The mission of the McNair Scholars Program is to motivate, enable, and equip talented Vermont State University undergraduate students for entrance into Ph.D. programs and for the next phase in their academic careers.
The program enrolls low-income and first-generation students, as well as students from groups that are under-represented in doctoral study, and helps them prepare for graduate school. McNair Scholars learn graduate-level research methods and receive advising support for applying to graduate school and related aspects of higher education. Scholars also complete a summer research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor and have the opportunity to visit schools and attend and/or present at scholarly research conferences.
The McNair Program at Vermont State serves a diverse and supportive group of sophomores, juniors, and seniors at the Castleton Campus. We provide enriching scholastic experiences that prepare eligible students to be successful applicants to competitive graduate programs.
The McNair Program, officially named the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, was established by Congress in 1986 in memory of astronaut and renowned laser physicist Ronald E. McNair. It is a federally funded TRIO program administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Vermont State’s McNair Scholars program was first established at the Castleton Campus in 2017.
