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News Release

Last modified: Monday, September 21, 2009

IU selects first Presidential Student Intern

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 21, 2009

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University President Michael McRobbie announced today the appointment of IU Bloomington senior Miles Taylor as the university's inaugural Presidential Student Intern. Taylor, from La Porte, Ind., is a Wells Scholar with a 4.0 grade-point average and was recently honored with the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship.

The new internship, which will be administered by the IU Office of the President, is designed to provide high-achieving IU undergraduates with the opportunity to gain experience and leadership skills while contributing to the long-term improvement of the university.

"I am very pleased that this new internship will provide an opportunity for one of IU's most skilled and accomplished undergraduate students to gain unique experience working in the Office of the President on major issues for IU," McRobbie said. "Miles Taylor has outstanding academic credentials and professional experience which he will bring to this position. He is a remarkable student with great leadership abilities, and I have no doubt that he will make a significant impact here at IU and in the world after he graduates."

As part of his internship duties, Taylor will work closely with the IU Office of the Vice President for Planning and Policy on an emergency plan that will help guide senior officials in the event of a crisis.

"I'm looking forward to tapping into Miles' interest and experience in this area to develop plans that will be of direct benefit to the university," said John Applegate, IU vice president for planning and policy.

Taylor is majoring in political science and in international security studies through the IU Bloomington Individualized Major Program. In March, he was one of 60 Truman Scholars selected from 601 candidates nominated by 289 colleges and universities. Truman Scholars, who intend to pursue careers in government or nonprofit service, are chosen on the basis of leadership potential, intellectual ability and the likelihood of "making a difference."

Taylor took time off from college in 2007 to work in Washington, D.C., serving as an intern in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Office of Vice President Dick Cheney. From January 2008 to August 2008, he worked as briefing book coordinator at the Department of Homeland Security, helping prepare briefings for Secretary Michael Chertoff and Deputy Secretary Paul Schneider. This summer, he served as a regional policy intern for the Defense Department, where he conducted research for use in national security policymaking.

A member of IU's Board of Aeons, which offers student guidance to the president's office, Taylor looks forward to working more closely with McRobbie, who recently began his third year in office.

"There is a level of respect for President McRobbie's leadership here at Indiana University that I don't believe I've witnessed in any other institution," Taylor said. "Accepting an opportunity to serve under him -- in any capacity -- was a no-brainer. I am hoping I'll have the chance to give back in some way to a place that has given me a great deal. In particular, I am looking forward to drawing on my experiences in Washington to assist with some of the complex challenges the university faces."

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