The University of Maryland has announced the dates for its annual National Conference for McNair Scholars and Undergraduate Research. More than 50 graduate schools across the country are expected to take part in the Graduate School Fair on March 16-19.
Since Congress established the program to honor the memory of NASA astronaut D. Ronald E. McNair, many students have benefited from this program. According to a website that shares stories about scholar success, the federal program is funded at 151 institutions across the United States and Puerto Rico by the U.S. Department of Education.
Recently, Sonoma State University announced they had received renewed funding of $1.3 million to offer McNair Scholar opportunities through 2025.
Romano Angel Gallardo discovered the program while at Sonoma State. Last fall, he told SSU News that meetings with McNair staff members helped him land a research position at the University of Pennsylvania.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2019, the first-generation graduate worked at the University of Pennsylvania’s Peace & Conflict Neuroscience Lab.
“As a first-generation Latino student, I didn’t know the difference between college and university,” Roman said. “I was clueless about the college application process,” he said. “I knew that education was the linear path to a better life. I saw my grandmother and my parents work hard so that I could have the educational opportunities they did not have. But, once I toured the SSU campus and saw the dorms filled with people who looked just like me and had like-minded goals, I immediately felt at home. I was sold.”
Recently, Roman was awarded the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. He also joined the University of Chicago to earn a Ph.D. However, while starting the next chapter in his academic career, Roman encountered a challenge.
“When I told my parents about my Ph.D. plans they were like, ‘Wait, what? Didn’t you already graduate from college? Why are you going back to school?”
So Roman made a PowerPoint presentation. “Now they get it and are excited,” said Roman about his family’s reaction. “I’ve got brilliant little brothers with much potential, and I think it will be awesome to try and help them out with their college journeys.”
The McNair Scholars Program is designed to prepare undergraduate students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. Click here for more information.
There was a time when #FirstGen student @RomanGallardo_ didn’t know the difference between community college and university. Today the #SonomaState grad is pursuing his Ph.D. @UChicago having earned @FordFoundation & #NationalScienceFoundation fellowships. https://t.co/di65MsODFW pic.twitter.com/BdFRRTFeKs
— Sonoma State University (@SSU_1961) October 17, 2022
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