While in high school, college didn’t seem like a possibility for Denita Blount, let alone graduate school.
But as a class of 2000 University graduate with plans to attend the University’s Early Intervention Graduate Program in the fall, it is evident that much has changed since her days at Churchill High School.
A large part of that change is a result of Blount’s participation in the McNair Scholars Program, which makes the possibility of attending graduate school a reality for first-generation college graduates.
Beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday and 10 a.m. on Friday, participating undergraduate students will present their summer research projects at “The Power and Promise of Research” symposium at 184 Knight Law Center. Blount has spent a large part of her summer in the Vivian Olum Child Development Center, noting the qualitative differences between toddlers with and without disabilities through observation of play. Blount’s hours of observation are part of an extensive summer-long research project, which is a key component of the MSP.
Blount’s presentation to symposium attendees will provide background on two types of play — parallel and solitary — and the possible existing differences. She will provide data analysis based upon field notes, identify apparent themes, address limitations and provide recommendations.
“I’m really excited to be able to show what I have found and present my work to a panel of individuals that can ask questions and provide feedback,” Blount said.
This is the University’s first year to engage in the program, putting it among 135 participating institutions nationwide.
“The purpose is to engage students in original research projects, [while] working with faculty mentors,” MSP Coordinator Gail Unruh said.
The program is named for Ronald E. McNair, the second African-American to fly into space and one of six crew members aboard the ill-fated space shuttle Challenger, which exploded into a fireball shortly after its lift-off on Jan. 28, 1986. Born into poverty in South Carolina in 1950, McNair became valedictorian of his high school, continuing his education into college and eventually earning a Ph.D. from MIT in 1976.
The selective program is limited to 20 University students per academic year, with admissions based upon academic achievement, aspirations, commitment and recommendations.
In order to be eligible, students must be low-income and among the first generation in their families to complete a bachelor’s degree, or from groups underrepresented in graduate education.
As a McNair scholar, Elizabeth Rodrigues has spent her summer researching the reorganization of the nervous system at insect metamorphosis.
“I always knew I wanted to go to school beyond college,” said Rodrigues, a senior in biology at the Robert D. Clark Honors College. “But it seemed completely intangible. What do you do to get there? It was this ethereal thing.”
But for Rodrigues, involvement in MSP has made the ethereal tangible, providing insight into the skills necessary for grad school while also guiding her through the process.
“One of the main things is the lab experience, which is really key for graduate school,” she said. “It is helping to introduce me to the environment and how to set up research study and analyze the whole procedure. This will prepare me for what grad school is all about.”
Ideally, students should apply for the program during their sophomore year, Unruh said, which allows them to spend their junior year in preparation for the research project which typically culminates during the summer between junior and senior year.
However, he stressed that students who are juniors or seniors shouldn’t automatically count themselves out, thinking it’s too late. The key is the ability and willingness to carry out the research project and communicate with faculty mentors.
“If the desire to do that exists, come and check us out to see if the structures and demands fit in with the individual student’s goals and efforts,” Unruh said.