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Find the most up-to-date information on the Presidential Search site.

McNair Scholars Program
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    Faculty Mentors

    Faculty members not only mentor students in their research, but help them present research at local, regional, and national conference. They will build skills to help you enroll in graduate school with confidence. 

    Alla Balueva
    Alla BaluevaProfile page

    Professor, Math

    Phone678-717-3668

    Office locationWatkins Academic Building, 150, Gainesville

    Tanya Bennett
    Tanya Bennett, Ph.D.Profile page

    Professor of English

    Phone678-717-3870

    Office locationNesbitt Academic Building, 4154, Gainesville

    Area(s) of Expertise: American Literature, Gender Studies, Multicultural Literatures, The Novel

    Macklin Cowart
    Macklin Cowart, Ph.D.Profile page

    Associate Professor, English

    Phone678-717-3431

    Office locationNesbitt Academic Building, 4134, Gainesville

    Area(s) of Expertise: Medieval literature, grammar, language/linguistics

    Bryan Dawson
    Bryan Dawson, Ph.D.Profile page

    Professor, Psychological Science

    Phone706-867-4514

    Office locationBarnes Hall, 210, Dahlonega

    Tom Diggs
    Tom Diggs, Ph.D.Profile page

    Associate Professor of Plant Biology

    Office locationScience, Engineering, Tech, 108, Gainesville

    Area(s) of Expertise: Ecology, Evolution, Botany, Phylogeography (Advising Area of Expertise: Biology)

    Susann Doyle-Portillo
    Susann Doyle-Portillo, Ph.D.Profile page

    Department Head, Psychological Science

    Phone678-717-3857

    Office locationStrickland Academic, 124, Gainesville

    Terry Easton
    Terry Easton

    Associate Professor, English

    Phone678-717-3426

    Office locationNesbitt Academic Building, 4130, Gainesville

    Pamela Elfenbein
    Dr. Pamela ElfenbeinProfile page

    Director, Institute for Healthy Aging

    Phone678-717-3688

    Office locationAdministration Building, Suite 111, Room 108, Gainesville

    Gregory Feiden
    Gregory Feiden, Ph.D.Profile page

    Associate Professor

    Director, North Georgia Astronomical Observatory

    Phone706-864-1510

    faculty.ung.edu/gafeiden

    Office locationRogers Hall, 101, Dahlonega

    Area(s) of Expertise: Stellar structure and evolution

    Sheri Hardee
    Sheri Hardee, Ph.D.Profile page

    Dean, College of Education/Professor

    Phone706-864-1998

    Office locationNewton Oakes Center, 127, Dahlonega

    Michele Hill
    Michele Hill, Ph.D.Profile page

    Associate Department Head and Professor of Psychological Science

    Phone706-867-2771

    Office locationBarnes Hall, 211, Dahlonega

    Lauren Johnson
    Lauren Johnson, Ph.D.Profile page

    Assistant Dean and Associate Professor

    Coordinator, COE Global Programs

    Phone470-239-3108

    Office location265, Cumming

    Area(s) of Expertise: Social Foundations of Education, TESOL, Diversity Pedagogy, Cultural Anthropology, Applied Anthropology, Ethnography, Latin American and Caribbean Studies

    George Justice
    George Justice, Ph.D.Profile page

    Senior Lecturer

    Phone706-310-6362

    Office locationFaculty Center, 707, Oconee

    Area(s) of Expertise: American South, Constitutional History, Political History , Georgia History, Nationalism

    Sara Mason
    Sara Mason, Ph.D.Profile page

    Department Head, Sociology & Human Services

    Phone678-717-3878

    Office locationStrickland Academic, 185 A, Gainesville

    Area(s) of Expertise: Tourism & Leisure Studies, Race and Ethnicity, Social Stratification, Culture, Memory, and Place.

    Michallene McDaniel
    Michallene McDaniel, Ph.D.Profile page

    Professor

    Phone678-717-3695

    Office locationStrickland Academic, 102, Gainesville

    Area(s) of Expertise: Identity Construction, Meaning Construction, Culture, Religion, Gender

    Esther Morgan-Ellis
    Esther Morgan-Ellis, Ph.D.Profile page

    Associate Professor of Music

    Phone706-867-2218

    Office locationNix, 203, Dahlonega

    Area(s) of Expertise: Music in Silent-Era Film Exhibition, Community Singing, Music in WWI, Tin Pan Alley, Appalachian Music

    David Patterson
    David Patterson, Ph.D.Profile page

    Associate Professor

    Phone706-864-1741

    Office locationHealth and Natural Sciences, 428, Dahlonega

    Area(s) of Expertise: Paleontology, Mammal Ecology, Stable Isotopes (Advising Area of Expertise: Biology, Pre-Physician's Assistant)

    Bryson Payne
    Bryson Payne, Ph.D.Profile page

    Coordinator, Student Cyber Programs

    Phone706-864-1694

    brysonpayne.com/

    Office locationBarnes Hall, 129, Dahlonega

    Cenate Pruitt
    Cenate Pruitt, Ph.D.Profile page

    Associate Professor

    Phone678-717-3464

    Office locationStrickland Academic, 150, Gainesville

    Ryan Shanks
    Ryan Shanks, Ph.D.Profile page

    Professor, Biology

    Phone706-864-1368

    Office locationHealth and Natural Sciences, 410, Dahlonega

    Area(s) of Expertise: Behavioral Neuroscience, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology (Advising Area of Expertise: Biology, Pre-Medicine)

    Troy Smith
    Troy Smith, Ph.D.Profile page

    Associate Professor

    Psychological Science

    Phone678-717-3670

    Office locationStrickland Academic, 147, Gainesville

    Emilia Sola Gracia
    Emilia Sola Gracia, Ph.D.Profile page

    Lecturer in Biology

    Phone706-864-1575

    Office locationHealth and Natural Sciences, 429, Dahlonega

    Area(s) of Expertise: Animal Behavior, Parasite-Host Interactions, Ecology, Social Behaviors

    Clayton Teem
    Clayton Teem, Ph.D.Profile page

    Professor, Psychological Science

    Phone678-717-3938

    Office locationStrickland Academic, 160, Gainesville

    Efren Velazquez
    Efren Velazquez, Ph.D.Profile page

    Assistant Professor of Psychological Science

    Phone678-717-2264

    Office locationStrickland Academic, 218, Gainesville

    Helpful Questions to Ask

    You are bound to have so many questions for your mentor, you may not know where to start. You will meet with your mentor twice per month for your junior and senior year.

    When meeting with your mentor, prepare and ask relevant questions and be respectful of your mentor’s time and experience. Ask yourself what you learned from the meeting and how you can apply it to your goals. We have created a list of questions that may help listed by topic.

    • Mentorship in General
      • Tell me about a recent setback and how you recovered?
      • What do you wish you knew at my stage?
      • What’s the most effective daily habit you possess?
      • Do you have a mentor? How have they influenced you?
      • How and where do you find inspiration?
      • Do you have any books that you would suggest I read?
      • How do you spend most of your time?
      • How can I help you?
      • Is this where you thought you would end up?
      • What used to be your biggest weaknesses? 
      • What are you most proud of?
    • Graduate Records Examination (GRE) Prep
      • How much will the GRE and prep cost me?
      • Are there any books/materials or workshops you suggest?
      • What are your study tips and should I get a tutor?
    • Graduate School

      Paying for Graduate School

      • What kinds of scholarships can I apply for while in graduate school?
      • Is HOPE still an option in graduate school?
      • How can McNair help me with attending a graduate school?
      • I’ve heard that some doctoral programs will pay you to go to school, how does this work?

      Applying for Graduate School

      • How do I know if a program is accredited?
      • Should I pursue a Master degree? Or go straight to a Doctoral program?
      • What are the types of experiences I can expect in a graduate program?
      • How big are the class/cohort sizes?
      • Where do I look for acceptance rates?
      • What are the different kinds of programs that schools can offer?
      • What do graduate program internships look like?
      • What are the differences in research in the programs I’m interested in?
    • Career Objectives
      • What’s the best advice you can give to help plan a career rather than simply work to keep a job?
      • Who else would you recommend I connect with?
      • How do you keep your feelings separate from your decision-making?
      • How do you balance your work and home life?
      • How best do you network in your field?
      • What should my LinkedIn look like?
      • What are your best interviewing tips?
      • What kinds of conferences should I consider attending? And how do I get discounted rates?
    • Resume/CV
      • What must I do to be academically competitive for entrance into the programs I want?
      • What may disqualify me?
      • What kinds of real world experience do I need to attend the program I want?
      • What professional organizations are you associated with and in what ways? 
      • Who should I contact to have them look over my resume or CV?
      • Are there any certifications I should get to make me stand out?
      • What sorts of hard skills are employers looking for?
    • Peer Mentors
    • Alumni Spotlights
    • Resources
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