballet Folklórico De Aztlán. She has volunteered for EWU's Annual Drag Show, Habitat for Humanity, 2nd Harvest Mobile Food Bank, and Cheney Clean Up events. She also interned for the Washington Legislative Program in 2018 researching issues concerning housing and undocumented student resources as well as for the Sea Mar Executive Program, a non-profit that provides health care and support services for farmworkers and marginalized communities. In addition, Angélica did peer mentoring and advising with Scholars in Action, including creating and leading workshops on how to prepare for graduate school.

In addition to all of her extracurricular work and volunteering, Angélica is an incredible scholar. She is a senior at EWU majoring in Political Science and minoring in Spanish and Chicano Studies. As a McNair Scholar Angélica has committed to a path of attaining her PhD. To prepare for this she completed two summer research internships, one at EWU under the mentorship of Dr. Martín Meráz García, and another at MIT under the mentorship of Dr. Charles Stewart III. To read more about Angélica and her research check out her webpage on the EWU McNair website.

Angélica has been accepted by Political Science PhD programs at the University of Washington, the University of California, Irvine, and Michigan State University. She was also accepted into the Higher Education Masters program at Arizona State University. EWU McNair is so proud of Angélica and all her hard work. We're so excited for her next steps to graduate school and the lasting impact we know she will make on academia and in all of her communities.

EWU McNair Assistant Director Joins TRIO McNair Professionals from Across the Nation to Share Best Practices at the 6th Annual McNair Promising Practices Institute (MPPI)

04/06/2020 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

At the beginning of February 2020, the EWU McNair program's Assistant Director, Cynthia Dukich, joined over 150 people representing 89 McNair Scholars programs from around the country as they came together at the 6th Annual McNair Promising Practices Institute (MPPI) at the University of Central Florida to learn and share about the most innovative practices taking place in the TRIO Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program community.

McNair Staff from around the country gather in Florida to talk about best practices - large group photo in front of statue and palm trees

This interactive forum gave McNair professionals the opportunity to share best practices in providing research and other scholarly activities that prepare first-generation, low-income, and/or those from under-represented groups for a successful path to the PhD and beyond.

As one of the MPPI presenters, Cynthia Dukich, shared analytical writing workshop strategies she developed in her work with the EWU McNair program that have been shown to strengthen student analytical writing and improve GRE writing scores. Strategies included weekly writing practice with process-oriented individual feedback, group exercises, and peer review sessions. These sessions not only build academic writing skills, but also academic confidence and a support network. “Scholarly community and a sense of belonging really are key to the long-term success of our scholars,” Dukich states. “We strive to create a feeling of community through all of our program services, and in our writing workshops we want to focus on how we can provide writing feedback and develop skills that aren’t only to improve the clarity of a particular piece, but also that support the ongoing process of becoming an academic writer.”

The TRIO Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program was named after astronaut Ronald E. McNair, an accomplished saxophone player, 6th degree black belt in karate, with a PhD in laser physics from MIT, and the second African American to fly in space. His first space shuttle mission launched successfully from Kennedy Space Center on February 3, 1984. This brilliant scholar’s life was cut short on his second space flight where he was serving as the mission specialist on the space shuttle Challenger which exploded after launch instantly killing all aboard. His legacy lives, however, through the program that bears his name. The TRIO Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Program was funded through the US Department of Education TRIO Program in 1986 with the goal of increasing diversity in academia by providing opportunities for research and other scholarly activities to high potential students from first-generation, low-income and underrepresented backgrounds. MPPI participants had a chance to visit the Kennedy Space Center, and see the memorial to those lost on the Challenger, including the tribute to Dr. Ronald E McNair (pictured below), which includes in the lower right corner a picture of him playing his saxophone in space.

Museum exhibit from Kennedy Space Center memorial to those lost in te Challenger. A martial arts uniform is shown behind glass along with a sword, as well as two pictures of Ronald E. McNair. One of him in his NASA uniform, the other of him playing the saxaphone in space.

Eastern’s TRIO McNair program was first funded in 1995, and has successfully competed and been awarded funding in all successive TRIO Department of Education grant competitions since. With over 150 TRIO McNair programs currently funded nationwide, Eastern’s program participates in a nationwide network committed to nurturing academic excellence through supporting diverse perspectives. Each person who is the first person in their family to earn a bachelor’s degree begins to blaze a trail for everyone in their family. The PhD takes people farther down that trail to a destination many first-generation, low-income students didn’t ever realize was a possibility. With a graduate degree, McNair scholars are not only role models for their families and communities, but are also able to bring their perspective and experience into academia as they teach and mentor the next generation. Since 1995, 39 EWU McNair Scholars have completed their PhD’s and over 117 have earned Master’s degrees.

In a recent panel, EWU McNair scholars spoke about the benefits of this program: "It gave me a support system and provided mentorship to guide me in making decisions along the way to getting to grad school," said senior Lily Ann Long, who has been accepted to the Psy.D. program at Point Park University.

Senior Abdulrazik Mohamed shared, "Writing was an obstacle for me as a first-generation college student and someone learning English, but McNair's support helped me make huge improvements." Abdu has been accepted by three Masters programs, one with a generous scholarship. He also has been awarded the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship which will give him full funding at any university of his choice!

“In presenting our success with analytical writing strategies,” Dukich states of her experience at MPPI, “I wanted to connect with other McNair professionals to build momentum around ways to enhance scholarly writing. When students learn that writing is a skill that continues to develop, and when they have strategies to demonstrate improvement and see their own growth, they begin to discover that writing is not a talent that some people inherit at birth and they gain confidence in their ability to define and describe their own diverse ideas in writing.”

At events like MPPI, McNair professionals continue to gather and share best practices, strengthen one another, and also set the example for institutions in higher education as to how best to serve first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students. The EWU McNair Scholar program is proud to be a part of this work!

EWU McNair Alumna Sandra Espinoza summed up the power of McNair programs in an interview when she exited the program: "The Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program at Eastern Washington University is an extraordinary, effective, and life changing program. As a first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented student, I had no resources, role models, or advisors my freshman and sophomore year in college. I was insecure about my future and was terrified to use my voice. It wasn't until I applied and got accepted to the McNair program where I finally felt secure, confident, and brave to explore and dismantle traditional cycles that fabricate our society. McNair provided me the opportunity to complete an internship in the summer where I was allowed to collaborate with a mental health psychologist in the Counseling and Psychological service department at EWU. My mentor helped me complete my research study by meeting with me weekly, revising my writing structure, and providing resources and tools to help me enhance my writing and speaking abilities. The McNair program also helped me prepare for the Graduate Record Examinations with workshops, online study guides, and writing seminars. Furthermore, I was able to attend regional conferences and network with faculty and graduate students during campus tours which was all covered financially by the McNair program. A feminist, activist, and a proud Mestiza, describes who I am today and the woman that I have always aspired to be when I was a child. I couldn't have done it without the support, guidance, and contribution of the McNair program." Sandra is currently pursuing her PhD in counseling psychology with full funding at Western Michigan University.

EWU McNair Alumna Christina Ramelow Accepted into 3 Additional PhD Programs

03/19/2020 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

Photo of EWU Scholar Christina Ramelow next to red background with white text congratulating her for acceptance into multiple PhD programs.

Congratulations to EWU McNair Alumna Christina Ramelow! Christina has been accepted into the Interdisciplinary PhD program at Vanderbilt University, the Molecular Biosciences PhD program at Montana State University, and the Cellular and Molecular Pathology PhD program at the University of Wisconsin, Madison! This is in addition to prior acceptances at 7 other PhD programs. She is currently a master's candidate at EWU focusing on the neuroprotective mechanism of an isoprenol known as farnesol on the animal model of multiple sclerosis. She is particularly interested in understanding neuro-immune and neuroinflammatory processes, elucidating the cellular and molecular pathways that govern disease and designing novel treatments for neuropathologies.

Christina graduated from Eastern Washington University in 2018 with a degree in Biology/Biotechnology. As a Masters in Biology student, Christina has worked as a graduate student assistant in the EWU McNair office, a research fellow, and a teaching assistant. Christina is invested in mentoring and supporting underrepresented students in higher education and STEM fields and participates in groups and events to encourage inclusiveness in students and faculty. To prepare for graduate school Christina completed two summers of research internships as well as presented her research at several conferences. To read more about Christina and her research, check out her page on the EWU McNair website.

We are so proud to see all of Christina's hard work paying off and excited for her next steps towards attaining a PhD!

EWU McNair Scholar Marcos Monteiro Accepted into Two Additional PhD Programs

03/19/2020 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

Photo of Marcos Monteiro next to red confetti background with text congratulating him on acceptance into two PhD programs.

Congratulations to EWU McNair Scholar Marcos Monteiro! Marcos has been accepted into the Molecular BioSciences PhD Program at Montana State University and the PhD Program in Immunology and Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine, both with full funding. This is in addition to four other PhD acceptances! Marcos is a senior at Eastern Washington University majoring in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. To prepare for graduate school Marcos completed two summers of research internships, one here with the EWU McNair Scholars Program and mentor Dr. Andrea Castillo, and the other last summer at Fred Hutchinson in Seattle. He is also the recipient of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, one of the most competitive STEM scholarships in the country. To read more about Marcos and his research, check out his page on the EWU McNair website.

We are so proud of Marcos and excited for his next steps towards obtaining his PhD!

EWU McNair Alumna Raquel DeLeon Accepted into PhD Program at Texas Tech

03/18/2020 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

Photo of Raquel DeLeon next to red confetti backdrop and text congratulating her.

Congratulations to EWU McNair Alumna Raquel Deleon! Raquel has been accepted into the Technical Communication and Rhetoric program at Texas Tech University. Additionally, she received has received full funding, including a scholarship that waives out of state tuition. Raquel graduated from EWU in 2016 with a BA in Psychology. Through her summer research internship with the EWU McNair Scholars Program, Raquel researched the long term effects of childhood trauma on shopping behavior under the mentorship of Dr. Deanna Trella. To read more about Raquel's research, check out EWU McNair's 2016 Abstract Journal, page 15.

Raquel went on to earn her MA at EWU in English with an emphasis in Rhetoric and Technical Communication, and a Certificate in the Teaching of Writing. She worked in the Writing Center and taught both composition and technical communication at Eastern. For the last two years, Raquel has worked at Kalispell Regional Healthcare, under the Behavioral Health department. She worked alongside a licensed therapist to provide school-based mental health services to qualifying youth in Whitefish Middle School through the Comprehensive School Community Treatment (CSCT) Program. On top of all her work and applying to graduate school, Raquel recently gave birth to a beautiful baby boy Dominic! Congratulations and welcome to the world Dominic!

We are so proud to see all of Raquel's hard work paying off and excited for her next steps towards attaining her PhD!

EWU McNair Scholar Madelyn Brown Accepted into Additional Masters Program

03/17/2020 by Jaeger, Corinne Leave a Comment

Photo of Madelyn Brown next to red confetti background with text congratulating her.

Congratulations to EWU McNair Scholar Madelyn Brown! Madelyn has been accepted into the MA program in Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies at Trent University with funding. This is in addition to 6 prior acceptances! Madelyn is a senior at Eastern Washington University majoring in History with an emphasis in American Indian Studies. To prepare for graduate school Madelyn completed a summer research internship through the EWU McNair Scholars Program, with mentors Dr. Christina García Torres and PhD candidate and lecturer SimHayKin S. Jack, researching traditional ecological knowledge and wildfire prevention. She was also the recipient of the 2018 Gingolyx Village Government scholarship for academic excellence. To read more about Madelyn and her research, check out her page on the EWU McNair website.

We are so proud to see all of Madelyn's hard work paying off and excited for her next steps towards attaining her PhD!