The McNair Legacy
"You're eagles! Stretch your wings and soar to the stars."
-Ronald E. McNair
The Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program,
also known as the McNair Scholars Program, was established in 1986 by the U.S. Department of Education.
The program is named for astronaut and Challenger space shuttle crew member Ronald McNair.
Dr. McNair's first space shuttle mission launched successfully from Kennedy Space Center in 1984.
Two years later he was selected by NASA to serve as mission specialist aboard the ill-fated U.S. Challenger.
He and his crew were killed when the shuttle exploded soon after take-off.
In 1986, the United States Congress established the Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program
in memory of Dr. McNair. The program was created to increase educational opportunities to students who are from
low-income, first generation families, and/or those who are from ethnic backgrounds traditionally
underrepresented in gradiate education. It is funded through the U.S. Department of Education (D.O.E.).
The McNair Scholars program encourages students to persue graduate studies by providing opportunities to
define goals, engage in research, and develop the skills and student/faculty relationships critical to
success at the doctoral level.
Dr. McNair's lifelong commitment to scholarship lives on it the McNair scholars who are selected each year
to participate in McNair programs across the United States. The McNair Scholars Program at Cal Poly Pomona is
dedicated to preserving Dr. McNair's legacy of scholarship and accomplishment.
