Twenty West Virginia University students, representing a diverse range of majors from biology to social work, have been named 2014 McNair Scholars.

Through academic advising, undergraduate research opportunities and graduate school preparation training, the McNair Scholars Program pushes underrepresented students toward their doctorate degrees.

Scholars receive a $2,400 annual stipend, graduate school placement assistance and professional development opportunities to help them gain admission into masters’ and doctoral programs.

One of the scholars, Jordan Drew, a biometric systems major from Laurel, Maryland, said the program has already prepared him for the future.

“McNair has taught me the skills to succeed in grad school, how to make a name for myself in the scientific community, and has given me a family that I will never forget,” he said.

Drew hopes to earn a Ph.D. in a subfield of biomedical engineering, particularly neural engineering.

“I have always been fascinated with psychology and neuroscience, specifically how we perceive all the stimuli that life presents us with,” he said.

Earlier this month, Drew represented the WVU McNair Scholars Program by presenting research at the Council of Opportunity in Education annual conference in Washington, D.C. Only 15 to 20 presentations are usually selected from across the nation for the conference.

Joining Drew as a McNair Scholars this year are: James Abdallah, communication studies, Youngwood, Pennsylvania; Ellen Aguilera, chemistry, Shirley, New York; Brandon Bowman, finance/business management, Coconut Creek, Florida; Chibuzor Ejimofor, chemical engineering, Morgantown; Cecily Flight, international studies, Wheeling; Kelsey Flinn, agricultural & extension education, LeRoy; Jacqueline Fowler, criminology, Canton, Ohio; James Hartnett II, sport & exercise psychology, Upper Marlboro, Maryland; Catherine Hefner, forensic & investigative science, Marlinton; Brandy Ledesma, social work, Rialto, California; Ally Makono, biology, Bowie, Maryland; Candice McLaughlin, anthropology, Morgantown; Joi Newberne, sport & exercise psychology, Forestville, Maryland; Allie Nwosu, psychology, Oak Hill; Donnique Sherman, petroleum & natural gas engineering, Cincinnati, Ohio; Chelsea Slade, criminology; Lanham, Maryland; Isaiah Taylor, psychology, Columbus, Ohio; Rachael Taylor, biology, Kingwood; and Leigh-Ann Wilkins, psychology/economics, Lumberport.

The Scholars completed a six-week summer research internship and attended a national McNair Research Conference in July at the State University of New York-Buffalo.

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, nearly 200 Mountaineers have benefited.

The program is now recruiting for its 2015 class. For more information, visit http://mcnair.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

js/09/18/14

CONTACT: University Relations/News
304.293.6997

Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.