Contacts

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.

Thompson Building
Suite #101M
Mailstop 075
Reno, NV
89557-0086

Phone: (775) 784-6044
Fax: (775) 784-1353

Rita Escher

Director of Student Access & Opportunity Services

Phone: 775.784.6044

As Director of TRiO’s socio-economic programs, Rita Escher is responsible for the overall direction and supervision of the grant, program staff, program monies, and the submission of competitive grants and annual reports. In addition, Rita is our liaison to our program officer at the U.S. Department of Education.

Marsha Dupree

Assistant Director

Phone: 775.784.4665

Email: marshad@unr.edu

Marsha Dupree is responsible for initiating and coordinating the recruitment of 22 McNair Scholars annually. The program has very ambitious goals for participants and they are required to attend a seven week summer colloquium, write and submit a research paper, present at a conference, and attend monthly meetings. Marsha assists students in preparing for their Ph.D. and pairs participants with a faculty research mentor.

Chris Gienger

Research Methods Instructor

Phone: 775.784.4665

Email: gienger@unr.edu

Chris Gienger is the instructor for the annual Research Methods Course offered for credit to McNair Scholars Only. He assists program participants in the undertaking of the “how’s” and “to’s” of research. He is also responsible for assisting these participants with the annual Summer Research Colloquium GRE preparation and practice tests.

Denise Lackamp

Writing Coordinator

Phone: 775.784.6044

Email: lackampd@unr.nevada.edu

Denise Lackamp is responsible for assisting the scholars edit papers in any subject (including hard sciences) where there is a writing component. In addition, she assists with resume’ critiques, personal statements and reading comprehension, as well as many other writing needs.

Ronnie Langdon

Graduate Student Program Assistant

Phone: 775.784.6044

Email: vlangdon@unr.edu

Ronnie Langdon is the graduate student program assistant. She helps coordinate monthly meetings and events for McNair, helps with the publication and distribution of newsletters, journals and recruiting material and keeps in contact with past scholars while working individually with current scholars to ensure that they are on track with the program and that they are meeting the requirements to maintain the McNair Scholarship.

Lisa Ely

Program Officer

Phone: 775-784-6044

Email: lisae@unr.edu

Lisa Ely is responsible for processing student applications submitted for program services. She gathers and verifies eligibility documentation to make sure all participants meet federal guidelines for program services and that the participant file are in federal compliance. TRiO participants’ matriculation data is managed and tracked then reported annually to the U.S. Department of Education. She reviews the grant budget for “allowable costs” and reviews these items with the Director and reconciles accounts.

*The University of Nevada, Reno McNair Scholars Program is federally funded at $231,000.00 annually.