Alumni Update

We are very proud of our McNair Scholars and what they are accomplishing. Here’s a glimpse at the success our program alumni are experiencing.

Completed Doctoral Degree

Year of Graduation	Name	Program	Institution
2024	Dr. Danette Abernathy	Psychology	Wichita State University
	Dissertation Title:	Health Risk Behaviors of University Students and Their Association with Psychological Well-being and Sense of Belonging: A Latent Class Analysis
2023	Dr. Baylen Ravenscraft	Medical Neuroscience	IUPUI
	Dissertation Title:	Mitochondria-Targeted Cardiolipin-Protecting Peptide, SS-31, Is Neuroprotectivewithin In-Vitro and In-Vivo Rodent Models of Spinal Cord Injury
2022	Dr. Jazma Sutton	History	Indiana University
	Dissertation Title:	Borderline Freedom: Free and Fugitive Black Women in Rural East Central Indiana before the Civil War
2022	Dr. Trevor Keen	Physics	University of Tennessee
	Dissertation Title:	Quantum Computational Simulations for Condensed Matter Systems
2021	Dr. Amanda Osborne	Counseling Psychology	Illinois Institute of Technology
	Dissertation Title:	TBD
2020	Dr. Vernon Johnson	Organizational Leadership	The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
	Dissertation Title:	Women of Color in STEM Careers and Their Barriers and Supports as Emerging Leaders: An Intergenerational Perspective
2020	Dr. Shahan Bellamy	Women and Gender Studies	Arizona State University
	Dissertation Title:	Tumblr Saved my Life: An Interdisciplinary Investigation of how Trans-Maculinity Operates through Tumblr
2019	Dr. LaCharles Ward	Communication Studies	Northwestern University
	Dissertation Title:	"They left us Dead": Anti-Black State Violence and the Insistence of Black Life.
2018	Dr. Calvin Zimmerman	Sociology	University of Pennsylvania
	Dissertation Title:	Before Black Boys are Criminalized?: Race, Boyhood, and School Discipline in Early Childhood
2018	Dr. Antonio Rodriguez	Political Science	University of Maryland
	Dissertation Title:	Four essays on how presidential policy representation on the issue of immigration affects Latino political behavior
2018	Dr. Elom Amuzu	Counseling Psychology	SIU Carbondale
	Dissertation Title:	Fast Tailed Girls: A Qualitative Analysis of Adult African American Women's Early Gender and Sex-Related Socialization Messages
2017	Dr. Tamara Kang	Legal Psychology	University of Texas El Paso
	Dissertation Title:	Do Coaches Practice What They Preach? An Evaluation of the Usage of Evidence-Based Practices Among Probation Officer Coaches
2016	Dr. Rene Lopez-Smith	Plant Biology	SIU Carbondale
	Dissertation Title:	The Special Walls Around Gametes in Ceratopteris Richardii andAulacomnium Palustre: Using Immunochyto-chemistry to Expose Structure, Function, and Development
2015	Dr. Sarah Owusu	Physiology	Penn State University
	Dissertation Title:	Vitamin A Supplementation: Its Effects on Ontogeny, Lung Development, and Neonatal Lung Injury
2015	Dr. Kandace Fisher-McLean	Human Environmental Science: Architectural Studies	University of Missouri Columbia
	Dissertation Title:	Exploring the Relative Impacts of Altruistic, Biospheric, and Egoistic Motivations to Adopt Green Housing Features
2014	Dr. Krystelle Jean-Michel	Counseling Psychology	Western Michigan University
	Dissertation Title:	Exploring help-seeking intentions among Black American church-goers
	Keynote Speaker:	2019 McNair Welcome Ceremony
2014	Dr. Vanessa Enriquez	Cell and Molecular Biology	Colorado State University
	Dissertation Title:	Pluripotency factors and miRNAs in human ovarian cancer cells and their secreted exosomes regulate gene expression and phenotype
	Keynote Speaker:	2018 McNair Welcome Ceremony
2014	Dr. Krishna Pattisapu	Communication Studies	University of Denver
	Dissertation Title:	Celebration, resistance, and change: Queer gender performers of color as public pedagogues
2014	Dr. Chasity Love-Nkansah	Chemistry	Purdue University
	Dissertation Title:	Unimolecular dissociation of gas-phase small sulfinyl radical ions upon low energy collision-induced dissociation
2012	Dr. Tesha Dosier Robinson	Leadership in Educational Administration	Capella University
	Dissertation Title:	Parental involvement: Motivation factors among African American parents
2012	Dr. Cortez McBerry	Immuniobiology	University of Cincinnati
	Dissertation Title:	Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Immunoregulation In vivo
2012	Dr. Sydney Dillard	Communication	Purdue University
	Dissertation Title:	Mapping the cultural and social landscape of uterine leiomyomas: Fibriod tumors as a Black woman's disease

Enrolled in Doctoral Program

Enrolled	Name	Program	Institution
2023	Aleida Iriate	Wildlife & Ecology	Univ. of Florida
2022	Raisa Fountain	Counseling Psychology	Univ. of Missouri-Columbia
2020	Allison McMinn	Electrical Engineering	Arizona State University
2020	Yasmine Ibrahim	Biological Sciences	Emory University
2020	Izabella Bradford	Microbiology	University of New Hampshire
2019	Madison McMinn	Chemistry	Northeastern University

Completed Master’s Degree

Graduated	Name	Program	Institution
2024	Mackenzie Rosario	MFA-Writing & Production	Savannah College Art & Design
2023	Avian Wilkins	College Student Personnel	SIU Carbondale
2023	Jocelyn Ortiz	Social Work	SIU Carbondale
2023	Diamoneek Green	Public Administration	Virginia Commonwealth
2022	April Robinson-Kain	Instrutional Design	Western Governors Univ.
2022	TraDeidra Davis	Psychology (4+1)	SIU Carbondale
2022	Destanee Williams	Social Work	UIUC
2022	Tori Rhone	Biological Sciences	SIU Carbondale
2022	Joshua McCray	Public Administration	SIU Carbondale
2022	Juan Corral	Educational Psychology	UW-Milwaukee
2022	Luis Prado	Geography & Environ. Resources	SIU Carbondale
2021	Brittan Cobb	Food Safety & Technology	Il. Institute of Technology
2021	Harleigh Williams	Education & Human Development	George Washington University
2021	Erin Boester	Rehabilitation Ed	SIU Carbondale
2021	Terilyn Mahome	Kinesiology	Texas Woman's University
2021	Maurice Betts	Business	Devry Univeristy
2020	Adebowale Osisanya	Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing	Indiana Wesleyan University
2020	Jacqueline Chavez	Counseling	Oakland University
2020	Alexis Lane	Education	Loyola University Chicago
2020	Gabrielle N Morris	Behavior Analysis	Univeristy of North Texas
2020	Danette Abernathy	Psychology	Wichita State University
2020	Andrea Arnieri	Bioethics and Health	Loyola University Chicago
2020	Jorden Thomas	Public Administration	SIU Carbondale
2020	Trevor Keen	Physics	University of Tennesee-Knoxville
2019	Yahaira Heller	Public Administration	SIU Carbondale
2019	Tierney Rhone	Social Work	University of South Carolina
2019	Ana Hernandez	Social Work	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2019	Norris Akpan	Physiology	Tulane University
2019	Essence Brown	Public Health	University of Illinois at Chicago
2019	Jason Dickson	Business Administration	Syracuse University
2019	Raven Gougis	Biology	Georgia State University
2018	Lonnie Mann	Art	SIU Carbondale
2018	Lateesha Baquet	Rehabilitation Counseling	SIU Carbondale
2018	Brenda Escutia	Higher Education Administration	North Carolina State University
2018	Shantel Franklin	Public Administration	Indiana University
2018	Demetrius Green	Film & Media Studies	University of Kansas
2018	Leslie Murray	Philosophy	SIU Carbondale
2018	Emily Peterson	Energy, Civil Infrastructure & Climate	UC Berkeley
2018	Gabriel Smith	Business Administration	University of Iowa
2018	Magan Snowden	Public Health	SIU Carbondale
2018	Jazma Sutton	History	Indiana University Bloomington
2018	Naomi Tolbert	International Relations	University of Chicago
2018	Ivan Vargas	Economics	SIU Carbondale
2017	Karie Stewart	Nursing	University of Illinois at Chicago
2017	Arrealle Owens	Social Work	Saint Louis University
2017	Karen Stone	Nursing	University of Illinois at Chicago
2017	Anthony Steinmetz	JD/MBA	U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2017	Renee Hazen	Plant Biology	SIU Carbondale
2017	Kenyahtta Gray	Communication Disorders & Science	SIU Carbondale
2017	Mercedes Gomez Jacobo	Geography/GIS	SIU Carbondale
2016	Calvin Zimmerman	Sociology	University of Pennsylvania
2016	Asia Lee	Business Administration	SIU Carbondale
2016	Jovan Gathings	Human Resource/Industrial Relations	U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2016	Roniqua Roundtree Zimmerman	Clinical Social Work	Temple University
2016	Lynn Vaughn	Industrial Technology	Idaho State University
2016	Erin Scott	Sports Administration	Northern Illinois University
2016	Amanda Osborn	Psychology	Illinois Institute of Technology
2016	Martisia Mitchell	Public Administration	SIU Carbondale
2016	Siedah McNeil	Social Work	University of Kentucky
2016	Gina Collori	Social Work	Aurora University
2015	Tapiwa Saliji	Human Resource/Industrial Relations	U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2015	Ravyn Shelton	Communication Disorders & Sciences	SIU Carbondale
2015	Levell Mables	Kinesiology	SIU Carbondale
2015	Tamara Kang	Psychology	University of Texas El Paso
2015	Kimberly Elsenbroek	Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior	Indiana University, Bloomington
2015	Brittany Dickson	School Counseling	SIU Carbondale
2015	Carol Burns	Branding and Integrated Communication	CUNY
2015	Megan Abell	Theatre	San Diego State University
2014	Stacie Wallace	School Counseling	Chicago State University
2014	Dorothy Schachel	Workforce Education	SIU Carbondale
2014	Jessica Miller	Linguistics	SIU Carbondale
2014	Jennie Irwin McCormick	Counseling Psychology	U of Maryland University College
2014	Kristen Jordan	Zoology	SIU Carbondale
2014	AnDrea Hall	Sociology	SIU Carbondale
2014	Jonate Govan	Educational Adminstration	SIU Edwardsville
2014	Antwuan Donley	Accountancy	SIU Carbondale
2014	Darlyshia Cherry Menzie	Speech Communication	SIU Carbondale
2014	Byron Blackburn	Recreation	SIU Carbondale
2014	Marcus Bailey	School Counseling	Howard University
2014	Elom Amuzu	Counseling Psychology	SIU Carbondale
2013	LaCharles Ward	Speech Communication	SIU Carbondale
2013	Marcus Brown	Social Work	Washington University St. Louis
2013	Crystal Newcomb	Social Work	SIU Carbondale
2013	Ashley Jordan	Industrial Relations/Human Resources	University of Minnesota
2013	Diamond Garner	Accounting	SIU Carbondale
2012	Tamara John	Professional Media & Media Management Studies	SIU Carbondale
2012	Alec Perry	Communication Disorders & Sciences	SIU Carbondale
2012	Sarah Pitcher	Sociology	SIU Carbondale
2011	Folasade Ajayi	Public Health	Florida International University
2011	Conisha Brownlee	Rehabilitation Counseling	SIU Carbondale
2011	Raquel Brown	Physiology	SIU Carbondale
2011	C. Grant Cox III	Art	University of Delaware
2011	Krymese Frazier	Human Resource/Industrial Relation	U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2011	Vernon Johnson	Public Health	SIU Carbondale
2011	Koleshcia Nelson	Human Resource/Industrial Relation	U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2011	Monica Mason	Communication	University of Minnesota
2011	Karie Stewart	Public Health	SIU Carbondale
2011	Kandace Vallejo	Education	UT Austin
2011	De'Angelo Williams Jr.	Cinema Studies	New York University
2011	Nefeteri Williams	Social Work	Loyola University
2010	Donald Hughes	Urban Planning	U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2010	Jami Jackson	Educational Psychology	SIU Carbondale
2010	Krystelle Jean-Michel	Counseling Psychology	Western Michigan University
2010	Michael-Ann Johnson	History	SIU Carbondale
2010	Nadia Lopez	Anthropology	Northern Illinois University
2010	Krishna Pattisapu	Speech Communication	SIU Carbondale
2010	Lavon Pettis	Community Counseling	Chicago State University
2010	Willie Walker	Manufacturing Systems	SIU Carbondale
2009	Estaban del Valle	Fine Arts	Rhode Island School of Design
2009	Miranda Griffith	Public Health	SIU Carbondale
2009	Danita Little	Urban Planning Policy	U of Illinois Chicago
2009	TeSha Dozier Robinson	Social Work	St. Louis University
2009	Antonio Rodriguez	Political Science	SIU Carbondale
2009	Brenda Sanders	Workforce Education	SIU Carbondale
2009	Amarachi Ukabam	Sports and Fitness Admin	University of Houston
2008	Sydney Dillard	Media Theory	SIU Carbondale
2008	Danielle Estes	Sociology	SIU Carbondale
2008	Maria Guerrero	Public Affairs	Indiana University, Bloomington
2008	Renee Lopez-Smith	Plant Biology	SIU Carbondale
2008	Lynn Vaughn	English	SIU Carbondale
2007	Kandace Fisher	Design Studies	U of Wisconsin, Madison
2007	Christine Goldstein	Forestry	SIU Carbondale
2007	Cortez McBerry	Microbiology	SIU Carbondale
2007	Gabriel Smith	Manufacturing Systems	SIU Carbondale
2007	Deanese Williams	Public Reporting	U of Illinois, Springfield

Enrolled in Master's Program

Name	Program	Institution	Proposed Graduation
Itzel Campos	English	SIU Carbondale	2025
Isaiah Francis	Biomedical Engineering	SIU Carbondale	2025
Lauren George	Microbiology	Unive. of New Hampshie	2025
Lauren Griffin	Marriage & Family	Adler	2025
Dorcas Brou	Film-MFA	SIU Carbondale	2025
Chandler Gaydos	Film-MFA	U of Texas	2025
David Hernandez	Ecology	Washington University-St. Louis	2025
Olajuwon Sally	Biomedical Engineering	SIU Carbondale	2024
Leah Hall	Animal Science	UIUC	2024
Brenda King	Crops, Soil & Ag. Systems	SIU Carbondale	2024

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