Current Students
2009-2010 McNair Students
Tyler Bilyeu
Senior
Psychology, Art
Mentor: Dr. Helen Harton
Tyler Bilyeu, a Psychology and Art major at UNI, is originally from Bancroft, IA. His reasons for joining the McNair Scholars Program included appealing research opportunities and preparation for graduate school, although he thinks the best part of being a McNair Scholar is the Summer Research opportunities. He is interested in researching concepts in Social Psychology, Gestalt Therapy, and Art Therapy. He will be looking for a graduate school that fits his needs for counseling, art and research, and would like a career in the counseling field.
Benjamin Boothby
Senior
Movement & Exercise Science
Ben Boothby’s major is Movement and Exercise Science. He has been a McNair Scholar since the fall of 2009, and joined because he saw opportunities McNair offers that will help him prepare for graduate school, such as the GRE Preparation and research opportunities. Ben is interested in researching how different things, such as drugs and supplements, affect the body, and is fascinated with how the body functions with different stresses applied to it. Ben would like to attend graduate school in a medical-related field.
Ramon Cantu
Junior
History
Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Jo Cooley
Ramon Cantu is a first-generation college student from San Antonio, Texas. He is majoring in History (Secondary teaching) with a minor in Political Science. He engages in civil rights activism on behalf of all persons. Ramon is interested in studying civil rights, diversity, and history within the twenty-first century and how it has progressed or digressed since the 1960’s civil rights movement. He is also interested in diversity within a climate that neither understands nor is prepared for diversity. Ramon would like to fulfill an internship through the Washington Center. He would like to attend graduate school while working with at-risk students conducting intervention programs with gang members, assisting the impoverished, and building a positive community at large in his community. He would like to complete his Doctorate in Leadership and engage in productive educational programming and civically assist a community, state, or even a nation. Ramon says “The story of Ronald E. McNair is an inspiring, motivating, and powerful description of what we as humans are capable of doing if we allow ourselves opportunity and experience.”
Melissa Casares
May 2009 Graduate
Family Services
Mentor: Dr. R. Allen Hays
Melissa Casares, a senior in Family Services joined the McNair Scholars Program in the spring of 2009. In 2008, Melissa transferred to UNI from San Antonio College, in San Antonio, Texas where she originally from. One reason she wanted to become a McNair scholar is to expand her research and social skills. She is interested in researching how public policy affects communities via the three levels of government. Melissa would like to attend Graduate School for Public Affairs and Public Administration. After graduate school she would like to attain an entry-level job and travel. Eventually, Melissa would like to become a government, private or nonprofit agency official.
Scarlett Cerna
May 2009 Graduate
Anthropology
Mentor: Dr. David Grant
Ruben A. Cruz
Senior
Electronic Media, Spanish
Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Jo Cooley
Evelyn De La Cruz
Junior
Psychology
Nathan Gruber
Senior
Social Sciences-Teaching
Mentor: Dr. Gregory Bruess
Krista Hageman
Senior
Psychology
Mentor: Dr. Seth Brown
Tanisha Jn Baptiste
Senior
Management: Business Administration
Mentor: Dr. Tammy Gregersen
Sharisheka Lamay
Senior
Psychology
Mentor: Dr. Susan Dobie
Eddie Maldanado
Senior
Physics, Computer Science, Mathematics
Mentor: Dr. M. Roth
Dante M. Means
Senior
Electronic Media
Judi Marin
Senior
Communicative Disorders
Betty Roberson
Senior
Public Administration
Mentor: Dr. Ramona McNeal
Anna Schumacher
May 2009 Graduate
Mathematics
Mentor: Dr. Genevra Neumann