McNair Fellows

Wesleyan McNair Fellows are Juniors and Seniors who conduct funded research with a faculty mentor, and participate in program activities as a cohort. The central component of the Fellows' experience is the 9-week Summer Research Program in residence on the Wesleyan campus combining the mentored research experience, workshops on professional and academic skills, graduate school visits and other cohort building activities. 

McNair Fellow activities include:

• Weekly meetings with McNair staff and/or McNair faculty mentor covering:
  • Writing a research proposal and abstract, and outlining a thesis or research paper
  • Research project updates
  • Fitting research time into a busy semester
  • Presenting research at lab meetings and conferences
  • Writing a personal statement
  • Graduate school admissions and funding
  • Preparation for grad school interviews
  • Academic and personal advising.
• Fellow peer review -- giving and receiving useful feedback
• Graduate school admissions workshops/panels and visits
• Fall Wesleyan Faculty Research Talks
• Spring Senior Research Talks
• Pathways to Inclusive Education (PIE) events/activities
• Various co-sponsored events with the Gordon Career Center, NSM Coalition, Office for Equity & Inclusion, and other departments/organizations that pertain to preparation for, entering, and progressing successfully through doctoral programs. 

McNair Fellows are eligible to receive a $2,800 stipend if, they:

• have Junior standing at the university, which means the student has satisfactory completed at least 14 credits and been accepted into a department/program major
• secured a research position with a faculty member and engaged in at least 8 hours of research per week during the academic year and 35 hours of research per week during the 9-week Summer Research Program
• completed a Research Proposal with the assistance of their McNair faculty mentor (Fellow & faculty mentor signature required)
• completed bi-weekly Activity Logs recording research activities and McNair services engaged in (Fellow & faculty mentor signature required)
• attended all semester or summer workshops/meetings
• submitted an end of semester or summer program research project that is a synthesis of the research conducted during the semester or summer
•  additionally, Seniors are required to enroll and participate in the Senior Professional Development & Graduate School Preparation Seminar in the fall and give a McNair Senior Research Talk in the spring.
  

Current Fellows