MCNAIR
MESSENGER
THE
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 3
Menomonie, WI 54751
Summer 2015
McNair Scholars Program
University of Wisconsin-Stout
424 Bowman Hall
802 S. Broadway
Menomonie, WI 54751
2015 SENIOR RECOGNITION
This past academic year, the McNair Scholars Program recognized ten graduating seniors who completed
research, presented at conferences, published their findings, attended graduate school visits, and applied/were
accepted to competitive graduate school projects.
Zachary Atkinson: Applied Science
University of Minnesota—Twin Cities, MN
Program: Dental School
MCNAIR SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Former scholars please drop us an
email with your updated information.
We especially love to hear about your
successes! Or find us on Facebook
and LinkedIn by searching McNair
Scholars Program.
DO YOU KNOW A POTENTIAL MCNAIR SCHOLAR?
For more information contact:
Sarah Wynn, Ph.D, Director
715-232-5490
424 Bowman Hall
wynns@uwstout.edu
Jennifer Giesking, Advisor
715-232-5491
400B Bowman Hall
gieskingj@uwstout.edu
Or find us online at:
www.uwstout.edu/mcnair
www.facebook.com/mcnairscholars.stout
We are constantly looking for hardworking scholars
who have a desire to attend graduate school.
Applications for the 2015-2016 cohort are due by
November 16, 2015.
The McNair Scholars Program serves first generation,
low income or under-represented students who have a
desire to conduct research and go on to graduate school.
Students work closely with faculty mentors, participate
in graduate preparation workshops, attend conferences,
and prepare for the GRE.
“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
The program is a 100 percent
federally funded Department
of Education Program that
provides specific activities,
resources and support to
assist students in reaching
their goal of a doctorate
degree.
Chad Biggers: Business Administration
Case Western Reserve University —Cleveland, Ohio
Program: Master’s in Social Work
Dual Degree-Public Administration
Stephanie Pozuelos: Human Development and
Family Studies
Portland State University—Portland, OR
Program: Master’s in Social Work
Amanda Smith: Environmental Science
University of Wisconsin-Madison—Madison, WI
Program: Master’s in Freshwater and Marine Sciences
Michael Bond: Vocational Rehabilitation
University of Wisconsin-Stout—Menomonie, WI
Program: Master’s in Mental Health
and Counseling
Tanya Riggs: Psychology
Walden University—Online
Program: Master’s in Clinical and
Mental Health Counseling
Samantha Fredrickson: Applied Science
Missouri State University —Springfield, MO
Program: Master’s in Biology
Jasmine Valentine: Psychology
University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee—Milwaukee, WI
Program: Master’s in Cultural Foundations
of Education
Carlea Jo Lauer: Vocational Rehabilitation
University of Arizona —Tucson, AZ
Program: Master’s in Rehabilitation
Wade Meyers: Applied Mathematics
and Computer Science
Colorado School of Mines —Golden, CO
Program: Ph.D. in Mathematics
Our scholars received
funding through
fellowships and graduate
assistanctships (up to
$15,000 a year) to help
pay for graduate school.
Congratulations to all of our
scholars!
McNAIR SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Inspiring Innovation. Learn more at www.uwstout.edu/mcnair
“McNair helped
prepare me for
graduate school
in many ways.”
SUMMER 2015 RESEARCH
The McNair Scholars Program had 13 students conduct research this past summer. All of our students are expected to
complete a project and present their findings at conferences with the guidance of a faculty member during their time in
the program. The research projects pursued are:
ംംMARIAH BATES: Maternity Leave Policies: ംം
I will be attending the Colorado School of Mines for Applied Mathematics & Statistics in the fall. I look forward to
studying partial differential equations, numerical linear algebra, and numerical analysis. I would like to one day work
in a national lab or company and create simulations and models for real-world phenomena.
of Multiple Transcriptional Regulatory
Elements in Gene Regulation
Former Foster Care Youth: Implications for
Policy and Practice
De’ANDRE JONES: Does Students’ Residence
Influence Physical Activity at University of
Wisconsin–Stout?
ASHLEY SPINLER: College Students’ Perception
of Rape and Reporting Rape
Techniques on Children with Spinal Cord Injuries
ംംJIMMY VANCE: The Impact of Roles on
ംം
KEODARA MOUA: Investigational Analysis of In
Vitro Fertilization
ംംLYDIA PFLUGER: Adult Criminality Outcomes of
ംം
ംം
ംംCARLEA JO LAUER: Review of Counseling ETHAN TOSTRUD: Autism Spectrum Disorders
in Relation to Professional Job Interviews
ംംANTIONETTE LYTE-EVANS: Peace Studies
Decision-Making in RPG’s
Background Impact on University of
Wisconsin–Stout
Attending Colorado School of Mines for a
Ph.D. in Mathematics
McNair provided me the opportunity to travel to Salt Lake City, Utah to
attend the SIAM CSE 2015 conference where I was able to network with
other professionals. Additionally, the trip to Utah allowed my research partner
and myself to present our research and meet some of the leading researchers
in our topic. I was also able to travel to Delavan, Wisconsin to attend the 23rd
Annual McNair Research Conference and Graduate Fair, which gave me yet
another chance to network and share my research results.
ംംESUVAT MOLLEL: Determining the Need for
an Academic Preparation Program in Tanzanian
Public Schools
ംംCHARLES DENIGER: A Study Evaluating Effects
Wade Meyers
McNair provided GRE study sessions which helped prepare me for the exam. Through the program I was able to get
advice on my personal statement, research statement, CV, and other application materials. This advice was extremely
helpful in making my applications stand out from others.
Among Working Mothers in U.S. and Greece
ALEXA DeMOE: Depression and Anxiety in Critical Transition Periods in an
Adolescent’s Life
ംം
SCHOLAR SPOTLIGHT
ംംMORGAN WOLF: Resident Advisors and
Diversity Competence
Thank you to all the faculty
mentors for helping each
of our scholars with our
research. Your support helps
the McNair Program continue
to successfully serve
students each year!
ADMISSIONS TESTS FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL
GRE (Graduate Records Examination): A
general test for graduate applications that includes a
verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical
writing section.
GRE Subject: A specific test that measures your
knowledge of a particular field in biochemistry,
biology, chemistry, literature in English, mathematics,
physics, or psychology.
GMAT (Graduate Management Test): Taken
by prospective business school students and includes
verbal, quantitative, and analytical skills.
LSAT (Law School Admissions Test): Taken
by prospective law students and includes measures of
reading, writing, and logical reasoning.
MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test):
Taken by prospective medical school students and
includes verbal reasoning, physical sciences, writing
sample, and biological sciences sections.
There are many different tests that may be required for
graduate school applications, with the most common
being the General GRE Test. Here are some things to
keep in mind when considering taking graduate school
admission tests:
ംംFor many tests, it will take up to ONE MONTH for
scores to be mailed to schools
ംംLeave appropriate time between test taking and
application deadlines
ംംBe prepared to list the schools you would like to
send scores to on the day you take the test
(many will let you submit your scores for
free on the test day but require mailing fees
after the fact that could be as much as
$30 per school)
KAPLAN and PRINCETON offer excellent
resources for taking graduate school tests and
books for study
ംം