Congratulations to Physics undergraduate student, Ariana Gonzalez, who was recently accepted into the UF McNair Scholars Program. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education as one of the federal government’s TRIO programs, the program prepares undergraduate students for pursuit of a doctoral degree by providing financial support, mentoring and opportunities so they can gain research experience, academic skills and strategies, and develop student/faculty mentor relationships that are so crucial for success in higher education.
Ariana first learned of the McNair Scholars program from physics professor Dr. Selman Hershfield. The opportunities presented by this program aligned with Ariana’s goals to pursue a Ph.D. in experimental particle physics, and in doing so, help represent Hispanic women in physics. “The program grants us the ability to visit graduate schools, take a GRE prep course, present at various conferences, and much more to prepare for graduate school. This program will assist me in pursuing the research I will be doing with physics professor Dr. Darin Acosta, as I will be able to improve my writing and research skills. I think that the opportunities that the program provides with their resources and community are great and I’m grateful that I’ve been accepted.”