October 3, 2023

Ramapo College of New Jersey has been awarded the prestigious Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement (McNair) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The $1.3 million in federal funding, distributed over five years, will go toward readying 25 academically talented low-income, first-generation and underrepresented minority STEM students in pursuit of a doctoral degree. 

The McNair program at Ramapo College will provide one-on-one academic counseling, faculty-guided peer tutoring, research and internship opportunities, and support in the application process for post-baccalaureate programs, which includes workshops for the graduate school application process, standardized test preparation, and graduate program tours.

Dr. Sandra Suarez, director of Upward Bound Math Science and the STEM Center at Ramapo College

Dr. Sandra Suarez, director of the Ramapo College STEM Center, Upward Bound Math Science, will also direct the McNair program, and shared, “One thing I have learned from my 11 years as the RCNJ Upward Bound Math Science director, is that there is a wealth of brilliance among our students, and they all have so much potential to reach as far as they wish in their educational pursuits. The McNair grant is the missing piece of our outreach programs. The Ramapo STEM Center supports programs for math and science students, the college, and the community. This grant helps bridge the achievement gap for STEM students from the time they are in high school all the way through their Ph.D.” 

Students in the RCNJ Upward Bound Math Science summer program

The grant enables Ramapo to expand existing support for economically disadvantaged and underrepresented students. In 2022, the College opened the First-Generation Student Center, which, in part, supports students in navigating and accessing resources to alleviate institutional barriers. This fall, the College enrolled its most diverse class in history. More than 46% of first-year students identified as first-generation and 48% as non-White students.

“Being awarded a McNair Scholars Program grant is impactful for Ramapo, allowing us to advance our belief that education should be a transformative experience empowering individuals to make a positive impact on the world. The grant will enable Ramapo to expand our support and resources for students who are first generation college attendees, from a low income background and/or from systemically minoritized groups and aspiring to pursue advanced degrees in various fields.  We are thrilled to receive the McNair grant, as it reflects the dedication of our faculty, staff and students to inclusive excellence. Ramapo has a long-standing tradition of providing opportunities for all students to excel academically and pursue their dreams,” said Ramapo College Provost and Vice President of Teaching and Learning Dr. Michael Middleton. 

Ramapo College is one of fewer than 200 institutions nationwide to be part of the McNair program. McNair is one of a cluster of eight federal programs collectively known as TRIO that are designed primarily to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, with the ultimate goal of helping them to overcome economic, social, academic and cultural barriers to higher education. In addition to McNair, Ramapo is also a participant in two other TRIO programs: Upward Bound Math Science and Student Support Services, creating a pipeline of support for students from high school into college, and preparing them for success beyond graduation. 

The McNair program is named after Ronald E. McNair, who was an American astronaut and physicist. He was the second Black astronaut to fly in space, and perished with his heroic flight crew in the 1986 space shuttle Challenger explosion.