Ronald E. McNair Doctoral Fellowship
Ronald Erwin McNair (October 21, 1950 – January 28, 1986) was an American NASA astronaut and physicist. In 1978, McNair was selected as one of thirty-five applicants from a pool of ten thousand for the NASA astronaut program. He flew as a mission specialist on STS-41-B aboard Challenger from February 3 to February 11, 1984, becoming the second African American to fly in space. He died during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger in which he was serving as one of three mission specialists in a crew of seven.
The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, also referred to as the McNair Scholars Program, is a United States Department of Education initiative with a goal of increasing "attainment of Ph.D. degrees by students from underrepresented segments of society," including first-generation low-income individuals and members from racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in graduate programs. The Ronald E. McNair Doctoral Fellowship Program at the University of Maryland is a Graduate School initiative with the same goal.
The McNair Doctoral Fellowship program enhances opportunities for our campus doctoral programs to recruit and retain outstanding McNair alumni from institutions across the country. The McNair Doctoral Fellowship is an enhancement package that may total $50,000 per student over the duration of the award. Since the inauguration of the McNair Doctoral Fellowship program, 75 exceptional students have been recruited to the University of Maryland Graduate School.
Eligibility: Eligible candidates must be alumni of a McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, and must be a graduate student who is planning to enroll in a PhD program in the upcoming fall and to whom the nominating unit has already made a full funding offer. All PhD programs at University of Maryland, College Park, are eligible to nominate candidates.
McNair Doctoral Fellowship Guidelines (AY 2026-27)
McNair Cover Sheet
Society of Fellows
McNair Fellows are a part of the Society of Fellows, a talented group of students. Learn more about the Society of Fellows here.
McNair Fellows
AY 2025-26
Rahsaan Monsier Gilliam, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Helen Wilson Obuna, Anthropology
Jenna Marie Roberson, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Kellen Sharp, Communication
AY 2024-25
Omoleye Precious Adeyemi, Communication
Judson Leroy Dean Haynes, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Anand Idris, Computer Science
Lanai C. McAuley, American Studies
Devin Grace Thompson Elutrio, American Studies
AY 2023-24
Lindsay Saraina Dieudonne, Policy Studies
Andrew Clarence Lowe Mohammed, Communications
Badradin Ismail Mohammed, Government and Politics
AY 2022-23
Saul Flores, Behavioral and Community Health
Montia Daniels, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Nicole Ibrahim, Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences
Alexandra Wood, Criminology and Criminal Justice
AY 2021-22
Victoria Alexander, Human Development and Quantitative Methodology
Alexis Hunter, Behavioral and Community Health
Tyanna McLaurin, Counseling, Higher Education and Special Education
Milen Matthews, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Angelina Vargas, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
AY 2020-21
Maria Azar, Women’s Studies
Shaneequa Castle, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Nicole Mejia, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Diana Proenza, English
Alice Santana, American Studies
Manny Zapata, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
AY 2019-20
Mateo Arango, American Studies
Stephanie Breen, Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
Ray-Shimry Garatsa, Materials Science and Engineering
Jarryd Horn, Physics
Vashawn McIlwain-Lightfoot, Music
Erika Montes, Communication
Yesenia Yanez, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Sydney Yarborough, Sociology
AY 2018-19
Courtney Douglass, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Nicholas Dzuricky, Materials Science and Engineering
Blake Edwards-Clark, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Julieta Ferrera, Anthropology
Alexis Jackson, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Mary Johnson, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Yamid Andrés Macias Orjuela, Government and Politics
Cassandra Philippon, Criminology and Criminal Justice
AY 2017-18
Alejandro Beltan, Chemistry
Zachary Castillo, Physics
Mark Lockwood, American Studies
Jisoo Shin, Chemistry
Lakeshia Watson, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
AY 2016-17
Gabriella Estevez, Counseling, Higher Education and Special Education
Autumn Griffin, Counseling, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Sonia-Melitta Montoya, American Studies
AY 2015-16
Natalie Baldino, Women’s Studies
Camille Fair Bumbray, Teaching, Learning, Policy and Leadership
Jesus Caloca, Physics
Sandra Zebaze Ndendjio, Chemistry
Jacqueline Partida, American Studies
AY 2014-15
Shoji Sanders, American Studies
Anna M. Storti, Women’s Studies
Lauren Ramsey, Family Science
AY 2013-14
Tuesday Barnes, Sociology
Norrell Edwards, English
Magda Mankel, Anthropology
Angela Martinez, Urban Studies and Planning
Moriah Willow, Sociology
James Wosley Dottin, Geology
AY 2012-13
Bryant Best, Sociology
Donnesha Alexandra Blake, Women’s Studies
Nana Afua Yeboaa Brantuo, Curriculum and Instruction
Kimberly Hannah, Communication
David Irwin, History
Robert De’Von Jiles, American Studies
Simon Lou, Criminology and Criminal Justice