McNair Program Staff

Douglas Harder
Program Director

I started working with TRiO programs in 1980 as an undergraduate student at Northland College in Wisconsin. I supervised the dormitories for the Upward Bound Program. I drove the school bus, supervised outdoor adventures, and did mostly whatever the Director asked me to do. After graduation with a Bachelor’s in education from Northland College I was made the Assistant Director of the Northland Upward Bound Program. This was the beginning of a 29 year relationship with TRiO Programs. I later moved on to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. During my tenure with TRiO I have seen hundreds and hundreds of underrepresented students enter and succeed in higher education. I continued to work with high school age students for many years. In a few years I completed by Master’s Degree in Education Administration and served as the President of the Wisconsin Association of Educational Opportunity Programs.

During this period I started working with McNair Programs and in 2007 I retired from the University of Wisconsin and came to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to direct another wonderful McNair Program.

Directing the McNair Program continues to be the crown jewel of my career and has given me great personal satisfaction. Working with students who are preparing for research and graduate education has been very fulfilling. I continue to be excited about TRiO and look forward to working with the students of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Olga Diaz
Program Coordinator

Olga Diaz graduated with her Bachelor's of Arts in Organizational Management in 1994 from Alaska Pacific University and Master's of Science in Educational Technology in 1999 from the University of Alaska, Anchorage.

She worked for the University of Alaska from 1984-1999 in various positions ultimately working as Manager for Media Services, Information Technology. During her 15 years of employment she designed, developed, and implemented 44 SMART classrooms, 4 multimedia lecture halls and a performance art center.

In 1999 she moved to Flagstaff, Arizona and entered the Government sector as a Technical Trainer/Training Manager for Coconino County. Her primary responsibilities were to manage the Learning center by creating a learning environment for the County employees to acquire the skills to use Microsoft Office products in the office setting. She spent five years as a Technical Trainer and Manager teaching one-on-one sessions and instructor led workshops.

She is happy to have returned to an educational environment to assist with technology and teach because it is what she has a passion for. She has been employed with ERAU since February 2005. First she worked for the IT department as a "Technology Consultant" then in February 2006 she was transferred to the McNair Scholars Program where she encourages seniors to continue their education by pursuing a Doctorate degree.

Dr. David Viger

Emeritus

Dr. Viger combines three decades of teaching, administrative, and research experience with a passion and commitment to programs that promote diversity. David has taught physics, biology, and chemistry at both high school and college levels. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Science Education in addition to a doctorate in Higher Education Administration. He has administrative experience at high school and community college levels as well as at Embry-Riddle. His research and work within honors programs and advisement programs, along with his expertise in designing retention programs, bring unique strengths to his position. Dr. Viger has been a part of the Embry-Riddle community for more than twenty years.

We'd like to tell you more about the McNair Scholarship Program here at Embry-Riddle. Call at (928) 777-3860 or e-mail to request more information or an application. Or, use our convenient online inquiry form.