CURRENT SCHOLARS
Through mentoring, advising and more, these Hunter students have become scholars of the highest distinction. Learn about their individual interests, achievements and goals.
Scholars
Meet Our Scholars
McNair scholars are encouraged to pursue their passions and engage in a wide range of research and scholarly activities that help prepare them for doctoral study.
Success Story
Ayendy Bonifacio, PhD
Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in East New York, Brooklyn, Dr. Ayendy Bonifacio was an English major at Hunter College in 2012 when he was accepted into the McNair Scholars Program. With guidance from his advisor, Dr. Janet Neary, he conducted research on nineteenth century American poetry and poetics and was later accepted into Ohio State University where he earned his PhD.
After his doctoral studies, Dr. Bonifacio worked as an assistant professor of English at CUNY-BMCC before transferring to the University of Toledo, where he is currently an assistant professor of U.S. ethnic literary studies. Dr. Bonifacio’s scholarship focuses on Transamerican literature and culture, including Latino/a/x studies. His research has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, The Digital Media and Composition Institute and The Society for Nineteenth-Century Americanists, and his writing has been widely published. His book of poetry, To the River, We are Migrants, was named one of the top best non-fiction books of 2017 by the Latino author Dique Dominican.
"The McNair Scholars program means a lot to me. It is where my journey in higher education started."
Ayendy Bonifacio, PhD (2012 Cohort)