In the past year, the Graduate College has led a ground-breaking initiative to offer McNair Scholar Graduate Assistantships. Recognizing the quality and worth of McNair Scholars and what they can bring to MSU for their graduate studies is necessary for the growth of our graduate programs and research opportunities. In an effort to recruit McNair Scholars, Dr. Tom Tomasi, Associate Dean of the Graduate College, Misty Stewart, Coordinator of Recruitment for the Graduate College and Cheyenne Gerdes, MSU’s first McNair Scholar Graduate Assistant attended four McNair Research Conferences in Wisconsin, Texas and Kansas City. Two McNair Graduate Assistantships are awarded each year to qualified applicants and provide tuition waivers and stipends.
Additional recruitment efforts include Dr. Tomasi attending the UNCF Leadership Conference in Memphis, TN; as well as Graduate College representatives visiting Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO and Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis, which are HBCUs. Attendance at these events allows us to spotlight our great graduate programs and create awareness of the Graduate Scholarship for Enhancing Diversity. 15 of these scholarships are awarded each year with 5 designated for individuals who are pursuing a degree/certificate in teacher education.
For more information regarding the McNair Scholar Graduate Assistantship and the Graduate Scholarship for Enhancing Diversity, please visit http://graduate.missouristate.edu/currentstudents/McNairAssist.htm, http://www.missouristate.edu/FinancialAid/scholarships/Graduate.htm.