McNair Scholars

Advisory Board

2024-25 Members

We are grateful for the time our Board members invest in choosing each cohort, advising Program Staff, and supporting the program. Our current Advisory Board members are listed below along with each member's affiliation.

• Dr. Victoria Frost - Associate Professor, Biology
• Rose Gray - Director - TRiO Achievers Program
• Dr. Jason Hurlbert - Professor, Chemistry, Physics, & Geology, & the Environment
• Dr. Joanna Jackson - Associate Professor, Management & Marketing
• Dr. Willis Lewis - Professor, Economics
• Dr. Heather Listhartke - Assistant Professor & Coordinator of Internships, English (TRiO Alumna, Univ. of Tennessee Knoxville )
• Dr. Nicholas Moellman - Assistant Professor, Economics (McNair Alumnus, University of Oklahoma) 
• Dr. Tenisha Powell - Professor, Early Childhood Education and Human Development and Family Studies Program Director (McNair Alumna from Dr. McNair's Undergraduate Alma Mater, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University)
• Dr. Karen Stock - Professor, Fine Arts 
• Carrie Vaughn - McNair Senior, Political Science Major
• Dr. Janet Wojcik - Professor and Exercise Science Program Director
• Dr. Cheryl Fortner (ex-Officio, voting) - Director, McNair Scholars Program and Professor, Psychology
• Dr. Leigh Poole (ex-Officio) -  Assistant Provost for the Office for Student Success, Director of the International Center and Assistant Professor PDSO/RO

The Board and Program Staff are grateful for the valuable contributions of folks who have served on the Board in past years, Drs. Gloria Jones (Ret., Dean of University College), Takita Felder Sumter (Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences & Professor of CHEM), Adolphus Belk (PLSC), Brad Witzel (EDUC), Nicki Washington (CSCI), Will Thacker (Ret., CSCI), Nick Grossoehme (CHEM), Heather Evans-Anderson (BIOL), Joe Rusinko (MATH), Kareema Gray (SCWK), and Shebby Neely-Goodwin (SCWK), Mr. Gerry Derksen (VCOM), and Dr. Joshua Kirven (SCWK). We owe special gratitude to Dr. Wenonah Haire, DMD, Executive Director of the Catawba Cultural Preservation Project, who represented our community on the Board from 2009-2024, the first 15 years of our program.

An eligible student representative (our first year) and outstanding Winthrop McNair Seniors have served on the Board; voting and providing important guidance regarding recruitment, selection, and program strategic planning. Those alumni are listed below.

• 2023-24 Michelle Aguilar-Gaspar (BIOL)
• 2022-23 Molly Quetel (CHEM)
• 2021-22  Terrik Johnson (EXSC)
• 2020-21  Kiera Alexander (NUTR)
• 2019-20  Monejah Black (MCOM)
• 2018-19  James White (EXSC)         
• 2017-18  Jesslyn Park (CHEM)          
• 2016-17  Nicole McMullen (BIOL)
• 2015-16  Ashley Causey (EDUC)   
• 2014-15  Sarah Wicks (CHEM)         
• 2013-14  Symone Calhoun (PSYC)  
• 2012-13  Ronald Nelson (CHEM)      
• 2011-12  Macreshia Salters (PSYC) 
• 2010-11  Alfred McLeod (BADM)     
• 2009-10  Lilah Campbell (PSYC)