November 13, 2020

The 2020-2021 class of University of Missouri McNair Scholars includes six engineering students:

• Stephan Agee, a junior in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• Kelly Dade, a senior in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
• Brianna Davis, a junior in Biomedical, Biological and Chemical Engineering
• Kyle Downes, a junior in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• Chavis Ferguson, a senior in Biomedical, Biological and Chemical Engineering
• Ymbar Polanco, a senior in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

“We are proud to have six Mizzou Engineers selected as part of this year’s McNair Scholars Program,” College of Engineering Interim Dean Noah Manring said. “We look forward to learning about their research experiences and encouraging their emerging careers in academia.”

In addition to this year’s new scholars, Agnie Garcia, a senior in Biomedical, Biological and Chemical Engineering, is now a continuing McNair Scholar as Garcia has already completed her research. Garcia became a McNair Scholar in the 2019-2020 academic year.

About the McNair Scholars Program

The McNair Scholars Program at Mizzou prepares eligible MU first-generation and underrepresented undergraduate students for graduate school. The program prepares these students through research and internship experiences, faculty mentors, professional conferences and financial support. The U.S. Department of Education established the McNair Scholars Program in 1989 in honor of astronaut and Challenger crew member Dr. Ronald E. McNair.

The announcement of this year’s scholars was made at the virtual McNair Day Celebration on Nov. 8, 2020. These six Mizzou Engineering students were among a total of 21 MU students selected to be a McNair Scholar. These students represent a variety of degree programs across campus, including agriculture, psychology and biological sciences.