TRIO Receives Renewal for the McNair Program at NC State
The program supports first-generation undergraduate students who meet income requirements and undergraduates from underrepresented groups who have demonstrated strong academic potential to complete their Ph.D.
Thanks to a $1.3 million federal grant, TRIO Programs at NC State proudly announce the successful renewal of the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program.
The Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program will provide funds to the university to prepare eligible NC State undergraduate students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. The program supports first-generation undergraduate students who meet income requirements and undergraduates from underrepresented groups who have demonstrated strong academic potential to complete their Ph.D. Ultimately, the program aims to increase the number of students from these groups obtaining their doctorates.
“Every five years, TRIO staff engage in a rigorous process to renew funding for each of the seven grants housed at NC State. Courtney Simpson, senior director of TRIO Collegiate Programs, and her team worked incredibly hard to secure another five years of funding for this highly distinguished program,” said Carrie Zelna, associate vice chancellor for the NC State Division of Academic and Student Affairs. “We are fortunate to have such a talented group of staff on our campus, and I have absolutely no doubt that our McNair students will continue to become some of the top faculty and researchers in the world within their discipline.”
The program’s namesake, Ronald E. McNair (1950-86), was America’s second African-American astronaut in space and was killed in the Challenger explosion on Jan. 28, 1986.
McNair was raised in a low-income household and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of science degree from North Carolina A&T University. He completed his doctor of philosophy degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology only five years later. McNair was the first in his family to graduate from college and obtain a doctorate.
About NC State TRIO Programs
TRIO Programs are federal outreach and student services programs designed to serve and assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to postbaccalaureate degrees. Of these eight programs, NC State University supports four impact areas through seven programs, including the two premier TRIO pre-college programs, Talent Search (1991, 2020) and Upward Bound (1978 and 2012), and three premier college programs: Student Support Services (2010), Student Support Services STEM (2015) and the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program (2017). Collectively, they have served thousands of students by providing access to higher education and critical support services.
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