Blackburn Institute

Two Fellows Honored as 2007 McNair Scholars

February 28, 2007

Kim Goins (2004-2005 fellow) and Aldrich Callins (2005-2006 fellow) were honored by the University of Alabama as 2007 McNair Scholars on February 13, 2007. The McNair Scholars Program is a federally funded initiative named for Dr. Ronald E. McNair, an astronaut who died in the Challenger space shuttle accident in 1986. The program encourages individuals who are first-generation college students or those typically under-represented in graduate schools to pursue graduate study. The program provides junior and senior undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in research experiences with financial support and faculty mentoring.

Kim, a political science and Spanish major from Mobile, will conduct her research before attending the University of Alabama School of Law on a full academic scholarship next August.

Aldrich, a finance major from Birmingham, still has some time left as an undergraduate, but will be using his grant to explore the relationships between wealth and race with an specific emphasis on real estate.

Previous Blackburn fellows who have been named McNair Scholars include: Victoria Barnes-Javine (2000-2001), Michelle Fuentes (2005-2006), the late Benita Newton (1999-2000), Adam Rankin (2004-2005), LaTasha Smith (2001-2002), Karen Torres (2002-2003), and Keisha Turner (2000-2001).