West Virginia University will commemorate the 20 th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster with the McNair Open House and Graduate School Forum from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, in the Mountainlair Gold Ballroom.
Organized by the Office of Graduate Education and the McNair Scholars Program, the event will offer undergraduates an overview of the graduate school experience, including how to apply and finance their degrees.
Representatives from the WVU College of Engineering and Mineral Resources; College of Human Resources and Education; Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences; Eberly College of Arts and Sciences; and the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center are scheduled to participate.
Ronald E. McNair, for whom the McNair Scholars Program was named, was one of seven people killed when the Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff Jan. 28, 1986. He earned his doctorate in laser physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and became the second black American in space.
In the spirit of McNair’s lifelong commitment to encourage students to dream big, work hard and accomplish their goals, the scholars program is dedicated to assisting first-generation, low-income and minority students pursue a graduate education.
Each scholar receives $2,800 per year for participating in the program. Benefits include opportunities to work with faculty mentors, Graduate Record Examination preparation, professional development opportunities, graduate school visits and research training.
The McNair Scholars Program is open to full-time WVU students who have completed their sophomore year of study and have a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. Application forms can be downloaded atwww.wvu.edu/~mcnairand are due Jan. 31.
We want people to help us commemorate the 20 th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy and to find out who Dr. McNair was and what he would want students of similar backgrounds to accomplish in higher education,said Betty Mei, assistant director of the McNair Scholars Program.
To R.S.V.P. for the open house, call 304-293-4316 or e-mail angela.derk@mail.wvu.edu by Wednesday, Jan. 25. Lunch will be provided.