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| At last year's McNair Scholars Program summer symposium, Deb Burbridge, then a Cal Poly Pomona graduate student in Biology, answered questions about her research into cannabis and its effects on the immune system. |
After six months of graduate-level research, 20 students in Cal Poly Pomona?s McNair Scholars Program are set to present their findings at a summer symposium on Thursday, July 31, from 9-11:25 a.m., in the Bronco Student Center.
“All of their hard work since January culminates in 15 minutes of fame,” says academic adviser Joan Hill.
The McNair Scholars Program is named for Ronald E. McNair, best known as one of the astronauts aboard the 1986 Challenger shuttle. The federally funded program in his name encourages first-generation, low-income or underrepresented students to earn doctoral degrees through involvement with research, mentors, seminars and financial aid.
Physics senior Krista Banks says that she feels prepared for graduate school after going through the program. “I feel like I know what?s expected of me in grad school whereas before I would have gone in blindly,” she says.
Each McNair scholar chose a professor who guided the student?s research project from proposal to final paper. Research topics range from cannabinoid receptors in mice to the effects of race on adoption.
“We?re very proud of the McNair Scholars Program at the university,” says Frank Torres, director of the Cal Poly Pomona program. “In the past four years, it has enriched the lives of 73 students. This program holds a unique and special place in our lives as well as for the faculty and staff who work with our students.”
For more information, contact Hill at (909) 869-3381. To view a list of this year's McNair Scholars, click here.