Castleton University’s McNair Scholars Program

The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, also known as the McNair Scholars Program, was established by Congress in 1986 in memory of astronaut and renowned laser physicist Ronald E. McNair. McNair Scholars is a federally-funded TRIO program administered by the U.S. Department of Education. The program grants a limited number of colleges and universities around the country the ability to help low-income and first-generation students, as well as students from ethnic groups that are under-represented in doctoral study, to pursue graduate education. Castleton’s McNair Scholars program was first established in 2017.

The McNair program is a preparatory program for students intending to pursue graduate study; it is not a scholarship. McNair Scholars at Castleton University take classes on graduate-level research methods, as well as receive advising on aspects of the graduate school application process and all related facets of higher education that they are likely to encounter. Scholars also complete a summer research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor and are provided the opportunity to visit schools and attend and/or present at scholarly research conferences.

The mission of the program is to motivate, enable, and prepare, talented Castleton undergraduate students for entrance into Ph.D. programs and for the next phase in their academic careers. We hope to provide a launch point for future scholars with a zest for learning and willingness to challenge social and societal conventions.

“Whether or not you reach your goals in life depends entirely on how well you prepare for them and how badly you want them.” -Ronald E. McNair, Ph.D.

For more information or to apply to the program, contact Amanda Richardson, Director of Castleton's McNair Scholars Program.