Program

Conference Schedule at a Glance with active links is below. Please check back regularly for updates and any program schedule changes.
Please provide feedback to our presenters for the panels you attend:

ORAL PRESENTATION FEEDBACK FORM | POSTER PRESENTATION FEEDBACK FORM

Full UCLA McNair Conference Program is available for download as a searchable PDF with active links to each event:
McNair Conference Program

Day 1: Wednesday, July 24, 2024

TIME (PDT) SCHEDULE LOCATION
8:30 am –
4:00 pm		 Registration and Check-In 1st Floor: Luskin Entry Courtyard
9:00 am Bus loads for California Institute of Technology campus visit Bus Loading Zone
(in front of Luskin Conference Center)
9:30 am Bus loads for University of Southern California campus visit Bus Loading Zone
(in front of Luskin Conference Center)
10:00 am –
4:00 pm		 University of Southern California campus visit University of Southern California
California Institute of Technology campus visit California Institute of Technology
1:00 pm –
3:00 pm		 UCLA Campus Tour Meet in front of Luskin Conference Center
4:30 pm –
6:30 pm		 Welcome Reception
Dr. Charles J. Alexander
     Associate Vice Provost for Student Diversity
     Director, Academic Advancement Program
Dr. Adriana Galván
     Dean of Undergraduate Education
     Professor, Psychology
Dr. Susan L. Ettner
     Dean of Graduate Education
     Distinguished Professor, UCLA Department of Medicine
     Distinguished Professor, UCLA Department of Health Policy and Management
Keynote Speaker
     Dr. Gaye Theresa Johnson
     Associate Professor, UCLA Department of Chicana/o and Central American Studies
     Chair, Faculty Advisory Committee- Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies		 1st Floor: Centennial Ballroom

Day 2: Thursday, July 25, 2024

TIME (PDT) SCHEDULE LOCATION
8:00 am –
12:00 pm		 Registration and Check-In 1st Floor: Prefunction Area (in front of Centennial Ballroom)
8:00 am –
9:15 am		 Keynote and Breakfast
Dr. Alvine Kamaha
     Assistant Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy
     Endowed Chair, Physical Sciences- Dr. Keith and Cecilia Terasaki		 1st Floor: Centennial Ballroom
9:30 am –
10:30 am		 Breakout Session I
Oral Presentations		 [Floor: Room (Panel)]
1st Floor: Pinnacle (I-A), Odyssey (I-A), Pathways (I-A), Innovation (I-A)
2nd Floor: Imagination (I-A), Enlightenment (I-A), Artistry (I-A)
9:30 am –
10:30 am		 Financing Your Graduate Education Workshop
Dr. Ross Fenimore
     Senior Fellowships Officer, Office of Fellowships
     and Financial Services, UCLA Division of
     Graduate Education
Jane Sin
     Senior Fellowships Officer, Office of Fellowships
     and Financial Services, UCLA Division of
     Graduate Education		 1st Floor: Centennial Ballroom
10:00 am –
2:00 pm		 Graduate Opportunities Fair – Sponsors Showcase
Recruiters representing universities & programs		 1st Floor: Prefunction Area (in front of Centennial Ballroom)
10:45 am –
11:45 am		 Breakout Session II
Oral Presentations		 [Floor: Room (Panel)]
1st Floor: Pinnacle (II-B), Odyssey (II-B), Pathways (II-B)
2nd Floor: Imagination (II-B), Enlightenment (II-B), Artistry (II-A)
Poster Session 1 2nd Floor: Legacy
12:00 pm –
1:30 pm		 Keynote Panel and Lunch
Is Grad School For Me? Book Talk
Dr. Martínez-Vu, Dr. Chávez-García		 1st Floor: Centennial Ballroom
1:30 pm –
2:30 pm		 Breakout Session III
Oral Presentations		 [Floor: Room (Panel)]
1st Floor: Pinnacle (IIl-C), Odyssey (IIl-A), Pathways (IIl-C), Innovation (IIl-C)
2nd Floor: Imagination (IIl-A), Enlightenment (IIl-A), Artistry (IIl-E)
Poster Session 2 2nd Floor: Legacy
2:45 pm –
3:45 pm		 Writing a Powerful Statement of Purpose
Marissa López, Ph.D.
     Associate Dean, Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Admissions
     UCLA Division of Graduate Education
     Professor, UCLA Department of English
     Professor, UCLA Department of Chicana/o Studies
Kimberly Terrill, Ph.D.
     Associate Director, Career Education and Development		 1st Floor: Centennial Ballroom
2:45 pm –
3:45 pm		 Breakout Session IV
Oral Presentations		 [Floor: Room (Panel)]
1st Floor: Pinnacle (IV-D), Pathways (IV-B), Innovation (IV-B)
2nd Floor: Imagination (IV-C), Artistry (IV-K)
4:00 pm –
5:00 pm		 Breakout Session V
Oral Presentations		 [Floor: Room (Panel)]
1st Floor: Pinnacle (V-C), Pathways (V-D), Innovation (V-A)
2nd Floor: Enlightenment (V-A), Artistry (V-D)
Poster Session 3 2nd Floor: Legacy
5:00 pm –
6:30 pm		 UCLA Sunset Campus Tour 1st Floor: Front of Luskin Conference Center

Day 3: Friday, July 26, 2024

TIME (PDT) SCHEDULE LOCATION
8:00 am –
9:00 am		 Networking Breakfast
Network with Conference Sponsors
and Recruiters		 3rd floor: Centennial Terrace
9:00 am –
10:00 am		 Breakout Session VI
Oral Presentations		 [Floor: Room (Panel)]
1st Floor: Pinnacle (VI-E), Odyssey (VI-C), Pathways (VI-B), Innovation (VI-B)
2nd Floor: Artistry (VI-E), Enlightenment (VI-I), Imagination (VI-D)
10:00 am –
2:00 pm		 Graduate Opportunities Fair
Recruiters representing universities & programs
Sponsor Showcase		 1st Floor: Prefunction Area (in front of Centennial Ballroom)
10:15 am –
11:15 am		 Breakout Session VII
Oral Presentations		 [Floor: Room (Panel)]
1st Floor: Pinnacle (VII-D), Odyssey (VII-D), Pathways (VII-C)
2nd Floor: Enlightenment (VII-F), Imagination (VII-B)
Poster Session 4 1st Floor: Centennial Ballroom
11:30 am –
1:30 pm		 Lunch
Graduate Fair

ASUCLA Campus Restaurants (Recommended On-campus)
asucla.ucla.edu/locations – Central and South Campus Locations
1:30 pm –
2:30 pm		 Breakout Session VIII
Oral Presentations		 [Floor: Room (Panel)]
1st Floor: Pinnacle (VIll-A), Odyssey (VIll-E), Pathways (VIll-A), Innovation (VIll-J)
2nd Floor: Artistry (VIll-D)
Poster Session 5 1st Floor: Centennial Ballroom
2:45 pm –
3:45 pm		 Breakout Session IX
Oral Presentations		 [Floor: Room (Panel)]
1st Floor: Pinnacle (IX-B), Pathways (IX-B), Innovation (IX-H)
2nd Floor: Artistry (IX-G)
3:45 pm –
4:00 pm		 Conference Closing
Dr. Alice Ho
     Director, McNair Research Scholars Program
     Director, Research, Assessment and Evaluation
     Academic Advancement Program		 1st Floor: Centennial Ballroom
5:15 –
5:30 pm		 Bus loads for Cultural Activity
     Check-in and pick up boxed dinner
     Bus boarding		 Bus Loading Zone
(in front of Luskin Conference Center)
8:00 pm –
11:59 pm		 Cultural Activity – Sold out Hollywood Bowl – Chaka Khan Concert
Report to Bus Pick-Up Zone promptly after the concert at 10:30pm