Thirteen West Virginia University students, representing a diverse range of majors from animal and nutritional sciences to psychology, have been selected for the latest class of McNair Scholars.

Through financial aid, academic advising and undergraduate research opportunities, the McNair Scholars Program pushes underrepresented students toward their doctorate degrees.

The 2013 scholars will be given a $2,400 annual stipend, graduate school placement assistance and professional development opportunities to help them gain admission into masters’ and doctoral programs.

“One-hundred percent of our May McNair graduates have been accepted into graduate programs,” said Betty Mei, assistant director of the WVU McNair Scholars Program. She will become director July 1. “We’re very proud of them. I’m looking forward to working with our 14th group of WVU McNair Scholars this summer.

The internship began May 20 and will run through June 28, when the scholars will present their research proposals at the WVU McNair Summer Research Symposium at the NRCCE conference room from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Students will participate in research classes, GRE prep seminars and visit graduate school campuses. Scholars will also attend the SUNY Buffalo National McNair Research Conference from July 11-13.

This year’s McNair Scholars are: * Solomon Adu, mathematics, Ghana * Brittany Bailey, psychology, Herndon, W.Va. * Kabir Barker, psychology, Belington, W.Va. * Sharrell Barnes, speech pathology/audiology, Williamson, W.Va. * Adam Betman, education/Spanish, Silver Spring, Md. * Dipendra Bhandari, biochemistry, Morgantown * Derek Burns, psychology, Wellsburg, W.Va. * Ekanem Eyoita, animal and nutritional sciences, Raleigh, N.C. * Whitney Garton, horticulture and pest management, Jane Lew, W.Va. * Ryann Hart, sport and exercise psychology, Springfield, Va. * Lillian Hill, biology, Mill Creek, W.Va. * Jordan Lovejoy, English/Spanish/women’s studies, Pineville, W.Va. * Sunita Mahat, biochemistry, Morgantown

The McNair Scholars Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education in honor of engineer, scientist and NASA astronaut Ronald E. McNair, who was killed in the 1986 Challenger explosion. The program came to WVU in 2000, and since, more than 100 Mountaineers have benefited.

For more information on the program, visit http://mcnair.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

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