McNair Program

Office of Diversity and Institutional Partnerships
McNair Program

McNair Fellows

The Wesleyan McNair Fellows Program serves Juniors and Seniors who do research with a faculty mentor, and participate in program activities with their McNair cohort.  The central component of the Fellows' experience is the  10 week summer period in residence on the Wesleyan campus combining the  mentored research experience, presentations on professional and academic skills, graduate school visits and other cohort activities. 

McNair Fellow activities include:

  • Opening picnic and end of semester off campus event
  • Weekly meetings with McNair staff and faculty covering :
    • Writing a research proposal abstract and outlining a thesis
    • Fitting research time into a busy semester
    • Presenting research  at lab meetings and conferences
    • Taking the GREs
    • Writing a statement of  career purpose
    • The graduate school application process
    • Preparing for  grad school interviews
    • Peer review -- giving and receiving useful criticism
  • Graduate school visits
  • Spring research presentations given by McNair Fellows

    
McNair Fellows receive a stipend after successful completion of each semester's project, and can apply for summer financial support.  McNair Fellow faculty mentors receive a stipend to use for lab materials.