University of Minnesota TRIO McNair Scholars Program

Next week, the TRIO McNair Scholars Program will be hosting the 33rd Annual McNair Scholars Research Symposium. Please join us in celebrating the 2024 McNair Scholars as they present the research they have conducted with their faculty mentors this summer. Friends, family, faculty, staff, and community members are welcome to attend. Location: Mississippi Room | Coffman Memorial Union Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Thank you to 2024 Faculty Mentor, Dr. Chad Myers! Extraordinary faculty mentors from across the University of Minnesota system who volunteer their time and expertise are the key to McNair Scholar success. Mentors like Dr. Myers help McNair Scholars through their mentorship and research. Dr. Myers is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering and Co-Director of Graduate Studies for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Myers, who earned his PhD in Computer Science from Princeton University, focuses on machine learning approaches to integrate diverse genomic data for understanding biological networks. He leads research at the Myers Lab to derive holistic models of cellular processes by analyzing vast and complex datasets. Dr. Myers' outstanding contributions to his field have earned him numerous accolades, including the Distinguished McKnight University Professorship. Thank you, Dr. Myers, for your research and visions of the future!

Congratulations to 2024 McNair Scholar, Sophea Om, on being named a Wallin Building Strong Families Scholar! We're #McNairProud of all the work Sophea has done and will continue to do as a future leader in the Marriage and Family Therapy field. Wallin’s Building Strong Families Scholarships provide financial assistance, wraparound advising, and career support to current college undergraduates who are studying family science, social work, or family studies and plan to work directly with children and families upon graduation. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gV-6g2Tg

A great opportunity for those interested in psychology!

Introducing 2024 McNair Scholar, Leslie Luces Saavedra! Leslie is a rising junior majoring in Youth Studies and double minoring in Chicano-Latino Studies and Applied Psychology in Educational and Community Settings. She was born in Minneapolis, MN, and raised in the Greater Twin Cities; where she considers home. A fun fact about Leslie is that she has a pet cat named Yoshi. Leslie was interested in participating in McNair to prepare for graduate school, learn and engage in research, and be in a community with other underrepresented students in higher education who share similar backgrounds and goals. Her research with Dr. Katie Johnston-Goodstar focuses on how professional development impacts and better prepares K-12 science teachers in Minnesota to teach Indigenous science concepts in a culturally relevant way. Education is a topic Leslie is passionate about and she is excited to work alongside her faculty mentor and engage with the research process. College of Education and Human Development - University of Minnesota

Thank you to 2024 Faculty Mentor, Dr. Katie Johnston-Goodstar! Extraordinary faculty mentors from across the University of Minnesota system who volunteer their time and expertise are key to McNair Scholar's success. Mentors like Dr. Johnston-Goodstar help McNair Scholars through their mentorship and research. Dr. Johnston-Goodstar is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota. She earned their PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Washington and focuses on Indigenous youth work, educational and environmental justice, and youth-led social transformation. Her recent projects include Indigenous youth participatory action research (YPAR) to transform public schooling, revitalize community wellness through traditional ecological knowledge, and disrupt sexual exploitation. Dr. Johnston-Goodstar collaborates with youth and communities to address social justice issues and promote wellness through decolonial and Indigenous frameworks. Thank you, Dr. Johnston-Goodstar, for your research and vision for the future!

Introducing 2024 McNair Scholar, Nyalaam Jok! Nyalaam is a senior double majoring in Youth Studies and Family Social Science. She was born and raised in Minnesota and graduated from Annandale High School. A fun fact about Nyalaam is that she LOVES raccoons, and she plans on someday having a pet raccoon that she will name after Oscar the Grouch. Nyalaam was interested in participating in McNair because she knew she wanted to go to graduate school after completing her undergraduate degrees, but she wasn't sure how to go about anything. McNair will give her the guidance she needs to pursue and be successful in a graduate program. Nyalaam's research this summer with Dr. Jeff Waid is focused on identifying gaps in families who are unable to access health and social services. This is something she am really interested in, and she is even more excited to work with a mentor who is also passionate about it. College of Education and Human Development - University of Minnesota

Thank you to 2024 Faculty Mentor, Dr. Jeff Waid! Extraordinary faculty mentors from across the University of Minnesota system who volunteer their time and expertise are key to McNair Scholar's success. Mentors like Dr. Waid help McNair Scholars through their mentorship and research. Dr. Waid is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota. He earned his PhD from Portland State University and specializes in child maltreatment prevention, family navigation, and health and social equity. His research focuses on resilience-building strategies for youth and sibling groups in out-of-home care and developing interventions to support families at risk of mental illness and child abuse. Dr. Waid's work aims to enhance the well-being of children and families through evidence-based practices and rigorous research methodologies. Thank you, Dr. Waid, for your research and vision for the future!

Introducing 2024 McNair Scholar, Haniya Hopson! Haniya will be a senior majoring in Neuroscience Psychology. She was born and raised in Minnesota and that is where she considers home. A fun fact about Haniya is that she hates chocolate. Haniya was interested in participating in McNair to partake in more research and develop relevant skills that will prepare her for graduate school as well as engaging with other underrepresented peers. Her research this summer with Dr. Jed Elison is centered around Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum and its associations with language development and autism.

Thank you to 2024 Faculty Mentor, Dr. Jed Elison! Extraordinary faculty mentors from across the University of Minnesota system who volunteer their time and expertise are key to McNair Scholar's success. Mentors like Dr. Elison help McNair Scholars through their mentorship and research. Dr. Elison is a Professor in the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota. He earned his PhD from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and specializes in developmental social neuroscience, focusing on brain development and social cognition in infants and toddlers. His research at The Elison Lab for Developmental Brain and Behavior Research explores how visual attention and brain connectivity contribute to early cognitive and social development, with an emphasis on identifying risk factors for autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Elison's work aims to predict which children might benefit from early interventions to support their social and cognitive skills during critical developmental periods. Thank you, Dr. Elison, for your research and vision for the future!