Graduate school was once a completely abstract idea for junior English major Nicholas Smurthwaite.
“I knew I wanted to work in academia, but I had no idea how to do it.”
Terms like Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and curriculum vitae were foreign to Smurthwaite, who is the first in his family to attend a four-year university.
But then he got wind of the McNair Scholars Program, a U.S. Dept. of Education initiative that prepares first-generation and traditionally underrepresented undergraduate students for doctoral studies. In fall 2017, UNCG was one of six universities in the state to be selected for the program.
Smurthwaite and his 24 fellow McNair Scholars receive faculty mentoring, GRE test preparation, a research and writing course and a $5,000 research stipend.
Last summer, Smurthwaite returned home to deliver pizzas. This year, he’ll remain on campus to conduct research on the stigmatization of vernacular in academia.
The program is transformative, to say the least. But it’s just one example of how UNCG is investing in the success of all students, no matter their background.
In January 2017, UNCG received $1 million from the National Science Foundation to enroll academically talented and financially challenged minority, female and first-generation students seeking degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Later that semester, the university received a $1.4 million MARC U-STAR grant to support underrepresented minority and disadvantaged students pursuing biomedical and behavioral health degrees.
And then in May, UNCG was selected to join the Gates Foundation Frontier Set, a group of 31 educational institutions across the country working to improve student outcomes and close the achievement gap.
“I think these awards demonstrate confidence in the university, in our commitment to provide quality educational experiences for all students,” said Dr. Lee Phillips, director of the Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Office.
It’s opportunities like these that can change the life trajectory for students, especially the 33 percent of UNCG undergraduates who are first-generation students.
“The tools weren’t available to us,” Smurthwaite said. “Now, the McNair Program is giving us the resources that we need. Although it’s scary at times, the staff and faculty mentors are going to be there all along the way. I’m extremely thankful.”
As the final horn sounded and the men’s basketball team took the conference title in Asheville, Spiro and the cheerleaders joined the celebration. After a full season of dedication by the cheerleaders, the Bands of Sparta pep band, the many supporters rooting on the team, game after game, it was time for an exultant Spartan roar.
PHOTOGRAPH BY
MARTIN W. KANE
“Accept the challenges so you may feel the exhilaration of victory.” – George S. Patton
Jessica Ocasio interned with Tiny Houses Greensboro, where she designed a 288-square-foot tiny house.
“Tiny House Dreams.” The caption of a black and white photo printed in the Greensboro Voice street paper captured Allison Puppo ’16, Natalie Johnson ’15 and Elizabeth Leonard ’15 seated at a wooden table at UNCG’s Center for Community- Engaged Design (CC-ED). It was 2014, before the organization Tiny Houses Greensboro was even a passing thought.
The three classmates shared an interest in the design and construction of tiny houses, microdwelling units typically under 600 sq. feet. For her final project, Johnson created a traveling exhibit to take to local schools, building a tiny house out of PVC pipe.
“Most people didn’t realize you can build one of these and it can be a strong solution for homelessness,” Johnson said.
In search of a project for the brand-new CC-ED, the trio joined other community members to discuss how tiny houses might play a role in addressing homelessness in Guilford County.
Johnson said at the time, the tiny house movement was just gearing up, and the project was “a huge uphill battle.”
Fast forward to 2018: Tiny Houses Greensboro is making giant strides with Greensboro’s first tiny houses community for homeless individuals, and students in UNCG’s Interior Architecture program are building off of the groundwork Puppo, Johnson and Leonard left over four years ago. Interior Architecture MFA candidate Jessica Ocasio is one.
Ocasio is designing three types of micro- dwelling communities to offer young adults more affordable housing options and is working closely with Travis Hicks, associate professor and director of the CC-ED, as a student fellow with the center
Hicks has always been intentional about fostering a spirit of community among students and community partners like Tiny Houses Greensboro. He notes the work of the CC-ED allows for projects to continue over many years.
“Jessica’s work will benefit the work of future students who are interested in sustainability, reducing one’s footprint and designing for users of different socioeconomic backgrounds,” Hicks said.