Graduate Student Panel
Andrew Lowe-Mohammed
Ph.D. student in Communications
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland McNair Alumnus
Andrew Lowe M is a Ronald E. McNair Graduate Fellow and Ph.D. Student in the Rhetoric and Political Culture track within the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland. He earned his B.A. at the University of Maryland, College Park in Communication with a Digital Communication & Media specialization, and a Rhetoric minor. While attaining his undergraduate degree, Andrew was a McNair Undergraduate Scholar and earned an Outstanding Research Award for his project investigating conservative rhetoric on Twitter in the wake of January 6th. This scholarship has shaped Andrew’s interest in learning more about digital spaces and marginalized identities, exploring how traditional rhetorical principles are being reimagined within digital cultures. Andrew is currently an instructor of record in the Communication Department for COMM107: Oral Communication, Principles and Practices. Additionally, Andrew is an affiliate of the Black Communication and Technology lab currently doing research in the areas of Black digital identity performance and Black digital communities.
Xandie Iti Lusakbi M.A.
Ph.D. student in Criminology and Criminal Justice
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland McNair Alumnus
Xandie Iti Lusakbi is a doctoral student in the Criminology & Criminal Justice department at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is a United States Navy veteran, as well as the first Native student in her doctoral program. She earned her BA and first MA in criminology where she researched criminal thanatology through the impacts of the death penalty at the University of Oklahoma where she was a McNair Scholar. She is now a McNair Fellow at UMD. Xandie is currently working on introducing Indigenous perspectives into her field by researching the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit People (MMIWG2S) epidemic and the historical and continued impacts of settler colonialism on tribal sovereignty. Xandie also serves as the Graduate Coordinator for Native & Indigenous Student Involvement and Community Advocacy at the University of Maryland. She has two cats, Stoops and Vennie, who are named after University of Oklahoma head football coaches. She enjoys reading, painting, and playing Dungeons & Dragons with her husband and friends.
Zachary Castillo
Zachary is a first-year graduate student in the physics department at the University of Maryland, College Park. His involvement with the McNair program started in fall semester of 2015 while the attending the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM. Zachary graduated in the spring of 2017 with Bachelor of Science degrees in Physics and Applied Mathematics. His McNair research project and senior honors thesis focused on using inexpensive, hobby grade electronics to detect signals from a class of particle detectors currently being used to search for dark matter. Zachary is also a recipient of the Ronald E. McNair Graduate Fellowship which is offered through the UMD Graduate School.
Divon Pender
Student in Higher Education
University of Maryland, College Park
McNair Alumnus: Rutgers University
Divon Pender is a first-year Master’s degree candidate at the University of Maryland-College Park. While studying Higher Education at UMD, Divon supports the Office of Undergraduate Admissions as the Graduate Assistant for Diversity Initiatives. Divon also serves as the Higher Education Program’s Representative for the Graduate Student Government. Divon Pender is a 2023 graduate of Rutgers University- New Brunswick, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management. At Rutgers University, he joined several organizations, including the Scarlet Council, the Tri- Alpha First Generation Honors Society, the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, and the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Program. Before transferring to Rutgers, he graduated from Middlesex College with the highest honors, attaining his Associate of Science in Business Administration. Divon’s commitment and service to his community transcends institutional boundaries. He was the youngest individual ever elected to the South Plainfield Board of Education in 2021, where he continues to advocate for representation across the school district. He volunteers as the Young Adults Chair of the Metuchen-Edison Area Branch NAACP and is an Eagle Scout recipient. Divon is a youth leader at his church’s Vacation Bible School, Cedarcroft Bible Chapel, and has been a guest preacher at various churches across New Jersey since the age of fourteen. Divon accredits all of his success to his family, as they catalyzed his life of service from a young age. A scholar, coach, mentor, dreamer, food-lover, uncle, son, and brother, Divon is always looking for opportunities to uplift and inspire the next generation.
McNair Scholar’s Success Stories
Chesapeake Ballroom, 7:30 a.m. - 8:50 a.m., Saturday March 17th, 2024
Dr. Chanel Harley
Dr. Chanel Harley began her academic career at the University of Maryland – College Park in 2011 where she became a McNair Scholar in 2013. While a McNair Scholar, Chanel worked with Dr. Kanisha Bond in the Government and Politics Department to research political terrorism in the Americas. At UMD, she also served as an Images Tour Guide and joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Theta Nu Chapter. She received her Bachelor of Science in Community Health with a minor in Global Terrorism Studies in December 2015.
Dr. Harley went on to attend Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia to complete her PhD in Political Science. At GSU, she studied Political Communication among Chief Executives under the direction of Dr. Sarah Gershon with her dissertation titled “The reciprocal relationship of political communication: How governors use social media to influence election outcomes”. While at GSU, Chanel served as the President of the Black Graduate Student Association and the Co-Chair of the Political Science Annual Student Conference.
Chanel has received several awards and fellowships for her academic work on political communication including the Laura Bassi Editorial Scholarship and Provost Dissertation Awards. She has also presented at International Conferences sponsored by the University of Michigan, Brown University, and Carnegie Mellon Foundation. Chanel received her Ph.D. in Political Science from Georgia State University in May 2023. Dr. Harley is currently a Statistician at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and a Lecturer at Georgia State University.
Dr. Christopher Travers
Dr. Christopher S. Travers (he/him) is an educator, speaker, writer, and artist. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Travers earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Frostburg State University, master’s in counseling psychology from Towson University, and Ph.D. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from The Ohio State University. He is an alumnus of the McNair program at the University of Maryland, College Park. His scholarship explores life-making among Black folx in higher education through liberatory masculinities; faith and spiritual connection; and love-based pedagogy and practice. His work is published in several scholarly journals, including Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men, The Journal of Negro Education, Urban Education, and the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, among others. Dr. Travers holds 15+ years of experience in education, teaching, speaking, and diversity + equity programming. In addition to serving as Founder + CEO of The Communion Collective, Dr. Travers is also a Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor in the Student Affairs Concentration of the Higher Education, Student Affairs, International Education Policy (HESI) program.
Dr. Yixin Ren
Dr. Ren attained his bachelor’s degree from University of Buffalo, (2012,) he received first Master’s degree in from the Illinois State University in Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry (2014), his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Polymer Chemistry (2018) and went back to get a second Master’s degree in management science from Naveen Jindal School of Management, University of Taxes (2020). He is currently a Scientist III at the US Pharmacopeia in Rockville Maryland where he been employed since January 2022. He has also served as Senior Research Scientist at ARCTOC with Wright Patterson Air Forces Base for three years. During his doctoral studies, Dr Ren worked on several high level projects that:
- Designed and developed neodymium-based catalysts for dienes, cyclic esters, and vinyl monomers polymerization with improved catalytic activity,
- Focused on synthesis, purification, and characterization of the catalysts Studied the catalytic activity of the catalysts for the polymerization of dienes and vinyl monomers
- Investigated catalytic activity for ring opening polymerization of caprolactones and cytotoxicity of the catalysts
- Synthesized and investigated Y-substituted polycaprolactone for micellar drug delivery
Dr. Ren is author of more than 20 publications; two of his most recent articles are: Vitrimer Transition Temperature Identification: Coupling Various Thermomechanical Methodologies. ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. · Mar 4, 2021, and Transesterification in Vitrimer Polymers Using Bifunctional Catalysts: Modeled with Solution-Phase Experimental Rates and Theoretical Analysis of Efficiency and Mechanisms J. Phys. Chem. B · Mar 1, 2021.
Dr. Ren is distinguished scientist, scholar, author and one who love giving back to his community and the community at-large. He often speaks at McNair events, He is a member of the American Chemical Society and Alpha Chi Sigma
Dr. Matthew J. Crawford
Dr. Crawford is an FSU alum that rejoined his alma mater in 2011 after earning his Ph. D. at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. He is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and is the current chair of the Department of Chemistry & Physics. His primary research interests include organic chemistry, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, as well as chemical education for grades K-12. He was the 2014 recipient of the Maryland Parent Involvement Matters Award. Dr. Crawford is a member and current treasurer of the FSU Phi Kappa Phi (Honor society). He serves as the FSU advisor of the Chemistry Honor Society (Gamma Sigma Epsilon) and Co-Advisor for FSU Pre-Medical Society.
In addition, he serves as a member of the FSU Health Professions Advisory Committee that helps to guide/advise students pursuing an advanced degree and career in the medical field. He and his wife Michelle are proud parents of five children: Charlotte, Preston, Henry, Katie, and Marceline. They are avid Disney fans and enjoy traveling as often as they can. Both Dr. Crawford and his wife successfully completed their first Run Disney Dopey Challenge (5K, 10K, half and full marathons) in 2022 and are training for a second challenge for 2024.