The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program is committed to the legacy of and memory of Dr. Ronald E. McNair. Designed for students from populations underrepresented in graduate education, our scholars represent diverse backgrounds. The program facilitates educational and academic growth by providing research opportunities, faculty mentoring relationships, and related services at no cost to students. Scholars also participate in summer research internships, GRE and graduate school preparation sessions, career development seminars, and other academic and cultural activities. Scholars actively participate in professional conferences across the United States by presenting their research and networking with professionals in their fields of study. All program activities are designed to prepare McNair scholars to continue their educational endeavors in graduate school through the completion of doctoral programs.
Who are the McNair Scholars? They're outstanding students who undergo a competitive process to be accepted into a program intended to diversify higher education. Our scholars come from diverse backgrounds but often are from underrepresented communities or are first-generation students from low-income backgrounds.
The McNair Scholars Program offers seminars on topics related to graduate school preparation; a mentoring opportunity with a faculty member who provides guidance, advice, role modeling, and introduces a scholar to the academic profession; letters of recommendation, GRE test preparation; graduate school visits; and fee waivers for graduate school applications by universities that conduct TRIO programs.
The McNair Scholars Program also offers a summer research internship in the spring and for eight weeks throughout the summer. We pay a stipend, offer room and board on campus, three hours of tuition-free credit, and opportunities to present their research at the St. Edward's University McNair Research Symposium and at other universities across the United States.
We make a difference in our scholars' lives and our scholars make a difference in the lives of others. We are McNair.
Every year, we invite a St. Edward's University McNair alumnus to speak at our Recognition Reception. They talk about overcoming challenges in graduate school, their research, and their experiences navigating post-graduation opportunities.
This year, our guest speaker is Dr. Leon Alberto Venegas ('10, Biology).
Dr. Venegas began his undergraduate career at St. Edward’s University in 2006. While at St. Edward’s, he majored in Biological Sciences and was active in a number of student organizations including the Hispanic Student Association (HSA), Science Club, and the American Medical Student Association (AMSA).
He was accepted into the McNair Scholars Program during his junior year, which allowed him to participate in two research projects at the University of Notre Dame and St. Edward’s. After graduating in 2010, he began working as a technician at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in the laboratory of Dr. June Kan-Mitchell. Her lab’s efforts focused on vaccine development against HIV and Rift Valley Fever Virus.
In 2012, he enrolled in the PhD program in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and a year later joined Dr. Brian Kay’s research group. His graduate work focused on protein engineering to generate a toolbox of reagents for the detection of phosphorylated proteins. He completed his dissertation in April 2018 and one month later began working as an Associate Scientist II in the Antibody Development and Protein Engineering (ADPE) department at AstraZeneca in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
His current work focuses on building novel drug discovery platforms.
We're grateful to Dr. Venegas for taking time out of his busy schedule to speak at our Recognition Reception!
The McNair research project may be one of the most mentally challenging projects you will do, but it will be also one of the most rewarding. I promise you will always have endless support from the staff and your mentor. It’s your project but everyone is going to help you.
Vianney Campos, Spring 2021
Vianney Campos
Major: Sociology
Research: The Latinx Male: An intersectional study of service providers and mental health services among Latinx men
Research Director: Dr. Laurie Heffron, School of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Conferences:
- 17th Annual McNair Scholars Research Symposium, July 9, 2020
- MOKANNE McNair Heartland Research Conference, September 25 - 26, 2020
- Florida International University McNair Conference, November 18- 20, 2020
- Baylor McNair Research Conference, October 1 - 2, 2020
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
Mia Garcia
Major: Biology
Research: Refining Assay Recipes to Measure Insect Immunological Responses
Research Director: Dr. Matthew Steffenson, School of Natural Sciences
Conferences:
- 17th Annual McNair Scholars Research Symposium, July 9, 2020
- 28th Annual University of Maryland, Baltimore County McNair Scholars 2020 Research Conference, September 18 - 19, 2020
- Baylor McNair Research Conference, October 1 - 2, 2020
Achievements:
- Outstanding Biology Graduate - Graduate School Program
Bianca Garcia-Gonzalez
Major: Behavioral Neuroscience
Research: Investigating the effects of prenatal stress on the regulation of unc-33 in C. elegans; Pain Perception as a Function of Virtual Reality Content and Pain Intensity
Research Director: Dr. Andrea Holgado, School of Natural Sciences
Conferences:
- 17th Annual McNair Scholars Research Symposium, July 9, 2020
- MOKANNE McNair Heartland Research Conference, September 25-26, 2020
- Baylor McNair Research Conference, October 1-2, 2020
- Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression, April 9, 2021
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Fall 2020
Cristobal Garcia-Quiroz
Major: Biology and Political Science
Research: Quantifying Health Attitudes and Access in U.S.-born and Immigrant LGBT+ Latinx People
Research Director: Dr. Robert Buchanan, MD, UT Austin Dell Medical School
Presentations:
- 17th Annual McNair Scholars Research Symposium, July 9, 2020
- MOKANNE McNair Heartland Research Conference, September 25-26, 2020
- Baylor McNair Research Conference, October 1-2, 2020
- Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression, April 9, 2021
- National Conference on Undergraduate Research, April 12-14, 2021
Achievements:
- Presidential Scholar, Biology/Health Professions
- Dean's List, Fall 2020
- Public Policy & Intl Affairs Junior Summer Institute Fellowship - Carnegie Mellon
- University Honors Program
- Beta Beta Beta
- Kappa Gamma Pi
The McNair Scholars Program provided me the confidence and academic tools to get to a graduate program. I am beyond grateful for the opportunities to participate in scholarly activities and for the voice in research. Thank you to my cohort and my mentors. I couldn’t have done it without you guys!
Victoria Jaimes, Spring 2021
Victoria Jaimes
Major: Psychology
Research: The Power of Authenticity in a Diverse Workplace
Research Director: Dr. Kadie Rackley, School of Arts and Humanities
Conferences:
- 17th Annual McNair Scholars Research Symposium, July 9, 2020
- 28th Annual University of Maryland, Baltimore County McNair Scholars 2020 Research Conference, September 18 - 19, 2020
- MOKANNE McNair Heartland Research Conference, September 25 - 26, 2020
- Baylor McNair Research Conference, October 1 - 2, 2020
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Fall 2020
I think the greatest lesson I have learned through McNair is that I am capable of greatness. Imposterism can be really hard to deal with at times but just in one year through McNair, I have accomplished so much academically. McNair has shown me that, with some hard work, anything is possible.
Valerie Martin, Spring 2021
Valerie Martin
Major: Psychology
Research: Foster Parents’ Experience: An Analysis of Secondary Trauma, Burnout, and Available Resources for Foster Parents
Research Director: Dr. Adam McCormick, School of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Conferences:
- 17th Annual McNair Scholars Research Symposium, July 9, 2020
- MOKANNE McNair Heartland Research Conference, September 25 - 26, 2020
- Baylor McNair Research Conference, October 1-2, 2020
- Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression, April 9, 2021
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
- Dean's List, Fall 2020
- University Honors Program
- The Brother Romard Barthel, CSC, '47 Endowed Scholarship 2020-2021
Jimmy Martinez
Major: Chemistry
Research: The Synthesis of Structural Molecular and Models of the Active Site of Aberrant Copper Zinc Superoxide Dismutase (SOD1): Evaluating How Structural Deformations Lead to Disease”
Research Director: Dr. Santiago Toledo, School of Natural Sciences
Conferences:
- 17th Annual McNair Scholars Research Symposium, July 9, 2020
- 28th Annual University of Maryland, Baltimore County McNair Scholars 2020 Research Conference, September 18019, 2020
- Baylor McNair Research Conference, October 1-2, 2020
- Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression, April 9, 2021
- 1st Annual University of Washington GEG Symposium, April 22-24, 2021
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
Karina Moreno
Major: Biology and Spanish
Research: Assessing the Localization of DAF-16 in C. elegans unc-33 mutants
Research Director: Dr. Andrea Holgado, School of Natural Sciences
Conferences:
- 17th Annual McNair Scholars Research Symposium, July 9, 2020
- 28th Annual University of Maryland, Baltimore County McNair Scholars 2020 Research Conference, September 18 - 19, 2020
- Baylor McNair Research Conference, October 1 - 2, 2020
- Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression, April 9, 2021
- National Conference on Undergraduate Research, April 12-14, 2021
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
Rebecca Sanchez
Major: Sociology
Research: STIs and Stigma: Effects of STI Diagnosis and Sexual Identity on Perception of Potential Partners
Research Director: Dr. Katherine Goldey, School of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Conferences:
- 17th Annual McNair Scholars Research Symposium, July 9, 2020
- 28th Annual University of Maryland, Baltimore County McNair Scholars 2020 Research Conference, September 18 - 19, 2020
- MOKANNE McNair Heartland Research Conference, September 25 - 26, 2020
- Baylor McNair Research Conference, October 1 - 2, 2020
- Society for Personality and Social Psychology Conference, February 9-13, 2021
- Texas Undergraduate Research Day at the Texas Capitol, February 21, 2021
Achievements:
- Johnson-Turpin Scholar
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
Melvin Vizcaino
Major: Communication
Research: Bilingual Speech Production: The Spanish of Central Texas as a Case Study
Research Director: Dr. Luis Avilés Gonzáles
Conferences:
- 17th Annual McNair Scholars Research Symposium, July 9, 2020
- 28th Annual University of Maryland, Baltimore County McNair Scholars 2020 Research Conference, September 18 - 19, 2020
- Baylor McNair Research Conference, October 1 - 2, 2020
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
Isabel Garcia
Major: Psychology
Research: Texas vs New Mexico: Efficacy of Drug Possession Mandatory Minimum Sentencing
Research Director: Dr. Laurie Heffron, School of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Conferences:
- 17th Annual McNair Scholars Research Symposium, July 9, 2020
- MOKANNE McNair Heartland Research Conference, September 25 - 26, 2020
- Baylor McNair Research Conference, October 1-2, 2020
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
I don’t know how to begin to express how much I appreciate the McNair program. I feel so fortunate to have been accepted into such a helpful opportunity. I have so much to thank for because of the McNair program and its staff. It has shown me that higher education is a possibility for someone like me, not only a person of color, but someone with my kind of background in academia –an informal one. The experience in scholarship that the McNair program provided me has gone and will continue to go a long way in my career. Thank you.
Alberto Limones, Fall 2020
Alberto Limones
Major: Psychology
Research: Emptiness in the East and West: Nagarjuna and Jean-Pierre Duprey
Research Director: Dr. Jonathan Heaps, School of Arts and Humanities
Conferences:
- 17th Annual McNair Scholars Research Symposium, July 9, 2020
- 28th Annual University of Maryland, Baltimore County McNair Scholars 2020 Research Conference, September 18 - 19, 2020
- MOKANNE McNair Heartland Research Conference, September 25 - 26, 2020
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
Our scholars are an accomplished group. They've been accepted to numerous graduate programs at prestigious universities across the globe. Universities that offered acceptances into their graduate programs include:
Cristobal Garcia-Quiroz, Biology and Political Science
- Columbia University, Master of Public Administration. Two-year fellowship with an annual award of $30,000.
- American University, Master of Public Policy. Dean Award stipend of $19,200 and tuition remission with a total award of $49,200 for 4 semesters.
- University of California at Los Angeles, Master of Public Policy. Nominated for the Graduate Opportunity Fellowship Program - $27,731 in funding and a $20,000 living stipend.
- Carnegie Mellon University, Master of Public Policy and Management. Awarded the Heinz College PPIA Fellowship full tuition waiver and a $3,000 non-work stipend.
- Brown University, Master of Public Administration. $15,000 scholarship.
Jimmy Martinez, Chemistry
- Tulane University, Ph.D. in Chemistry. Teaching assistantship stipend of $21,427 and a $6,000 summer stipend. Tuition scholarship valued at $57,004. Two-year departmental fellowship of $3,000 annually and $1,000 for moving expenses.
Alberto Limones, Psychology
- Harvard Divinity School, Master of Theological Studies. Harvard Divinity Grant annual award of $30,472 and a $9,000 living stipend.
- The University of Chicago Divinity School, Master of Arts. Divinity’s Dean Fellowship, an annual award of $44,146, and a $10,000 living stipend and full tuition scholarship.
- University of Virginia, Master of Religious Studies.
- University of California at Santa Barbara.
- University of Denver, Master of Arts in Religious Studies. CAHSS Dean’s Scholarship, 50% tuition remission and Gravely Scholarship $1250.
Bianca Garcia-Gonzalez, Behavioral Neuroscience
- Scripps Research Institute, Ph.D. in Chemical and Biological Sciences with a concentration in Neuroscience. Annual stipend of $34,000.
- University of Texas at San Antonio, Ph.D. in Neuroscience. Annual stipend of stipend of $28,000 with full tuition remission. Total $41,800 annual package.
Vianney Campos, Sociology
- Columbia School of Social Work, Master of Social Work.
- University of Texas at Austin, Master of San Antonio. Funding offer of $40,000.
Vianney plans to defer.
Karina Moreno, Biology
- Baylor College of Medicine, Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program
Valerie Martin, Psychology
- University of Texas at Dallas, Master of Business Administration
Victoria Jaimes, Psychology
- Xavier University, Master of Arts in Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Rachelle Cardoza, Kinesiology
Research:The Perspective of Physical Therapist in Caring for Alzheimer Patients with BPSD
Achievements:
- Johnson-Turpin Scholar
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
- Dean's List, Fall 2020
Summer 2021:
Rachelle will work on her Honors Thesis with her faculty mentor.
Viviana Jaimes, Sociology
Research: The Effects of News Media on Social Trust and Well-Being in the Latinx Community”
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
Summer 2021:
Viviana will be conducting research at St. Edward's University.
Destiny Nicoll, Psychology
Research: Assessing Compassion Fatigue Amongst Social Workers in the Child Welfare System
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
- Dean's List, Fall 2020
Summer 2021:
Destiny will be conducting research at St. Edward's University.
Marianne Garcia, Behavioral Neuroscience
Research:The Social Competence, Self-Perceptions, and Quality of Life of Autistic Adults
Achievements:
- Johnson-Turpin Scholar
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
Summer 2021:
Marianne was accepted into the University of Iowa Research Opportunity Program (SROP).
Carlos Chavira, Biology
Research: Do P. granatum extracts have synergistic activity with antibiotics against S. aureus?
Summer 2021:
Carlos was accepted into the SEU Wild Basin Wildlife Research Internship Program.
Our program benefits enormously from the efforts and generosity of faculty who serve on our advisory board, are STEM advisors, who mentor and oversee our scholars' research, and who are members of the editorial board for our annual scholarly journal. We are thankful for everything they do.
Advisory Board
- Sarah Henseler, PhD
- Arcelia Hernandez, PhD
- Andrea Holgado, PhD
- Stephanie Martinez, PhD
- Kathleen Wilburn, PhD
- Jeannetta Williams, PhD
STEM Advisors
- Jason Callahan, PhD
- Lisa Goering, PhD
McNair Research Journal Faculty Editorial Board 2019-2020
- Warren Anderson, PhD
- Peter Austin, PhD
- Natalie Beck, PhD
- Emily Brown, PhD
- Mark Cherry, PhD
- Amy Clements, PhD
- Daniel Gold, PhD
- Lisa Holleran, PhD
- Angela Ju, PhD
- Chad Long, PhD
- Michelle Richter, PhD
- Tammie Rubin, MFA
Faculty Mentors
School of Behavioral and Social Sciences
- Emily Barton, PhD
- Amy Concilio, PhD
- Daniel Glenn, PhD
- Katherine Goldey, PhD
- Laurie Heffron, PhD
- Nicholas Chad Long, PhD
- Adam McCormick, PhD
- Kadie R. Rackley, PhD
- Christie Wilson, PhD
School of Natural Sciences
- Kristy Ballard, PhD
- Trish Baynham, PhD
- Andrea Holgado, PhD
- Paul Savala, PhD
- Matthew Steffenson, PhD
- Santiago Toledo, PhD
School of Arts and Humanities
- Alan Altimont, PhD
- Luis Aviles Gonzalez, MA
- Emily Bernate, PhD
- Kelley Coblentz-Bautch, PhD
- Jonathan Heaps, PhD
- Lori Peterson, PhD
School of Business
- Sarah Mittal, PhD
UT Austin Dell Medical School
- Robert J. Buchanan, MD
Our most recent cohort of McNair scholars was inducted on December 5, 2020. We look forward to their research internship this summer and celebrating their accomplishments next year!
Ariah Alba, Photography & Media Arts and Religious Studies
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
- Dean's List, Fall 2020
- Theta Alpha Kappa
- Theta Alpha Kappa Undergraduate Achievement Award
Michelle Flores, Political Science
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
- Dean's List, Fall 2020
Savannah Gonzales, Mathematics and Bioinformatics
Annalyse Granowski, English Literature
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
- Dean's List, Fall 2020
Kimberly Guzman, Global Studies
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
Victoria Hernandez, Entrepreneurship
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
- Sigma Nu Tau
- Johnson-Turpin Scholars
- The Brother Romard Barthel, CSC, ’47 Endowed Scholarship 2020-2021
Alexa Jaimes, History
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
- Dean's List, Fall 2020
- The Richard B. Hughes History Endowed Scholarship 2020-2022
Flor Flores-Jaimes, Environmental Science & Policy
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
- Dean's List, Fall 2020
Melissa Lopez, Biology
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
Ellyzabeth Morales-Ledesma, History & Economics
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
- Dean's List, Fall 2020
- Johnson-Turpin Scholars
Ederé Ohwobete, Environmental Chemistry
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Fall 2020
Marisol Rivas, Global Studies & Spanish
Achievements:
- Dean's List, Spring 2020
- Dean's List, Fall 2020
2020-2021 McNair scholars
This past year, the McNair Scholars Program sadly bid our Assistant Director Sonia Briseño goodbye, although she is happily not far! Sonia is now CAMP Director and they're lucky to have her!
We were fortunate to welcome two new staff members, Tanya Garnica and Amalia Merino. Tanya is our new Assistant Director and Amalia is our Project Graduate Assistant. They came to our program in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and jumped right in. Tanya immediately began working on recruiting our new cohort and Amalia was editor of our Spring newsletter, The Orbit.
Tanya Garnica M.S.Ed. is a first-generation college graduate who is passionate about ensuring college success for all students. Tanya is a proud McNair alumnus of Washington State University. She has a profound appreciation for McNair and TRIO programs for opening the doors to her professional career and for greatly influencing the person she is today.
She received her B.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justices from Washington State University and her M.S. Ed. In Education Policy from Indiana University, Bloomington. She began her career working as a site director for the TRIO GEAR UP program at Central Washington University. As the new McNair Assistant Director for St. Edward's University, she is thrilled to be joining this social justice driven institution and meeting the needs of underrepresented and first generation students of St. Edward’s University.
Amalia graduated from the University of Texas at Austin as a double major in Linguistics and Spanish. Upon graduating, she joined UT’s Department of Spanish and Portuguese and is now on her 4th year as a PhD student in His-panic Linguistics.
In addition to being a graduate student and our project graduate assistant, Amalia also teaches for the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at UT and mentors undergraduate students interested in graduate school. As a first-generation college student herself, Amalia is passionate about helping other students succeed in higher education.
Molly Minus, PhD - Director and Principal Investigator
Tanya Garnica, M.S.Ed. - Assistant Director
Amalia Merino, MA - Program Graduate Assistant
Maria Gómez, Senior Secretary
McNair Scholars Program | Moody Hall, Room 126 | 512.426.1268 | mcnairscholars@stedwards.edu | stedwards.edu/mcnair-scholars-program
Credits:
All photo copyrights belong to the scholars who generously provided us with photos of themselves to be featured on this page.