MSRE Week Four Ends

With week four nearing its end, scholars continue to work hard on their projects.   As scholars continue to collect data, analyze, draft, and re-draft sections of their reports,  the focus of sessions this week has been on preparing for graduate school applications.  Monday marked the last of the scholar’s GRE Practice sessions, with the final [...]

McNair Summer Research Week 3 Underway

Week three marks the point where McNair scholars are officially 1/3 of the way through their summer research experience. This week, students have been busy writing drafts of their Introductions, Literature Review, and Theory sections of their research papers. As they’ve begun to write their Introductions and Background portions of their papers, scholars have also [...]

McNair Summer Research Begins

The 2009 McNair Senior Scholars have begun their 10 week “Summer Research Experience (also known as MSRE). Scholars have been busy learning about the typical structure of research papers in their respective disciplines, and have begun outlining their research projects which they will ultimately present at the California McNair Scholars Symposium at UC Berkeley in August.

Scholar Morgan [...]

How to Be a Successful Graduate Student by William Bauer

Success in graduate school isn’t something that occurs naturally.  You have to work at it.  Here are some recommendations and strategies that have worked for me:
Success in graduate school isn’t something that occurs naturally.  You have to work at it.  Here are some recommendations and strategies that have worked for me:
1. Be a careful observer

Keenly [...]

2009 McNair Recognition Reception

On Friday, April 24, the McNair Scholars Recognition Reception was held at the Lied Center. In addition to celebrating scholar accomplishments, faculty and graduate student mentors were recognized for their support of the program. Over 80 faculty and graduate student mentors, friends, and family members attended the dinner reception.

Honored guests for the evening were the May 2009 [...]

Outstanding McNair Faculty and Graduate Student Mentors

For his mentoring and support of our scholars and his commitment to
the McNair Program, Dr. Cody Hollist received the 2009 McNair Faculty Appreciation Award. Dr. Hollist has served as a McNair faculty mentor for three years working with Corey Minchow, Chelsea Rivera, and Brittany Sznajder-Murray. As a first-generation college student, Dr. Hollist has a deep understanding of McNair scholars [...]

Advice For Students Looking For Funding

In addition to directing the UCARE Program, Dr. Laura Damuth serves as Undergraduate Fellowship Advisor. Recently, Dr. Damuth
presented a workshop for the McNair Junior Scholars entitled, Graduate Fellowships: What They Are and How to Apply. She stressed
that the fellowship application process can be complicated and the criteria are very specific. She advised Scholars to [...]

How to Be a Successful Graduate Student Panel

This spring, McNair Senior Scholars met with a panel comprised of both new and experienced graduate students who offered their advice on how to be a successful graduate student.
Malcolm Tassi, a first-year physics graduate student, told the scholars that “there is no way to prepare for the intensity of graduate school, but the rewards are [...]