The UNM Ronald E. McNair and Research Opportunity Program has helped students with financial need and students who are part of underrepresented groups find opportunities in doctoral studies for years. Now, they are opening applications for an program online.
The McNair and ROP Program was installed in 2,000 to help students transition from undergraduate to graduate studies. The program provides students with research opportunities from various mentors. By giving the students resources such as mentors, advisers and support from their peers, the program’s goal is to establish students in various graduate programs around the nation, allowing them to pursue their career.
“The program works to narrow achievement gaps for people who don’t have a level playing field,” Sr. Student Program Advisor Kyle Farris said. “It is specifically to help underrepresented people have opportunities in continuing on to these levels of education.”
The McNair Scholars Program is a federally funded program at about 200 institutions across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, all with the purpose and intent of getting students the support they need, both financially and through providing opportunity, to pursue their field of interest in doctoral studies.
After providing research opportunities, the program then allows the students to display their work and knowledge via hands on experience in the form of conferences. The students learn to communicate in their field while creating a network that will allow them access to more programs.
Ricardo Romero, director and program specialist, said that the program facilitates students in various opportunities, but that the students themselves are the ones who look into the opportunities and decide which ones to actively pursue.
“We provide chances for our students to collide with opportunities,” Romero said. “We want our students to have as many opportunities available to them as possible.”
The program has seen success in the lives of many students like Maria Mendez, a current UNM student in the program.
“I came in as a first generation college student. I really didn’t know much about research, a PHD, or a master’s program or anything beyond a Bachelor’s degree,” said Mendez. “I honestly didn’t know much about a Bachelor’s degree either, but McNair really gives you the resources to network with different people. They give you an opportunity to get funding.”
Mendez intends to work with youths and adolescents who have experienced traumatic events. She is interested in doing research in this field as well as doing trauma counseling.
Mendez said that many of the research opportunities also allow students to travel, something she did not expect, but appreciates as an added bonus.
The networking provided by the McNair program is extensive and allows for students within a wide range of disciplines to obtain lasting and impacting connections.
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“It is really cool to see the whole pipeline of students who have been and are in our program,” Romero said. “We have students who have been accepted into programs at institutions such as Harvard, Yale, and Berkeley.”
Through this networking, the students gain the knowledge and confidence to go after opportunities knowing what kind of support they have around them.
Rebeca Gurrola, graduate assistant and former McNair scholar, said she’s learned to go after every opportunity.
“Something that has always stuck with me and that I love to use is what Ricardo always says, ‘You’re never going to get into anything if you never apply,’” she said.
The McNair program produces support that inspires participating students to go after opportunities they never thought possible.
“I came into the McNair program believing I can’t do this,” said Mendez. “McNair changed that for me to where now I believe I can. I think that’s the most beneficial thing the McNair program does for its students; they help us believe we can do this.”
The McNair and ROP Program Application is available at mcnair.unm.edu and the application deadline is April 15.
Isaiah Jordan is a culture reporter at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
