Jessica Bartlett
Major(s): History
Classification: Senior
Anticipated Graduation Date: December 2018
Mentor: Dr. Bruce Brasington
Title of Research: Shifts in Focus among Women’s Clubs in the Panhandle during the Second World War
Career Aspirations: Become a professor of history
Extra-Curricular Interest: Reading and writing, learning new things
How has being a McNair Scholar enhanced your academic experience? I have had the opportunity to pursue my own interests in a research environment rather than working within the limits of a class. I have increased my familiarity with the archival system at the Panhandle-Plains Museum and bettered my relationship with the staff there.
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Joshua Castro
Major(s): Biology, B.S. w/ Pre - Medical specialty
Classification: Senior
Anticipated Graduation Date: December 2018
Mentor: Professor David Clark
Title of Research: The Impact of Health Insurance Types On Survival Rates for Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients in the United Network for Organ Sharing Eleven Regions
Conferences Attended and/or Publications: Pathways and NCUR
Career Aspirations: I hope to attend graduate school at the Texas A&M School of Public Health as well as Texas A&M College of Medicine. I plan to use the knowledge and skills gained from Texas A&M to hold a career in Pediatric Cardiothoracic surgery as well as serve as a hospital administrator. I often awkwardly say I want to perform heart transplants for a living, but in reality that is exactly what I aspire to do. Pediatric cardiology has been a major interest of mine since early childhood and I would most definitely want to spend more of my life leading and serving within that field.
Extra-Curricular Interest: Apart from academics I am currently the President for the Pre - Healthcare Club, which serves as an educational organization for pre - healthcare students at WTAMU. I am also involved with the McNair Scholars and I am completing my second research project for the program. I have served for two academic school years as a President’s Ambassador at WTAMU and have recently graduated out of the program. I enjoy taking and instructing spin classes as well as distance running and I try to spend as much time as possible binge-watching shows on Netflix while indulging in any type of junk food.
How has being a McNair Scholar enhanced your academic experience? McNair has developed me into a focused and dedicated student. It has brought many experiences I never thought to expect since beginning my undergraduate career. This program as well as my research has allowed me to fully define exactly where I would like to be in my future and has opened the door to the idea of not only achieving a medical degree but also a graduate degree. It has encouraged me to further my knowledge in multiple fields in order to provide a diverse and focused mind to those who I will have the opportunity to work with. I am thankful for the opportunity that was presented to me to join and become a McNair scholar and this truly is an experience I will forever take into my future.
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Lucas Castro
Major(s): Wildlife Biology
Classification: Junior
Anticipated Graduation Date: December 2019
Mentor: Dr. Richard Kazmaier
Title of Research: Habitat use by mammals in a Canadian River drainage complex.
Career Aspirations:: Wildlife Manager at a wildlife management area
Extra-Curricular Interest: Current Vice-president of the WTAMU wildlife society chapter, member of the National Society of Leadership and Success
How has being a McNair Scholar enhanced your academic experience? My academic experience has been greatly enhanced through the McNair Scholars program. This program has taught me how to conduct my own research project as well as pitfalls and shortcomings I may experience in future research projects. I also learned the difficulty of fieldwork firsthand through bumps, bruises, and plenty of mosquito bites but in the end I gained a greater respect for my research project and wildlife in general.
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Gilberto Garcia
Major(s): Psychology
Classification: Senior
Anticipated Graduation Date: December 2018
Mentor: Dr. Danney Rasco
Title of Research: Priming on Implicit and Explicit Measures of Attachment
Career Aspirations: I plan on ultimately becoming a licensed Texas clinical psychologist who specializes in personality disorders, specifically Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and suicidal behaviors.
Extra-Curricular Interest: Aside from completing my course work, I enjoy hiking and pretending to be like Bear Grylls. I also enjoy getting lost in the recommended videos of YouTube and discovering "new" music from Lana Del Rey, Florence + The Machine, Washed Out, Tame Impala, the Velvet Underground, [insert about 50 more musicians and songwriters here], etc. I absolutely adore art museums, especially those which display Pop Art artists like Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist, and Andy Warhol.
How has being a McNair Scholar enhanced your academic experience? McNair has allowed me to achieve my own dream of conducting my own psychological experiment, and it has allowed me to work with such an incredible mentor. McNair has galvanized my desire to engage in further research. It has bolstered my confidence in a variety of domains, it has helped me to identify many academic strengths, and it has given me a better understanding of what it takes to complete a research project. This program has given me insight into the life of a graduate student, as well as, skills that will aid me throughout graduate school. McNair is the best academic decision I have made thus far.
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Steve Garcia
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Mentor: Dr. Lisa Garza
Title of Research: How the NRA Influences and Controls Firearm Policy
Career Aspirations: Lawyer/Professor
Extra-Curricular Interest: Poetry, philosophy, and art
How has being a McNair Scholar enhanced your academic experience? Being a McNair Scholar has enhanced my academic experience by allowing an opportunity to research my interests. The McNair program serves as a bridge between one’s undergraduate career and that of graduate school. My mentor had the opportunity to guide me through the "typical" Ph.D. application. Also, I had the honor to visit several graduate schools. The McNair program serves as a foundation that uplifts an individual to a greater understanding of education that results in academic success.
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Mariana Lowe
Major(s): English B.A. and Creative Writing minor
Classification: Senior
Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2019
Mentor: Matthew Harrison, PhD
Title of Research: What Does Sor Juana Want? A Look into Respuesta’s Modesty Tropes and the Aftermath.
Career Aspirations: I hope to pursue an English or Comparative Literature PhD, with a strong emphasis on feminism. I would ultimately like to teach at a Hispanic-Serving institution and transfer my love for literature to others.
Extra-Curricular Interest: When I’m not reading, you can find me writing. I have written several short stories and poems, a couple of short screenplays, and almost one novel. However, right now most of my free time is spent with my toddler, where we enjoy going to the park, writing on concrete, and re-watching the same movie for the 100 th time.
How has being a McNair Scholar enhanced your academic experience? Becoming a McNair Scholar has been a tremendous experience that has allowed me to dig into subjects that I would have never thought about. It has been an enriching journey of knowledge. I know that I am now more suitable to perform research, after the guidance from my mentor and the McNair office, and I cannot wait to see where it takes me.
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Vanessa Mendoza
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Jose Navarette
Major(s): History/ Western American Studies
Classification: Senior
Anticipated Graduation Date: December 2018
Mentor: Dr. Tim Bowman, Associate Professor of History
Title of Research: "A Texan Sound: How Norteño Music Came to be in Texas."
Conferences Attended and/or Publications: Texas A&M University System’s Pathways Research Symposium Pathways, Texas National McNair Research Conference, National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), West Texas A&M University Student Research Conference, Meeting of the West Texas Historical Association.
Career Aspirations: I hope to attend the University of Houston-Law Center to enroll in their International Energy Lawyers Program where I will spend two years in Houston and two years attending the University of Calgary in Canada. At the conclusion of the program, I hope to attain a Juris Doctor in the United States and another J.D. in Canada concurrently. This will enable me to practice energy law in both countries in the hope of creating clear synergy between companies and individuals.
Extra-Curricular Interest: Active member in Mortar Board Senior Honors Society, History Club, Phi Alpha Theta, and Alpha Chi. Additionally I love traveling, concerts/music, and conducting interviews pertaining to racial discrimination post-integration.
How has being a McNair Scholar enhanced your academic experience? To use the word "enhanced" is such an understatement since I believe that being a McNair Scholar has completely changed my academic experience. Firstly, the McNair Program gave me the chance to display the potential that I always believed I had to create a project and see it through the end in the hopes of changing the minds of many. Secondly, the McNair program has allowed me to network with experts in my interested fields. Thirdly and lastly, the McNair program showed me to always take opportunities offered because one might never know what that opportunity will teach you or do for you in the future.
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Nora Norez
Major(s): Biology with a minor in Spanish
Classification: Senior
Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2019
Mentor: Dr. Andrew R Reynolds
Title of Research: The Effects of Language Barriers in the Medical Field: A closer look into a non-profit clinic in the Panhandle of Texas.
Career Aspirations: I aspire to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy.
Extra-Curricular Interest:I enjoy being involved on campus and doing community service. I volunteer at Heal the City clinic in Amarillo, I am the President of the student organization, CAMPOS 2.0 and I am the Vice President of WTAMU Leadership Board. I also love spending time with my family, watching movies, and traveling.
How has being a McNair Scholar enhanced your academic experience?McNair has given me the opportunity to flourish as a student and continue to develop as a young professional. It has been a rewarding experience that has allowed me to immerse myself in research, a field of work that otherwise, I wouldn’t be exposed to as an undergraduate student. Performing research has given me vital skills that I will use for the rest of my academic career. Overall, being a McNair scholar has been a great honor, I am surrounded by a bright group of scholars that inspire me to pursue my education and continue achieving my goals. I am so grateful for this experience.
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Alison Ramos
Major(s): Social Work
Classification: Senior
Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2019
Mentor: Dr. Ray Barbosa
Title of Research: The Effectiveness of Disability Services in Higher Education
Career Aspirations: My passion is working with individuals with physical and/or mental disabilities. After graduating with my Bachelor of Social Work degree in May, I will be pursuing a master’s degree in social work as well so that I can attain the proper level of licensing required to work in the medical field.
Extra-Curricular Interest: I am currently the president of the social work honor society, Phi Alpha, and the historian for Mortar Board. In my free time, I am also a volunteer advocate for CASA which is a program that gives you the opportunity to be a voice for children in the foster care system. I work as a graphic designer as well, and I hope to bring back my level of passion for the arts with my own illustrations once I’m out of school.
How has being a McNair Scholar enhanced your academic experience? Being a McNair Scholar has thoroughly prepared me for what I can expect once I start graduate school. I have had the opportunity to network with knowledgeable people and am looking forward to presenting my research at various conferences throughout the upcoming year. McNair Scholars has given me a major head start on my studies and has shown me that it pays off to persist when there are roadblocks in research.
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Rebecca Romero
Major(s): Biology
Classification: Senior
Anticipated Graduation Date: December 2018
Mentor: Dr. Nabarun Ghosh
Title of Research: Current aspects of PM 2.5 and analyzing the aeroallergens of the Texas panhandle
Conferences Attended and/or Publications: I have attended the WTAMU Student Research Conference and 13 th Annual Faculty Research Conference. I was included in a published European Scientific Journal- Air Pollution with 2.5 Micron Particulate Matters and Testing the Decay of the Aerosol Concentration as a function of Time to Compare the Efficiency of AHPCO® and Bi-Polar Units in Reducing the Indoor Particle Counts
Career Aspirations: My aspiration is to become a successful Pedodontist, also referred to as a pediatric dentist. I want to be in a position where I am able to help others, educate others, encourage others medically, mentally, and physically. After dental school, I would like to open my own dental practice, open a learning facility for children, and open a healthy fast food restaurant.
Extra-Curricular Interest: I enjoy volunteering as a sports coach for children, doing scientific research, and traveling to see the world.
How has being a McNair Scholar enhanced your academic experience? ? I truly appreciate the resources and knowledge the McNair Scholars program provides to its Scholars. This program provided me with an opportunity to conduct in-depth scientific research, guiding me along the way with informative meetings and resources that gave me confidence in my studies. In addition; I gained knowledge and resources on graduate school, preparation for the GRE, increased my network, and confidence that I can excel further than just receiving a Bachelor’s degree. The program is filled with benefits and opens so many opportunities that I had no idea of. Being a McNair Scholar has been a blessing and hope for a brighter academic future.
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Max Shaw
Major(s): Biochemistry
Classification: Senior
Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2019
Mentor: Dr. Nick Flynn
Title of Research: Analysis of the amino acid content for beef, chicken and turkey bone broths
Career Aspirations: I hope to attend the University of Texas-San Antonio Dental School to get my D.D.S. and then pursue Oral and Maxillofacial surgery. I love being able to help people in ways that boost their self-confidence and fill them with happiness. The field of dentistry allows you that opportunity while also providing invaluable health services.
Extra-Curricular Interest: Love spending time with my family and friends, mountain biking, fly fishing, hunting, skiing, riding motorcycles, and cooking. I am a former student-athlete for the men’s golf team, but still, enjoy playing as much as I can. I also enjoy traveling overseas and currently have a goal to visit each state in the US. I am currently the President of the American Chemical Society Student Chapter, a member of the Pre-Health Care Club, a member of Buff Outreach Leadership Team, and a participant in WTAMU Media Minds.
How has being a McNair Scholar enhanced your academic experience? Being a McNair Scholar has allowed me to identify some of my key strengths and weaknesses, while ultimately gaining academic knowledge. I’ve also enjoyed being able to connect with my mentor and the McNair faculty, which overall allows me to feel even more at home on campus and better my time at WT. The opportunity to participate in research and have so much control of your own project has also been an amazing opportunity that most people don’t get in their undergraduate years and I feel that it has better prepared me for the rigors of dental school.
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