|
|
|
|
|
IU JUNIOR PATRICK W. PRICE WINS TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Patrick W. Price, an Indiana University junior from Indianapolis, has been named a Truman Scholar by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. Price is majoring in chemistry and Spanish.
IU Bloomington also had two finalists for the scholarship: Emily Chui of Columbus and Matthew Lasher of Evansville.
Price's award marks the second time in two years an IU student has earned the prestigious honor. Russell Ryan Vertner, from Indianapolis, won a Truman scholarship in 1997.
The Truman Scholarship is a highly competitive, merit-based award offered to college juniors who want to attend graduate school in preparation for a career in public service. The scholarship provides a $30,000 grant, of which $27,000 is for graduate study in the United States or abroad in a wide variety of fields. It also includes participation in a program called Truman Scholars Leadership Week, which involves Truman scholarship winners from around the country.
The Truman Foundation was established by Congress in 1975 as the official federal memorial to honor the nation's 33rd president. The foundation recognizes Truman's contributions to the nation, his commitment to public service and his interest in education. The foundation is an agency of the executive branch, governed by a board of trustees appointed by the president and Congress and endowed by a $55 million trust fund.
"Truman Scholars are persons who have been recognized by the Truman Scholarship Foundation as future 'change agents.' They have the desire, intellect and leadership potential that in time should enable them to improve the ways that public entities -- be they government agencies, schools or nonprofit organizations -- serve the public good. Their personal 'bottom line' is making a difference, not making a dollar," according to a statement by the foundation.
Price, an IU Honors Division student, has previously been awarded several other scholarships, including a Herman B Wells Scholarship to attend IU (a four-year, merit-based scholarship worth about $56,000), a Robert C. Byrd Scholarship and a Taylor Publishing National Merit Scholarship.
A columnist and opinion editor for the school newspaper at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, Price was also the captain of the track and cross country teams and served as president and treasurer of the speech and debate teams. His volunteer activities included volunteer work at the St. Vincent DePaul warehouse and the St. Vincent Hospice.
At IU, Price served as a columnist and member of the editorial board of the Indiana Daily Student and has been active on numerous student committees including the Residence Halls Association, the Bookstore Advisory Committee and the Commitment to Assist Student Initiative. One of his most significant volunteer projects was with the founding chapter of College Mentors for Kids. He helped reorganize and manage fund-raising for the organization while also mentoring an 11-year-old boy.
Price plans to use the Truman Scholarship to pursue a master's degree with a concentration in public health administration.
More information about the Truman Scholarship is available at the Truman Foundation's World Wide Web site, http://www.truman.gov
(Jeffrey Austin, Office of Communications and Marketing, 812-855-0084, jeaustin@indiana.edu)