Adding to her current responsibilities and work at the University, Amanda Richardson was recently named the Castleton Director of the McNair Scholars Program. A federal TRIO program in its first year at Castleton, the McNair program was announced in November after the University received a McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program grant, which will exceed $1 million over five years and works to increase the number of students who attain doctoral degrees.
“The McNair Scholars Program is such a fantastic program designed to help get students prepared for doctoral studies. McNair Scholars all come from groups underrepresented in graduate studies, and the program provides scholars with research opportunities by working directly with a faculty mentor on a high-level research project, as well as offering support services,” explained Richardson. “This program is one of the many ways Castleton can help students achieve their goals and be successful beyond graduation.”
Richardson holds a Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Macalester College. Her research experience, commitment to educational opportunity, and strong connection with faculty and students at Castleton make her an excellent fit for the position.
As she begins her new role, Richardson will focus on recruiting Castleton’s first group of McNair Scholars who meet specific qualifying criteria for the program and are interested in pursuing a Ph.D. Upon admitting the first group of scholars, Richardson will center her efforts on support programming, matching students with faculty mentors and getting students started on research projects.
In addition to her new position, Richardson will also continue to serve as the Associate Director of the Castleton Polling Institute.
“I’m excited that McNair will be able to add to the culture of research at Castleton and provide faculty an opportunity to work on innovative research projects with some of Castleton’s most promising scholars,” said Richardson. “I look forward to working with students to help them achieve their goals and I’m really excited to see what amazing research projects are completed by McNair Scholars.”