Marquette University
M c N a i r S ch o l a rs P ro g ra m
Spring 2013
T HE CHALLENGER
Upcoming Events
The First McNair Colloquium
of the semester will be held
on Thursday, February 21 at
12pm in the Raynor Conference Center, Suite A. Presenting will be Cicely Hunter
(History) and Darrielle
Mitchell (Education).
Other colloquium dates are
March 26 and April 25.
Contact the McNair Office
for more information.
Kaplan Testing Service will
offer a free online GRE Practice Test during the month
of February. To register for
the test, visit the link http://
bit.ly/TZ5K7R or the
Kaplan website at
kaptest.com.
One Thing Led to Another, a
seminar, featuring a faculty
panel discussing their paths
to research and teaching,
will be held on February 18
at 12 noon in the Raynor
Conference Center, Suite A.
National TRIO Day is Saturday, February 23. Be TRIO
proud and wear your
TRIO/McNair shirt to commemorate the day.
Advising for the Fall 2013
semester is March 18-26.
All McNair students will receive notification of their
appointment times.
The EOP Director's Dinner
will be Tuesday, April 16.
McNair students receiving a
3.0 GPA or higher during the
Spring ‘12and/or Fall ‘12
semesters will be invited to
attend.
MCNAIR STUDENTS
P R E S E N T A T NCUR
TO
Eight students from the McNair Scholars Program at Marquette University were
selected to present their research at the 27th National Conference on Undergraduate Research. The selected students were chosen from over 3500 abstract submissions. The
conference will be held at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, Wisconsin,
April 11 - 13. Over 2,000 undergraduate students will attend the three-day event.
The eight students are: Tim Allen (Education), Brett Christensen (Arts and Sciences), Cicely Hunter (Arts and Sciences), Darrielle Mitchell (Education), Alexandra
Reveles (Arts and Sciences), Virginia Sanchez (Communications), Shoji Sanders
(Communications), and Maurice Sharpe (Arts & Sciences).
The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), established in
1987, is dedicated to promoting undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity in all fields of study. Unlike meetings of academic professional organizations, this
gathering of young scholars welcomes presenters from all institutions of higher learning
and from all corners of the academic curriculum. Through this annual conference,
NCUR creates a unique environment for the celebration and promotion of undergraduate student achievement, provides models of exemplary research and scholarship, and
helps to improve the state of undergraduate education.
The students presenting at the conference are featured on Page 2.
McNair students
take a break while
attending the
WAEOPP McNair
/SSS Senior Retreat in the Wisconsin Dells in
September, 2012.
Pictured (l-r) Virginia Sanchez,
Cinthia Lopez,
Nate Ramos, Casey Korducki,
Maurice Sharpe,
Alie Reveles, Jazzmyne Anderson,
Tim Allen, and
Toby Baker.
P age 2
M a r que tte U ni v e r s i ty
MCNAIR PRESENTERS
AT
NCUR
Listed below are six McNair Scholars whose abstracts were accepted for presentation at the National
Conference on Undergraduate Research to be held at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in
La Crosse, Wisconsin. Faculty mentors are listed in parenthesis.
Investigating Learning: The Citizen Science Program at the
Urban Ecology Center
Timothy Allen, Jr. (Dr. Jill Birren), Educational Policy and
Leadership
Effects of Perceived Discrimination, Acculturative Stress
and Coping on Depression in Latino College Students
Brett J. Christensen (Dr. Lucas Torres), Psychology
It’s a Woman’s World: Defining the Complexity of Amy
Jacques Garvey
Cicely Bianca Hunter (Dr. Kristen Foster), History
Grin and Bear It: Black Women’s Perceptions of Depression Diagnosis and Treatment
Darrielle Mitchell (Dr. Marcia Williams), Sociology
Gender Differences in Perceived Discrimination as a Predictor of Depressive Symptoms among Latinos
Alexandra K. Reveles (Dr. Lucas Torres), Psychology
“Blackness as Property” to Agents of Contract: The Alternative Model
Shoji Sanders (Dr. Kali Murray), Law School
‘Small Hinges Swing Big Doors’: Social Entrepreneurs and
Waves of Grand Change
Virginia Sanchez (Dr. Jeremy Fyke), Communication Studies
Synthesis of a Pentadentate Ligand for Modeling the Active
Site of an Intradiol Catechol Dioxygenase
Maurice Sharpe (Dr. Adam Fiedler), Chemistry
M C N A I R A D D S F O U R N E W P H . D. ’ S
Four MU McNair alums were formally recognized for completing their doctoral degrees at the
Ronald E. McNair Birthday Celebration in October.
Dr. Floyd Williams graduated with an Ed.D.
from Cardinal Stritch University in May, 2008; Dr.
Vanja Lazarevic received a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in May, 2012; Dr. Chandra L. Sproles
completed her Ph.D. from Michgan State University
in May, 2012; and Dr. Bridget McCurtis completed
her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in May,
2012.
All of their names have been engraved on
the MU McNair Doctoral Degree Commemorative
Plaque, which was unveiled at the ceremony.
“I am forever grateful to the McNair program
for providing me the opportunity to explore graduate school and setting me on the path of becoming
a Doctor of Philosophy,” wrote Dr. Lazarevic. “I
never even dreamed that this was possible.”
Dr. McCurtis is the second in her family to
complete the Ph.D. Her older sister, Dr. Karen
McCurtis–Witherspoon, was the first MU-McNair
Mary Jennings, Tamiah McCoy, Majidah Murrar and Matthias Seisay pose with the McNair Doctoral Plaque at the
McNair Birthday Breakfast Celebration in October.
alum to receive her Ph.D.
“This degree is the direct result of the commitment of time, energy and resources of many
people,” she wrote. “However, it all began at EOP.
The MU McNair program peaked my interest in
graduate school and provided me with the tools
and resources not only to complete but to excel. So
this degree belongs to all of us.”
To date, MU McNair has recorded twentyfour doctoral degrees since the program’s inception in 1990.
T he C h a ll e n g e r
P age 3
MU McNair Scholars attending
the 22nd Annual National
Ronald E. McNair Scholars
Research Conference chat with
Mr. Carl McNair, brother of
Ronald McNair, in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in November,
2012. Pictured (l-r) Graduate
Assistant Gaby Gray, Nate Ramos, Brett Christensen, Tim
Allen, McNair, Jazzmyne Anderson, Shoji Sanders, Tommy
Walls, Maritza Contreras, Maurice Sharpe and Darrielle
Mitchell.
2013 McNair Summer Research
New Scholars Announced
Fifteen students have been selected for
admission to the McNair Scholars Program. In
preparation for participation in the McNair Summer Research Institute, students are currently
enrolled in a research methodology seminar to
assist in developing their research proposals.
Congratulations!!
Yunus Abdullah, Accounting
Natalie Aguirre, Psychology
Guadalupe Avalos, International Affairs
Aisha Bano, Chemistry
Brittany Bernal, Speech Pathology and Audiology
Aaron Bledsoe, Broadcast & Electronic Communication
Toni Conley, Marketing
Erika Daniels, Psychology
Ricardo Diaz, Psychology and Philosophy
Maribel Gamon, Biomedical Sciences
Vanessa Lopez, Criminology and Law Studies
Amber Powell, Criminology and Law Studies
Andrew Thompson, Political Science
Rafael Torres, Political Science
Christian Villanueva, Nursing
S CHOLARS ON THE MOVE
Tommy Walls has been invited by the Council of Opportunity in Education, to present on behalf of TRIO on
February 5, 2013 in Washington D.C. Tommy will be
joined by the Honorable Congresswomen Gwen
Moore.
Virginia Sanchez attended the National Communication Association 98th Conference in November 15-18,
2012 in Orlando, Florida.
Brett Christensen, Cinthia Lopez, and Allie Reveles,
will be presenting, along Dr. Lucas Torres and MU
McNair alum Leticia Vallejo at the Midwest Psychological Association Meeting in Chicago, IL on May 2-4,
2013.
Jamarrah Foster and Tamiah McCoy will be presenting at the Midwest Nursing Research Society
37th Annual Research Conference on March 7-10,
2013 in Chicago, IL.
The newest member of the MU McNair Doctoral Degree club, Dr. Tatiana Joseph, is running for Milwaukee Public School Board of Directors. Dr. Joseph is
currently a lecturer in Curriculum Instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. If you are interested in
helping with her campaign, email Brandon Savage at
[email protected].
Darrielle Mitchell and McNair alum Gaby Gray attended the National Alliance of Black School Educators
held in Nashville, TN in November, 2012.
M c Na i r Sc h ol a rs
Program
Marquette University
P.O Box 1881
Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881
Phone: 414 288-1771
Fax: 414 288-1769
Director: Eddie M. Guzman
Coordinator: Matthias Seisay
Admin Secretary: Mary L. Jennings
“Preparing Students for
Graduate School”
The McNair Scholars Program
is an Educational Opportunity
Program at Marquette University. Funding for the program
is provided through a grant
from the United States Department of Education.
M C N A I R A L U M N I D EG R E E U P DAT E
Bachelors Degrees
Timothy O. Allen, Jr., Bachelor of Science, College of Education
Ivy Awino, Bachelor of Arts, Klinger College of Arts and Sciences
Toby Baker, Bachelor of Arts, Diederich College of Communication
Casimir Korducki, Bachelor of Arts, Klinger College of Arts and Sciences
Natanael Ramos, Bachelor of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering
Masters Degrees
Theo Braden, Master of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Tommy Q. Dang, Master of Biomedical Sciences, Midwestern University
Rosalind Dawson, Master of Arts, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Lauren Gilbert, Master of Arts, University of Florida
Benjamin Juarez, Master of Public Policy, Oregon State University
Amy Kovacich, Master of Education, George Mason University
Nika Lorino, Master of Liberal Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Alicia Moore, Master of Science, Cardinal Stritch University
Doctoral Degrees
Tatiana Jones-Joseph, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Chandra L. Sproles, Doctor of Philosophy, Michigan State University
Professional Degrees
Manuel Sanchez, Master of Physician Assistant, Marquette University
McNair graduating seniors at the EOP Graduation Celebration in December, 2012.
Standing are (L-R) Natanael Ramos, Casey Korducki, Ivy Awino, and Toby Baker.