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- UD launches Center for Political Communication
- Princeton anthropologist addresses human language and art in Darwin lecture
- Violinist Xiang Gao to lead China tour in June
- Delaware art history grad student honored for best paper
- MSERC programs in math education receive continued funding
- UD Library Associates elects officers for 2010
- Richards to return to faculty in College of Health Sciences
- UD Police seek information about injured student
- For the Record, Nov. 20, 2009
- UD in the News, Nov. 20, 2009
- UD planning teachers institute in cooperation with Yale National Initiative
- PCS, Academy of Lifelong Learning receive award
- Record 334 students receive General Honors Awards
- Vaughan elected interim president of national education organization
- Lambda Chi Alpha completes annual food drive
- Second Life Outsider art show seen a success
- Dec. 2: Former RNC chairperson Ed Gillespie to speak
- UD Collegiate Figure Skating Team wins Cornell competition
- UD students tour CIA headquarters
- Interdisciplinary Humanities Research Center established
- American Vacuum Society honors UD doctoral student
- UD hosts annual Delaware Space Grant Research Symposium
- UD ranks among top institutions in study abroad
- UD's second hydrogen fuel cell bus carries special guests
- UD, Olympic movement complete coaching enrichment modules
- University awarded grant for prostate cancer research
- 5 things you need to know about H1N1 influenza
- Junior Chefs Rockfish Cook-Off accepting entries
- More News >>
- Dec. 2: Former RNC chairperson Ed Gillespie to speak
- Nov. 16-22: International Education Week features global programs
- Nov. 22: Music department to hold 'Messiah Sing' event
- Nov. 22: UD Chamber Orchestra to perform
- Nov. 30-Dec. 4: College School schedules book fair
- Dec. 1: LGBT community to mark World AIDS Day
- Dec. 3: Center plans Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration
- Dec. 6: New Castle County Alumni Club plans Winterthur holiday event
- Dec. 6: UD alumni events planned in Baltimore, Philadelphia
- Dec. 6: 'Jams for Jimmy' benefit concert to be held in Wilmington
- Dec. 7: Black Student Union to present program on racial stereotypes
- Oct. 11-Nov. 29: International Film Series offered Sundays at Trabant
- Sept. 9-Dec. 2: 'Assessing Obama' series to feature faculty, national speakers
- Sept. 9-Dec. 2: 'Research on Women' fall lecture series announced
- Sept. 18-Dec. 18: Library's 'Lion Awakes' exhibition looks at reggae, Marley
- Sept. 26-May 1: Take in an opera at the Met with UD matinee tickets
- More What's Happening >>
- UD calendar >>
- Changes ahead for recognition of student honors
- Bicyclists, motorists need to watch out for one another
- Career Services Center announces online voting for top video
- Nominations sought for Redding Award recognizing campus diversity efforts
- Nov. 30: Chemical hygiene, lab safety survey deadline
- Princeton Review announces student survey
- UD's Winter Faculty Institute kicks off Jan. 5
- Student anchors, videographers compete for spot at 82nd Academy Awards
- State offers UD faculty, staff free health risk assessment
- Upgrade to Windows 7 available for UD students
- More Campus FYI >>
4:49 p.m., Aug. 17, 2009----Family and friends of the 2009 University of Delaware McNair Scholars gathered in Clayton Hall on Thursday, Aug. 13, to celebrate the accomplishments of McNair Scholars, both past and present.
The University’s McNair Scholars Program, which is designed to prepare talented and diverse students for graduate school, is the only program among 179 in the country to have achieved a perfect record of placing 100 percent of its students in competitive graduate schools around the world since it began 10 years ago. Most McNair Programs place about 38 percent of their graduates into graduate program. This year, UD’s graduating cohort includes students who will be studying at Cornell, Stanford and Indiana universities, as well as UD, and all the scholars have received substantial financial awards for study.
Tom Apple, provost and professor of chemistry and biochemistry, started the evening off by addressing all the McNair Scholars: “I've always had a great time interacting with McNair Scholars in the summer. I've always found it incredibly stimulating to meet these incredible people, and it's especially fun that in tonight's program we're going to have some of our previous cohorts here.”
One of those previous scholars was Christopher Rivera, the evening's keynote speaker and one of the original McNair Scholars at the University of Delaware. Rivera is the most recent UD McNair alumnus to complete his doctoral studies.
“This is an honor and it's very overwhelming," Rivera said. “Being a part of the original McNair Scholars, I feel in some way tied to all of you.”
Rivera talked about some of the struggles he has encountered in his life and said one of his favorite books as a child was The Little Engine that Could. Rivera said he kept the book's famous mantra in mind throughout his life's ups and downs. “The message that I learned from The Little Engine that Could is actually not that 'I think I can, I think I can.' It's 'I know I can, and I will.'”
After dinner, the McNair Legends, McNair Scholars from the past 10 years shared some of their memories of the program, each expressing gratitude towards the McNair Scholars Program.
Former McNair Scholar Angela Dickinson said, “Looking back, I can say that this experience truly helped me. It pushed me to work harder to make the improvements that I needed.”
Maria Palacas, McNair program director, presented awards to this year's students who completed the program, giving each student a nickname, such as “Shenise Edwards, McNair's illustrious Caribbean princess,” while showing a funny picture of the student on an overhead projector as they walked to the front of the room to accept their award.
Next Palacas recognized the McNair award winners.
Amy Griffin, assistant professor of psychology, won the Juan Villamarin Mentor of the Year Award. Mahsa Parvizi, a senior in biological sciences and psychology, received the Spirit of McNair Award.
The staff and faculty next selected a scholar who represents collegiality and the recipient of that award was Josefina Ayllon-Ayllon, a junior in foreign languages and literatures, Latin American studies and women's studies.
Oscar Romero, a senior in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, was recognized by the votes of his fellow McNair Scholars as, according to Palacas, “a leader of leaders,” and Wuroh Timbo, an Honors junior in biological sciences and psychology, received the McNair Scholar of Promise Award.
The research presentation awards were next, with the third place poster award going to Parvizi, the second place poster award going to Leah Putman, a senior in biomedical engineering, history and mechanical engineering, and the first place poster award going to Manuel Rafael Diaz Jimenez, an Honors senior in chemical engineering.
The final awards given were the oral presentation awards. Third place went to Denise Arreola, a junior in criminal justice, legal studies and sociology; second place went to Yael Hernandez, a senior in music education and jazz studies, and first place went to Melissa Skolnick, a senior in journalism, sociology and Spanish.
Story by Adam Thomas
Photos by Evan Krape