RIPON, Wis. – Ripon College has long prepared undergrads for the rigors and opportunities of graduate school. Now, on the strength of its track record and a dazzling proposal, it has earned a coveted Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement grant from the United States Department of Education’s TRIO program, totaling nearly $1.1 million over the next five years.

McNair Grant programs are aimed at first-generation college students, students from low-income families, and African-American, Hispanic-American and Native-American minority groups who are traditionally underrepresented in graduate school and Ph.D. work. Those accepted into the program are paired with a faculty mentor in their field of study, work in summer internships, attend research seminars on campus and present papers at national academic conferences and meetings. The ultimate goal is to prepare students for graduate school, and eventually a Ph.D.

Dan Krhin, director of Student Support Services at Ripon, co-authored the proposal with Jessica Spanbauer, assistant director. The award committee gave the proposal a perfect score in every section based upon the proposed model. The McNair program is quite competitive; Ripon’s score placed it in the top 10 percent of the only 181 successfully funded programs (out of 318) across the United States. Schools within the top 10 percent receive five-year grants.

“Accessibility and lifelong learning are at the heart of a Ripon College education,” said Krhin. “The McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement award validates our commitment to these ideals and gives us the means to help make graduate school a reality for students who meet the criteria.”

Teaching will also be a focus of Ripon’s particular McNair program, as candidates often begin graduate programs without knowing whether they enjoy, or have an aptitude for the craft. Participants will be afforded opportunities to try their hand at teaching in various settings and receive feedback from experienced instructors.

Ripon will collaborate with nearby Lawrence University and St. Norbert College to enroll a total of 25 students in the program, each of whom will receive guidance in course selection, financial aid issues, GRE exam preparation, and assistance with the selection of graduate schools.

“Lawrence and St. Norbert are also wonderful educational institutions and we look forward to working with them,” Krhin said.

Other expenses covered under the grant will include laptops, research stipends, travel to graduate schools and conferences, and office supplies.

In the long run, Krhin hopes to see a shift toward more Ph.D.’s from more diverse backgrounds.

“The goal of this program is to increase the numbers of underrepresented students at the PhD. level so faculty and student diversity are better aligned,” he said.
For more information on the McNair program, contact Dan Krhin at Krhind@ripon.edu or Jessica Spanbauer at Spanbauerj@ripon.edu. To learn more about Student Support Services at Ripon, call 920-748-8107.

About Ripon College
Ripon College, founded in 1851, prepares students of diverse interests for lives of productive, socially responsible citizenship. Ripon’s liberal arts curriculum and residential campus create an intimate learning community in which students experience a richly personalized education. Ripon has consistently been recognized as a “best value” and “Best 366 College” by The Princeton Review, a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s, a “Best Liberal-Arts College” by Washington Monthly, and is listed among the 160 best schools in the nation by Colleges of Distinction. For more information about Ripon College, visit www.ripon.edu.