McNair Scholars Program
Creating a bridge to the PhD for first-generation, low-income undergraduate students

UW–Madison McNair scholars present research at national conference in L.A.

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A large group of college students and staff in red shirts pose making a W sign with their hands on the UCLA campus.
Staff and students from the UW–Madison McNair Scholars Program traveled to Los Angeles in July to present their research at the 2022 UCLA National McNair Conference. From top left: Emmanuel Figueroa, CJ Greer, Shaden Ibrahim, Praise Osinloye, Cora Luzinski, Audra Hernández, Mihret Yezihalem, Scarlett Liu, Robin Robinson, Augusta Ike, Ashwakh Abdalla, Angelo Madruga, mapenzi Simekha, Cassidy Martin.

Eleven Badgers enrolled in UW–Madison’s McNair Scholars Program presented their research at a national conference of McNair programs in Los Angeles this summer.

The University of California, Los Angeles hosted the 2022 UCLA National McNair Conference from July 27-29, featuring keynote speakers, campus visits, oral posters and presentations, a graduate school fair, workshops, cultural activities and networking.

Four people make the W sign with their hands while smiling and posing outside.
UW–Madison McNair scholars (from left) Angelo Madruga, Augusta Ike, Praise Osinloye and Ashwakh Abdalla at the UCLA National McNair Conference in July 2022. (Photo courtesy of Ashwakh Abdalla)

With support from McNair staff, UW’s McNair scholars each had an opportunity to present either a poster or an oral presentation and receive feedback. They spent time learning about graduate school programs and giving feedback on the presentations of other McNair scholars from around the country. They also visited the campuses of California State University and the California Institute of Technology.

The Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program is a federally funded TRIO program that creates a bridge to graduate education for undergraduate students. UW’s McNair Scholars Program supports eligible undergraduates in acquiring the knowledge, skills and capacities necessary to successfully navigate the rigors of Ph.D. studies through immersion in research and various scholarly activities. The program aims to increase the attainment of Ph.D. degrees by students from underrepresented segments of society.

A woman in a mask and business attire gestures and points to a poster while talking to a group of listening people.
UW–Madison McNair scholar Augusta Ike (left), a junior majoring in human development and family studies & psychology at the School of Human Ecology, presents her poster “Supporting Marginalized Groups: A Mindfulness Approach to Enhancing Well-Being in Black Mental Health Providers” at the UCLA National McNair Conference in July 2022. (Photo by Cora Luzinski)

McNair scholars’ presentations

  • Ashwakh Abdalla, neurobiology & psychology major, poster presentation
  • Emmanuel Figueroa, economics, international studies & political science major, oral presentation
  • Shaden Ibrahim, communication sciences and disorders major, oral presentation
  • Augusta Ike, human development and family studies major, poster presentation
  • Scarlett Liu, data science, mathematics & statistics major, poster presentation
  • Cora Marie Luzinski, genetics and genomics major, poster presentation
  • Angelo Madruga, biochemistry major, oral presentation
  • Cassidy Martin, sociology major, oral presentation
  • Praise Osinloye, computer engineering major, poster presentation
  • Robin Robinson, journalism major, poster presentation
  • Mihret Yezihalem, nutritional sciences major, oral presentation