UF McNair Scholars Program

Remembering Dr. Ronald E. McNair & the Challenger Crew 🚀

Today we honor the lives lost in the Challenger disaster and especially remember Dr. Ronald E. McNair — physicist, astronaut, scholar, and the namesake of the McNair Scholars Program.

Dr. McNair’s legacy lives on through thousands of first-generation and underrepresented students who continue to pursue advanced degrees and research careers in his honor. His commitment to education, excellence, and perseverance inspires our scholars every day.

We remember. We reflect. We carry his legacy forward. 💜

Heard it was 2016 again
McNair was already doing its thing
don’t miss your era! APPLY now with the link in bio!

🎓✨ Ready to take the next step toward grad school?
The UF McNair Scholars Program is now accepting applications!

📚 Research experience
🤝 Mentorship & coaching
✈️ Travel opportunities
💡 Graduate school & funding support

🗓 Deadline: February 8, 2026
📲 Scan the QR code to apply & learn more
💬 Info sessions happening this month—don’t miss out!

You belong in research. You belong in graduate school. You belong in McNair. 💙🧡
Applications for the UF McNair Scholars Program are open until November 16, 2025.
Join an info session or apply online. Your future starts now.

“McNair changed the trajectory of my undergraduate (and future graduate) career.” – Gabrielle Ontiveros

Gabrielle joined the McNair Scholars Program in Spring ‘25 and discovered more than research — she found a community that helped her make her dreams happen. 💫

📣 Open House & Applications are next week!
If you’re a first-gen or low-income student dreaming of grad school, this is your sign to apply 👏

ATL ! ✈️
Over the summer, our McNair Scholars presented their research at the SAEOPP McNair/Trio Research Conference in Atlanta! We also connected with programs at the grad school fair , toured schools like Emory University and Morehouse School of Medicine , and explored the city together 🏙️

Special shoutout to our very own Crystal Shao, who was recognized as Most Valuable Presenter for her research! 🌟

A summer full of scholarship, networking, and unforgettable memories. 🧡🐊 Want this to be you next year? Click the link in our bio to learn more about the McNair Program! ✨

📅 Tuesday, October 21, 2025
🕔 5:00 – 7:00 pm
📍 CSE Building, Classrooms 331 & 365

Come meet our McNair Scholars, connect with staff, and learn how our program supports first-gen and limited-income students on their path to the Ph.D. ✨

✅ 100% of 2024–25 scholars completed research & scholarly activities
✅ 67% of graduates enrolled in grad school immediately this year
✅ 162 research doctorates earned by alumni as of July 2025

🔗 RSVP through the link in bio or QR code!

🌟 Meet Our 2025 McNair Ambassadors! 🌟
We’re so excited to introduce this year’s McNair Ambassadors — dedicated scholars who will represent UF McNair, support their peers, and help share our program’s mission across campus. 🧡🐊

Join us in congratulating them as they take on this leadership role! ✨

My mother's daughter. ☺️

McNair Scholars ATE at the Professional Networking and Etiquette Dinner! 🥂 This fantastic event taught us the do’s and don’t of professional networking and dinning, skills that are essential for graduate school visits and dinner conferences.

Join us this Wednesday, Nov. 15th at 5pm and learn more about McNair!! 🕺🏻😇🗽

We will be going over the program and application requirements! If you’ve got questions, we’ve got answers! 😝🔬

Join using this link:
https://ufl.zoom.us/j/95032019178

Good afternoon, Friends & Family:

Join me tomorrow (2/16/2023) as we gear up for our Fifth Annual Gator Nation Giving Day!!

Since that first Gator Nation Giving, Gators have made almost 51,000 gifts, many of them for just $1 to $5. Amazing things happen when we pull together at UF!

Thanks to last year’s gifts to McNair:

1. We will be able to provide funds to help one of the current scholars travel to present research at an international professional conference, which is not an allowable cost to pay with grant funds.

2. We will be able to offer additional financial support to the incoming cohort by topping up the summer internship stipend, which is capped by federal guidelines. The 2021-2022 cohort was fortunate that we were able to provide a larger stipend due to CARES Act flexibilities during the pandemic, but those flexibilities have ended. With the rising cost of living, any additional amount of stipend can go a long way to help students get through the summer.

3. For the first time this year, we are excited about our plans to offer McNair Grad Launch awards, which graduating seniors who will start grad school this year can apply for to offset grad school startup expenses (housing deposits, moving expenses, etc!) We’ve wanted to offer these for a LONG time to ease the transition into graduate school, and thanks to our amazing donors, our dream will be a reality. 😊

And that’s just three examples of all the good that comes out of Giving Day. We have other dreams (alumni scholarships, a graduate assistantship, etc.) that we want to bring to life, but we need YOUR support.

We are challenging all of our friends to make a gift of any amount and to ask people in your circle to do the same. No gift is too small!

Join me in giving tomorrow and help us to do GREATER things for the Gator McNair community!

Make your gift here: https://givingday.ufl.edu/campaigns/mcnair-scholars-program