Sister Mary Josephine Torborg, President Goodwin addressed the scholars with acclamation and encouragement.

Each scholar was then honored for participation in the program, and for the completion of research. Three scholars received special recognition: Vincent Surges for Excellence in Scientific Investigation, Dennika Mays for Excellence in Humanities Scholarship, and Kevin Trout for Excellence in Research Writing.

On Saturday, March 26, The McNair Scholars Program hosted a celebration to recognize and honor the hard work of graduating seniors and continuing scholars.

Honored graduates were: Jackie Alvar, Sister Chisom Azuogu, Serena Carr, Michael Cheney, Jatessa David, Joshua Ditsworth, Anna Dontje, Sarah Koon, Kimona Kousins, Porsche Peak, Vincent Surges and Kevin Trout.

Continuing Scholars included: Dennika Mays, Aliina Charging Hawk, Kayla DeVoll, Dureeti Foge, Tim Klande, and Khalil Sabra.

Joining us for the Honors Ceremony was President Larry Goodwin and Vice

President of Academic Affairs, Beth Domholdt. Research mentors, family members and guests of those being honored were in attendance as well.

The celebration was also an opportunity to introduce the new group of scholars, and to share their upcoming summer research opportunities.

After a lovely blessing by

McNair Scholars Honors Ceremony

REFLECTIONS

Special points of interest:

♦ Honors Ceremony

♦ Family Brunch

♦ Summer Internships for Humanities Students

♦ Firsts for the New Year

♦ Scholars present at State Capitol

♦ Aerospace Center named after Ronald E. McNair

♦ Scholar Accomplishments

♦ New Book Advancing Undergraduate Research Spotlights College of St. Scholastica

♦ Graduate School and Summer Research Opportunity Acceptances

VOLUME 16, ISSUE 1 SPRING 2011

Brunch for Families of New Scholars was a Hit! On Saturday morning, February 5, the McNair staff hosted an orientation and brunch for the family members of our new scholars.

Able to join us were Anne Dahl Steffan, John and Cynthia Fellbaum, Greg and Sara Higgins, Darrin and April Lange, Sherry Leveille, Matt Schultz, Dan and Paula

Vogel and Idalene Watson-Souther (who is herself a McNair Scholar Alum).

After a hearty brunch, each family was given a Family Handbook which outlined the McNair program, its services to the students and the benefits for participation.

Questions and answers followed during which we talked at length about funding

for graduate school, the summer research experience and the role families can play in helping the scholars be successful in graduate school.

Many stayed for informal talk after the event concluded. This is always a treat for the McNair staff who enjoy meeting the family members of our scholars. Next time we see the families will be at the October CSS Undergraduate Research Poster Session.

A publication of the McNair Scholars Program at The College of St. Scholastica

“I have never seen a more distinguished group of scholars! What a wonder-ful ceremony on Saturday!” - Susan Hyndman EdD, RN

from the State Legislature.

St. Scholastica has participated in this poster session since 1999 when CSS and Augsburg College initiated the event.

Sarah mentioned how much she enjoyed the experience, and Anna seemed energized by presenting her research to the many, many visitors to the poster session.

Sarah Koon , BCM and Anna Dontje, PSY displayed their McNair research posters at the annual Minnesota Private College Scholars at the Capitol on Monday, February 28.

They joined student researchers from 12 other MN colleges for this half-day event.

Both were thrilled to meet and to speak with Roger Reinert

Stop by the bulletin board near the McNair office to see photos and to look through the abstract booklet.

Humanities Students: Here are two great summer internship opportunities!

Scholars Display Research at State Capitol

Summer Internship at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation

This 8-week internship takes place in Los Angeles, California and provides 40 internships in the television

production industry. Previous interns have worked at CBS, NBC, HBO, and many other sites! Go to this website for

more details: http://www.emmysfoundation.org/internship-programs

Page 2 REFLECTIONS

Summer Internship at The Museum of Modern Art This Internship takes place in New York, New York for 11 weeks. Interns are required to work a minimum of 3 days

per week. This internship does not offer a stipend, but it is a great opportunity for undergraduates with a junior

standing to learn about working in a museum. For more information visit this website:

http://www.moma.org/learn/courses/internships#none

Firsts of the New Year... First to get a graduate school interview this year: Sarah Koon, BCM major, she had 7 scheduled! She has accepted the offer from Mayo Graduate School. Sarah completed her REU at Mayo also. First to get accepted to graduate school this year: Vincent Surges, a MTH major, to Purdue in the Astrophysics Department. He completed interviews at U Penn and U MN and he has decided to accept the offer from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. Kevin Trout, a BCM major, visited Rutgers University and the U of Montana (where snowboarding apparently was part of the interview!!). He is weighing his options.

McNair Scholar Dennika Mays, junior LIS major, attended Florida International University’s Afro Latino Social Movements Conference in Miami. She took along copies of her research poster from last summer entitled:

Puerto Rico: How the prevalent notion of

homogeneity continues the marginalization of African descended Puerto Ricans

McNair Scholar Lana Leeper, junior PSY major

was invited to an expense paid weekend at the University of North Texas to learn about graduate

programs in Psychology Department, and to interact with faculty.

Jackie Halberg was recently voted in as the new city councilor for the 4th district in Duluth. She graduated from CSS in May, 2009 and is enrolled in a Master’s program at UMD. Jackie will serve through the end of the year and plans on running in the election this fall to stay on the council. She recently completed an internship with state senator Roger Reinert. When interviewed by the Duluth News Tribune, Jackie said she sees public engagement as one of her strengths and the she is very passionate about public service.

http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/local/Where-Duluths-New-Councilor-Stands-113103554.html

experiences.

According to Kinkead, “This book was a lot of fun to write as we had so many excellent examples from around the nation to share. Kathleen and Carrie share their tremendous toolkit with others in their contribution, a toolkit that has had qualitative and quantitative positive effects for the students at St. Scholastica.”

The College of St. Scholastica is featured in a new book, Advancing Undergraduate Research: Marketing, Communications, and Fundraising written by Joyce Kinkead, Associate Vice President for Research at Utah State University.

The book features a chapter in which Kathleen Cargill and Carrie R. Taylor Kemp describe their process for helping students find summer undergraduate research

The President of the University of South Carolina, Harris Pastides asserts, “Although Ron McNair and Darla Moore grew up in different circumstances in the same small town in South Carolina, they represent what is best about the people of our state: A refusal to accept the status quo, a can-do spirit and a selfless commitment to advancing ideas, knowledge and innovation.”

An aerospace center that will help to create jobs and opportu-nities for generations to come is a fitting tribute to Ronald E. McNair.

New Duluth City Councilor Jackie Halberg, CSS Graduate

New Book Advancing Undergraduate Research Spotlights College of St. Scholastica

inspiring and instructive, it poignantly shares how to harness our inner potential and to use it to transform our surroundings.

The book is available for purchase online (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, etc), and on Ann’s website: www.LawOfAttractionJr.com.

Thanks to a generous gift of $5 million to the University of South Carolina by Darla Moore, a center for aerospace innovation and research will be established and named after Ronald E. McNair.

An alumna of the University of South Carolina, Ms. Moore chose to name the center after Ronald E. McNair as a tribute to his personal drive for excellence not only for him-self, but for everyone around him. Citing McNair as an American hero from South Carolina, she states, “This was not a wealthy man. This was an excellent man. This was an incredibly intelligent man.”

Ann Nordgren: Published Author After toiling away for nearly two years, we are thrilled to congratulate former scholar, Ann Benton Nordgren, on the publication of her first book!

Hood Vibrations: a Law of Attraction Story for Teens was written for teens and pre-teens, but is also an enjoyable read and teaching tool for adults. Both

Page 3 VOLUME 16, ISSUE 1 SPRING 2011

Bravo, Gretchen Johnston! Gretchen Johnston, OSB, MM, shared her musical finesse on the organ with The College of St. Scholastica community on Wednesday, March 16th.

The recital, including an arrangement composed by Gretchen, herself, was a musical feast for the ears. Congratulations, Gretchen!

Aerospace Center Named for Ronald E. McNair

Sister Chisom Azuogu & mentor Sue Hyndman, at the Honors Ceremony.

The College of St. Scholastica McNair Scholars Program

1200 Kenwood Avenue, Box 2549 Duluth, MN 55811

Director: Kathleen Cargill, MA, ABD

Assistant Director: Mary Butler, MPA

Administrative Assistant: Pamela Christensen

Student Employee: Meghan Flattery

Tower 2136 (218) 723-5910

www.css.edu/Academics/Mcnair-Scholars.html

This TRIO Program is 100% funded by the US Department of Education, at $252,045 ~ Grant #P217A070056. The College of St. Scholastica does not discriminate against or harass any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, creed, religion, national/ethic origin, sex, marital status, disability, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation,

age, genetic information, membership or activity in a local commission, or disabled veteran status.

Porsche Peak - University of Wisconsin Stout Vincent Surges - MIT, Penn State, Purdue, University of Il-Urbana, University of CO- Boulder, Colorado State, Michigan State, University of WI-Madison, University of MN-TC, UNC-Chapel Hill Sarah Koon - Mayo Graduate School, Baylor College of Medicine, University of Michigan Kevin Trout - University of Montana-Missoula, Rutgers University Kimona Kousins - Tulane, Interview Anna Dontje, Mike Cheney, Josh Ditsworth, Jatessa David, Sister Chisom Azuogu, and Serena Carr continue waiting patiently for news from their programs...

CONGRATULATIONS! Graduate School Acceptances

Italics Denote Intent to Enroll

Summer Research Opportunities Italics Denote Intent to Enroll

Joey Leveille - Rutgers University Kendra Souther - University of Colorado-Boulder

Dureeti Foge - The College of St. Scholastica Tim Dahl - Mayo Graduate School

Melodie Schultz - The College of St. Scholastica Aliina Charging Hawk - University of MN-Duluth

Karissa Lange - Mayo Graduate School Halie Higgins - University of WI - Madison, The College of St. Scholastica

Heather Vogel - University of Michigan Noel Reynolds - University of MN-Duluth

Tim Klande - The College of St. Scholastica Kayla DeVoll, Lana Leeper, Taylor Fellbaum, Khalil Sabra, & Dennika Mays are patiently waiting...