Our Supporters
Honoring the people whose vision, generosity, and leadership power the McNAIR Aerospace Center.
Named in honor of SC native and Challenger astronaut, the Ronald E. McNair Center for Aerospace Innovation and Research was founded in 2011 with donations from Darla Moore, Anita Zucker and Marva Smalls.
Our Namesake: Ronald E. McNair
Ronald E. McNair was the unlikeliest of heroes and, although McNair's inspiring career was cut short in the Challenger space shuttle tragedy in 1986, his legacy continues in many ways.
Ronald Erwin McNair was born on October 21, 1950, in Lake City, South Carolina. A gifted scholar, he graduated magna cum laude from North Carolina A&T State University before earning his Ph.D. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at just 25 years old.
McNair became a nationally recognized expert in laser physics and was selected by NASA in 1978 as a mission specialist in the Space Shuttle Program. He flew aboard Challenger in 1984 and was tragically killed during his second mission on January 28, 1986.
After his death, Congress established the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, dedicated to preparing first-generation and underrepresented students for doctoral study, an enduring reflection of the standards McNair lived by.
Women With a Vision
The McNAIR Aerospace Center exists today thanks to visionary women whose generosity and belief in education have transformed opportunity across South Carolina and beyond.
Darla Moore
The McNAIR Aerospace Center launched in 2011 following a $5 million pledge from University of South Carolina alumna and benefactor Darla Moore ’75. A native of Lake City, South Carolina, Moore made the donation in memory of fellow Lake City native Ronald E. McNair, helping establish a lasting foundation for aerospace research and education.
Anita Zucker
In 2012, USC announced a second $5 million pledge from Anita Zucker to create the Zucker Institute for Aerospace Innovation within the McNAIR Center. A former elementary school teacher, Zucker is a strong advocate for education and serves as chairwoman and CEO of The InterTech Group, a global manufacturing company supporting aerospace, aviation, and power generation industries.
Marva Smalls
A Florence, South Carolina native and USC graduate, Marva Smalls is an executive vice president at Viacom and Nickelodeon. She donated $1 million to endow scholarships for minority students from the state’s Pee Dee region pursuing degrees in computer science and engineering, expanding access to STEM careers.
*Donation box will go here when finished*