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Scholarship hopes to assist students during college career

jyorama@dailyegyptian.com

As a graduate student in microbiology, Olayinka Mohorn realizes that properly evoking interest in the sciences is a process as complex as the area itself.

"My belief is that all children are naturally inquisitive, but they may get a teacher who‚s not interested in science at all and is doing it for the job," Mohorn said. "You have to love science."

Mohorn said that, as a member of a minority group, she has become used to being in the minority, especially when it comes to her selected area of study.

Though Mohorn has always had a natural talent and love for science, she said she realizes that minorities, at times, learn differently, so common methods are not always appealing. For this reason, she is a strong supporter of the more interactive program such as the McNair‚s Scholarship Program, a program she herself is alumnus of.

Through the McNair Scholarship program, graduate students and faculty members hope to spark undergraduate interest in pursuing a graduate degree in science by offering opportunities to minority students, as well as those who are low-income, first-generation college students or all of the above.

Schools who receive the grant are asked to select a specific concentration. Environmental sciences is the focus of the McNair scholarship awarded through SIUC. The award gives recipients firsthand experience in research as well as the opportunity to interact with graduate students.

Renzaglia, a resident professor in plant biology, hopes the McNair Scholarship will increase interest in a field not highly populated by the aforementioned groups. Along with an application, students must also turn in a personal essay outlining their personal and professional plans in life as well as the type of research they are interested in.

"It doesn‚t have to be real specific," Renzaglia said. "Just a general idea of what you want to do and how it relates to environmental research.

"And it isn‚t necessarily straight-A students who are going to benefit and go on to graduate school. It could be a B or C student who keeps improving in their academic performance and is willing to better him or herself."

If accepted into the scholarship program, they will receive a small stipend to help with financial aid as well as paying for the GRE exam upon entrance to graduate school. Renzaglia believes most beneficial, however, is the interaction between scholarship recipients and graduate students.

The scholarship is open to juniors and seniors with at least a 2.7 GPA interested in pursuing an undergraduate and eventually a graduate degree in environmental sciences. According to Mohorn, while the scholarships are not limited to those interested in the environmental sciences, they will have priority over those focusing on other areas.

McNair has only 162 programs in the nation, so being a part of this short list was an honor for the University, particularly those who have been working for the several years to obtain the scholarship.

Pat McNeil, associate dean of the graduate school, first heard about the scholarship while at a conference and has since been interested in bringing the program to SIUC. McNeil said that since finding out about the program eight years ago, she submitted to proposals for the grant before enlisting the assistance from other faculty such as Renzaglia and Prudence Rice.

McNeil said she believed lack of interest in science to be partially the result of not lack of interest, but a lack of creative methods used in teaching the subject. She said she believed this form of exposure results in a lack of interest until later in life when career plans have already been made. McNeil believes through the one-one assistance of graduate students, individuals involved in the program will find one of the most effective forms of preparation for their career in science.

"I can‚t say that McNair is the great white hope, but it is one of the few programs can come to where they will have one-on-one faculty contact," McNeil said. "They also get the chance to interact weekly with a graduate student who can help to give them some focus in what they‚re doing. This may help them say Œif they‚re doing that I can do that too."

Having received only a few applications thus far, Mohorn said the program is hopeful more individuals will express an interest in the program. She said she believes that more understanding of science in the everyday world can help to make this possible.

"We have to work hard to apply science to everyday life, scientific things, things we do everyday," Mohorn said. "When you‚re watching Jerry Springer and Maury Povich and they have those shows to figure out who‚s the father, that‚s science and you can do that. You have to instill a love so that people don‚t just study it, but also how you can enjoy it."

Renzaglia agrees that establishing this love will attract more students, particularly minorities, to science. She hopes students who are eligible will at least attempt to find a passion for science through the McNair program.

"It‚s such a wonderful area in a program that will definitely open your eyes," Renzaglia said. "A lot of students will discover things and everyone will discover that there is still so much left to learn.

"I don‚t even remember how I got excited about science, I guess I never stopped."