Welcome to the fourth edition of the Northern State University McNair Scholars Program Newsletter! We are excited to share the continued progress and achievements of our scholars as we work together to promote academic excellence and support their success in graduate school. The McNair Scholars Program is a federally funded initiative named in honor of Dr. Ronald E. McNair, a physicist and astronaut who tragically lost his life in the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Established in 1989, the program was created to honor his legacy by empowering first-generation and lowincome college students to pursue doctoral studies. We are proud that the TRIO McNair Scholars Program at Northern State University is the first and only McNair program in South Dakota. Our mission is to equip students with the tools, experiences, and support needed to successfully prepare for and succeed in graduate education, especially at the PhD level. We are looking forward to celebrating our upcoming graduates in December 2025 and continuing the school year in 2026. We extend our sincere appreciation to Northern State University and the greater Aberdeen community for their continued support of our scholars and the McNair mission. We are especially grateful to our dedicated NSU faculty mentors, whose guidance, encouragement, and belief in our students have been instrumental to their success. Your mentorship remains at the heart of what makes this program impactful and transformative. Sincerely, The McNair Staff Welcome to the TRIO McNair Scholars Program Events Welcome! Fall 2025 Graduate Spotlights 2025 McNair Forum Regional ASPIRE Conference 2025-2026 Faculty Mentors and Cohort McNair Scholars Howling Highlights Table of Contents Winter 2025 Dr. Ronald E. McNair, physicist and the second African American astronaut in space
McNair Scholar Spotlight: Josh Wakefield McNair Scholar Faculty Mentor Spotlight: Leslie Sauder Dr. Leslie Sauder is an assistant professor in the Teacher Education Department within the School of Education. Dr. Sauder is in her 3rd year as a professor. Her main area of focus is Science Education, teaching both Earth/Physical Science Content and Science Methods for pre-service K-8th grade teachers. Before teaching at Northern, Dr. Sauder was an elementary and middle school classroom teacher at Hamlin for 18 years. She has one research study under review on the effect of integrated STEM education on student engagement, and she is collaborating with colleagues on research examining the effect of embedded experiences on pre-service teachers. Dr. Sauder’s future research interests include girls in STEM education and hands-on science education. I’m a first-generation biochemistry student from Aberdeen, South Dakota, currently in my final year at Northern State University and preparing to apply for graduate programs for Fall 2026. My first research experience was with Dr. Nora, where I studied mercury bioaccumulation in fish species and helped develop improved methods for accurate ICP analysis. I later joined Dr. Mitchell’s lab, where I’m exploring collagen production in human cells. I have a deep passion for science in all its forms, and having the chance to work on both chemistry-based and biochemistry-focused projects has been incredibly rewarding. Outside the lab, I’m still a nerd at heart. I’m a lifelong gamer and collector of retro consoles—my Guitar Hero and Rock Band setup somehow count as retro now. I enjoy modding and restoring old handhelds and cartridge games, and I spend a lot of my free time with family. My 10-yearold sister keeps me on my toes, and when I want to get outdoors, I go hunting with my little brother.
Regional ASPIRE Conference 2025 In September 2025, McNair Research Coordinator Shelby Serrano represented NSU at the Regional ASPIRE Conference in Denver, Colorado. During the conference, Shelby had the opportunity to attend sessions where she learned about resources that could help expand the McNair Program. Shelby also met with other SD representatives to discuss upcoming ASPIRE conferences, including the co-state conference in March and the next regional conference scheduled for 2026. Shelby also gained more understanding of COE and how they have been supporting TRIO for nearly 50 years. The ASPIRE Board Members organized an opportunity walk to the Denver Butterfly Pavilion that Shelby participated in, which helped raise funds for TRIO programs across the region. Despite being in a walking boot, Shelby persevered and enjoyed her time. In summary, Shelby's time at the ASPIRE Conference was thoroughly enjoyable! We thank the ASPIRE Board Members for hosting the conference and providing a great opportunity for TRIO staff members to come together and learn. Statue of Chief Little Raven outside the Westin Hotel SD TRIO program representatives Owl butterflies at the Butterfly Pavilion
StudentAccess Scholarship Winner: The StudentAccess Scholarship is awarded based on students' needs and overcoming adversity. This scholarship does not concentrate on GPA or grades, but rather on the student as an individual. Congratulations to our Fall Graduate! Alexis Martin Born in Aberdeen,SD, Alexis is a Music Education Major at Northern State University graduating in December of 2025. Participating in choirs, orchestras, show choirs, vocal jazz groups, and musical theater, she is heavily involved in the liberal arts. Beyond music, she served as the President of NASA for many years, as a Multicultural Senator for SGA, President of College Democrats, and Student Representative for the Campus Culture Climate Committee (CCCC). Planning to continue to grad school, she is actively applying to many programs for Screen/Film Scoring with hopes to be successful in the industry. Clifford ‘Guy’ Clothier Degree: Digital Media Research: AI Movies Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jason Knowles
2025 Fall McNair Forum September 26, 2025 President Nichols WelcomeandIntroduction to First-Generation Students Dr. Eman Momeni A Study of ModularContentsandRelatedTeaching Techniques in Fraud & Forensic Accounting Education from North American Academicians’ Perspective Dr. Shalini Mathew and Dr. Junwei Jia AMixed MethodsApproach toUnderstandingHow Colleges and Universities are Utilizing Animals to Help Students Transition into Higher Education Dr. Keun Lee BreakdownandUnderstanding of President Trump's Tariffs
McNair Scholars Program Events TRIO McNair Scholars Program Contact Information Shelby Serrano shelby.serrano@northern.edu 605-626-7801 TC 154 NSU Scholarly Forum McNair Graduation Celebration April8, 2026 Library Rotunda May 1, 2026 Centennial Rooms Know someone interested in graduate school? Know anyone interested in undergraduate research? Refer them to the McNair Program!! Contact information is below!!
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzkyNTY=