The 2025 UNM McNair Scholars Research Conference will be hosting a graduate school fair and we hope you will join us! McNair Scholars from coast to coast will be on our campus for this event.

• ATTENTION: In previous years we held our conference on the same dates that UNM Career Services held its Graduate and Professional School Fair.  Due to scheduling difficulties beyond either of our offices' control, we will have separate graduate school fairs on different dates. So be sure to register for the right event for your needs.
• Our graduate school fair will be on Thursday, September 4, 2025 in the Student Union Building. The UNM Career Services Graduate School fair will be in October.

• We have received excellent feedback from recruiters who participated in our past events who remarked that the engagement with our groups has been great. Our attendees participate in a networking activity during the opening ceremony where they learn how to make the most of a graduate school fair.
• The graduate school fair will have two sessions on Sept. 4 with approximately half the students coming to each session. The sessions are tentatively scheduled from 10:30–11:30 a.m. & 1:00–2:00 p.m. with lunch in between. Please refer to the conference schedule for any changes.
• All students registered for the McNair Research Conference will participate in the graduate school fair 
• All McNair Scholars have conducted research under the guidance of faculty and are planning on applying to graduate school in the near future (either this fall or next).
• We will share our conference attendee information (major, email, etc) with recruiters prior to the event to allow for pre-conference recruitment.
• Recruiters can also interact with attendees on our conference app.
• Last year we had 200+ undergraduate from approximately 40 universities in attendance and we expect more this year. About 40 McNair staff members from programs nationwide also attended.
  • Only conference participants will be in attendance at the graduate school fair.

Additional Opportunities for Graduate School Recruiters:

• Although our graduate school fair is on Thursday, September 4, all registered recruiters are invited to attend the entire conference including all the meals on both days (Sept. 4 & 5). This includes an excursion to the spectacular Sandia Peak Tramway and dinner on day one of the conference and the oral presentations & closing ceremony  on day two of the conference.
• Recruiters are encouraged to attend or volunteer as evaluators or moderators for the oral presentations on Sept. 5. 
• Recruiters at our past events have appreciated the opportunity to network with scholars outside of the graduate school fair because it allows for recruiting in a less formal environment.

The research conference is Sept. 4 & 5, 2025 and the graduate/professional school fair is only on Sept. 4, 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• When should I register? ASAP. Last year we had to turn people away due to space constraints (we had space for 64 tables/programs). Registration should open in February 2025.
• Must each representative register? Yes, in order to cover our catering and meeting space costs, each person who represents a graduate school program must register ( you do not pay by table). 
• Are there different registration levels/prices? No. While some conferences give different levels of access to conference attendees for recruiters based on registration fees, we do not. This conference offers recruiters the opportunity to interact with students throughout the conference including the meals, oral presentations, excursion, volunteer opportunities, etc.
• What size of tables are available? Each registered graduate school program will have a 6' X 2' table and chairs.
• Can I ship my materials to you? Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to receive shipping. You will need to bring your materials with you. 
• Where should I park on campus? The closest parking structure for visitors is the Cornell Parking Structure (building 198 on linked map) and just about a minute walk to the Student Union Building (SUB – building 60 on map).
  PDF Campus Map
  Google based interactive map
  • If you park on campus and attend the excursion to Sandia Peak Tramway, our buses will drop people off on campus and the conference hotels when the event is done.
• Is campus parking included in the registration fee? No, Parking is not included with your registration fee. There is metered parking availiable. However, if you stay in the conference hotel, we do provide free shuttle service to get to the conference.
• Are there discounts for UNM graduate school programs? No. There is too much demand from graduate school recruiters nationwide to offer discounts.
• What types of programs should register for this fair? McNair grant objectives are aimed at research-based graduate school programs (master's & Ph.D.) and not professional school (JD, MD, DDS, etc). The ultimate goal with McNair is a Ph.D. Additionally, we prefer graduate schools that offer funding to prospective applicants as most of our participants come from low-income and first-generation to college backgrounds. We do not recommend "for profit schools" to register for this fair.

(Updated 10/17/24)