The McNair Scholars program supports historically underrepresented students to pursue and earn terminal degrees. The McNair Research Conference offers those students several valuable opportunities aimed at enhancing their academic and professional development. Some of the key opportunities include presentation experience, networking, graduate school exposure, professional development workshops, mentorship and feedback.

“This cohort has proven to be a remarkable force, and we anticipate great outcomes for each of them,” said Valdis Zalite, director of TRIO Programs at SEMO. “They have conducted research, presented their findings, are finalizing their research posters and will submit a final research paper in the coming months.”

Among the standout presentations was Nevaeh Brown’s study, Stress and Stress Management Practices Among College Students, conducted under the mentorship of Dr. Jeremy Barnes. “I knew Nevaeh would do an outstanding job at the conference because she was so detail-oriented in terms of her preparation,” said Dr. Barnes. “It was so rewarding to talk to her after the conference and hear what a great experience it had been. Not only did she get to present and network at the conference, but on the way to Kansas City, she also met with faculty from the Doctoral Program in Occupational Therapy at the University of Missouri.”

Another remarkable presentation came from Dekyria Jones, whose research, Influences of Black Trauma on Black College Students, was guided by Dr. Shawn Guiling. “Dekyria was nervous about presenting at the McNair Conference but kept putting together a powerful slideshow and practicing,” said Dr. Guiling. “By the time she left for Kansas City, she was ready to teach the audience about her research regarding Black trauma. I heard great feedback about her informative presentation and how she wowed several representatives of other universities interested in speaking with her about graduate school.”

The research was conducted alongside SEMO faculty during the Scholar’s Summer Research Internship. Listed below are the research topics from each scholar, and the SEMO faculty member they worked with: 

Darnesha Franks, Dr. Jim McGill / Colorimetric Determination of Synthetic Cannabinoids Using Paper Mediums

Maelee Willingham, Dr. Jeremy Walling /Changing the Channel: The Effects of Media Consumption and Partisanship on Voter Perceptions of Democratic Institutions

Nevaeh Brown, Dr. Jeremy Barnes / Stress and Stress Management Practices Among College Students

Teejay Hughes, Dr. Chasity Ratliff / Effects of Jury Instruction on Discussion and Memory for Case facts

Joshua Nelson, Yvonne Randolph / Most Impactful Leadership Styles on Employee Success

Dieudonne Mfaume, Dr. Monica Kearney / Changes in Body Composition Throughout a Collegiate Basketball Season

Emily Marquez, Dr. Dana Branson / The Importance of Professionalism in Social Services

Analinda Hyatt, Dr. Jennifer Bengtson / A Syncretic Religion: Mayan and Catholicism

Hailey Koch, Dr. Steven Hoffman / The Bracero Program Reflections (Mexican Farm Labor Agreement)

Martha Lejarazu, Dr. Laura Hatcher / How are Native Americans Using Law to Protect Endangered Species on Reservation

Nadia Allar, Dr. Kevin Dickson / The Power of Minorities in the Business Administration Field

Dekyria Jones, Dr. Shawn Guiling / Influences of Black Trauma on Black College Students

“With instruction from their faculty mentors and a strong level of accountability among the cohort, these Scholars not only honed their presentation skills through mock sessions but also uplifted one another at the conference by attending each other’s presentations,” said Zalite. “This McNair cohort has done remarkable work and proudly represented SEMO at the Heartland Research Conference.”

For more information on the McNair Scholars program, please contact Anoja Kuruppu, academic coordinator, at akuruppu@semo.edu.

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