When Ola Betiku, a fourth-year biochemistry major at the University, was in high school, he had no passion for chemistry and no thoughts beyond going to college. At the end of his freshman year, however, he found he had a strong aptitude for the physical sciences. "I didn’t feel comfortable with [chemistry] in high school," says Betiku, who attended high school in Plymouth, Minnesota. "It just wasn’t coming to me."

Now Betiku is one of only 24 students to receive the University of Minnesota’s McNair Scholarship—a nine-week, federally sponsored summer program allowing students from around the United States to do research with University professors and prepare for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). McNair scholars also receive a stipend of $2,800 for their summer research.

In honor of Challenger astronaut Ronald McNair, an African American who grew up in a poor southern community and faced discrimination in the physics field, the scholarship is funded by Congress through the U.S. Department of Education and goes to low- to middle-income students who are first-generation college students. The students are often underrepresented in their fields of study.

One hundred fifty-seven universities and colleges nationwide offer McNair Scholarships. Students in the program work about 40 hours a week on their research and GRE preparation. "I think it’s a worthwhile program; I sort of regret that it’s only nine weeks long," says chemistry professor Wayland Noland, who has worked with several McNair scholars over the past few years.

After taking Noland’s organic chemistry class in the spring of 2000, Betiku says he was inspired to pursue a degree in biochemistry. Noland recommended that Betiku apply for the McNair Scholarship so that together they could research chemical compounds with potential anti-tumor activity. "Ola worked hard," Noland says. "I think he should be able to perform successfully in grad school."

Betiku says Noland inspired him to continue in chemistry and to think ahead. "I used to read about chemistry and it made sense and it kind of didn’t," Betiku says. "But now I’m more a part of chemistry than I was before. It’s really increased my understanding." While Betiku says he doesn’t know where he will go to graduate school, the McNair Scholarship gave him the courage to apply. "I know that I wouldn’t have had a strong desire to go [to graduate school]. I wouldn’t have felt as qualified or confident," he says. "Now I’m way more confident in my field. I’m way more confident in the outcome of my overall success."

After a summer of research, Betiku is now considering prolonging his undergraduate work to a double major in chemistry.

—Katheryn Howard