UF student-scholar says McNair program is 'priceless'

February 19, 2007

For most college students who dream of one day holding a Ph.D. in their hand, the journey through graduate school will be like nothing they ever experienced. But for University of Florida student David Green, pursuing a higher degree will be a smooth transition.

As a McNair Scholar, Green already has been conducting research and presenting his findings on why African-American males choose to attend predominately white universities.

“The McNair program has allowed me to be more in control of my destiny,” said Green, who plans to pursue a doctorate in African-American history with a focus on sexuality and politics.

In 1989, Congress created the McNair Scholars Program to help first-generation, low-income and under-represented students prepare for graduate school. Ronald E. McNair was an African-American astronaut who died in the 1986 explosion of the space shuttle Challenger.

The program provides students with an opportunity to gain research experience, a faculty mentor relationship to guide them throughout the process, and a research stipend.

Green, an economics and African-American studies major, knew he wanted to be a McNair Scholar from the minute he stepped onto campus.

“I really wanted to do something scholastic but that was also pushing for a cause,” Green said. “You’re not just a student, you become a student-scholar and the value added to your undergraduate experience is priceless.”

During the academic year, McNair Scholars take part in cultural and educational activities and meet with faculty and graduate students to enhance their studies in their degree programs. They participate in an intensive six-week research program during the summer, and attend workshops on academic life, standardized test preparation, researching skills and the graduate school application process.

“We’re trying to make sure everyone has a fighting chance to obtain excellence in their field,” said Assistant Director Earl J. Wade, who has worked with McNair Scholars for the past three years.

McNair programs are housed at 178 universities in the United States, and UF has 25 McNair Scholars studying topics ranging from engineering to zoology.