In addition to his academic achievements, Dr. McNair received three honorary doctorate degrees, as well as numerous fellowships and commendations. These distinctions include:
- Presidential Scholar (1967-1971)
- Ford Foundation Fellow (1971-1974)
- National Fellowship Fund Fellow (1974-1975)
- Omega Psi Phi Scholar of the Year (1974-1975)
- Distinguished National Scientist, National Society of Black Professional Engineers (1979)
- The Friends of Freedom Award (1981)
- Who’s Who Among Black Americans (1980)
- AAU Karate Gold Medal (1976)
- Five Regional Black Belt Karate Championships
- Honorary doctorate of Laws from North Carolina A&T State University in 1987
- Honorary doctorate of Science from Morris College in 1980
- Honorary doctorate of science from the University of South Carolina
Following graduation from MIT in 1976, Dr. McNair became a staff physicist with Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California. His assignments and research included:
- the development of lasers for isotope separation
- photochemistry utilizing non-linear interactions in low-temperatures liquids
- optical pumping techniques
- electro-optic laser modulation for satellite-to-satellite space communication
- the construction of ultra-fast infrared detectors
- ultraviolet atmospheric remote sensing