Ronald E. McNair, Ph.D.
To honor his lifetime of accomplishments, the U.S. Department of Education, with funding from Congress, established the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program. This program is dedicated to instilling in college students the high standard of achievement represented by the life of Ronald E. McNair.
Dr. Ronald E. McNair was America’s second Black astronaut in space and one of seven crew members killed in the space shuttle Challenger explosion on Jan. 28, 1986.
Ronald McNair graduated as valedictorian from Carver High School in Lake City, South Carolina, in 1967; graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in physics from North Carolina A&T State University in 1971; and received a Ph.D. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976, at the age of 26.
His academic and professional achievements were many. He was a Presidential Scholar, Ford Foundation Fellow, National Fellowship Fund Fellow and Omega Psi Phi Scholar of the year. He was also the recipient of many honorary degrees and numerous commendations. As the first in his family to graduate from college, his academic and career successes serve as a shining example to the current generation of college students who, for many reasons, may feel that graduate school and a doctoral degree are inaccessible.
Eligibility
Eligible students are U.S. citizens or permanent residents who have successfully completed 27 hours of college credit with a GPA of 2.75 or above and who are first-generation/low-income and/or from minority groups underrepresented in graduate education. Check the Federal TRIO Programs Current-Year Low Income Levels pdf to see if you are eligible.
Program Requirements
If selected for the program, students go through an orientation detailing the requirements of the program, which include:
- participation in meetings, workshops, seminars and other scholarly activities
- achieving and maintaining a 3.0 GPA
- completing a summer research internship under the guidance of a faculty mentor
- completing periodic program evaluations/assessments
- cooperating with follow-up surveys
How to Apply for the McNair Program
Interested students must complete the Application, which includes an essay describing academic and career objectives as well as tentative plans for research. The student must also ask two faculty members to submit Recommendations.
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Lolita Meredith, Ed.S., LPC |
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Kanembe Shanachilubwa, Ph.D. |
Dr. Colton Hunter graduated in 2020 with a B.S. in cognitive neuroscience. Following his time at Harding, Dr. Hunter studied at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where he received a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology in 2025. Dr. Hunter currently works as an Assistant Professor of Psychology Science at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Dr. Ronnie Clements graduated in 2019 with a B.S. in psychology. Following his time at Harding, Dr. Clements continued to Purdue University, where he received an M.S in industrial engineering in 2024 and a Ph.D. in engineering education in 2025. During Dr. Clements' time at Purdue, he was awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Dr. Clements currently engages in research, graduate mentorship, and teaching as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Dr. Kanembe Shanachilubwa graduated in 2019 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. Following his time at Harding, Dr. Shanachilubwa studied at Penn State University, where he received a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering in 2023. During Dr. Shanachilubwa's time at Penn State, he was awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. He currently serves as the associate director of the McNair program at Harding University and as an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
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