Four KU juniors nominated for Harry S. Truman Scholarships

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas has nominated four outstanding juniors for Harry S. Truman Scholarships.

The students are competing for the prestigious national awards, which provide up to $30,000 for graduate study. The awards are given to college juniors for leadership in public service. They are highly competitive, with only about 60 Truman Scholars named nationwide each year.

This year’s KU nominees:

• Daisy Crane of Columbia, Missouri, majoring in visual arts and peace & conflict studies
• Tomas Green of Lynnwood, Washington, majoring in chemical engineering and minoring in public policy
• Emily Reno of Lawrence, majoring in environmental studies and minoring in Spanish
• Taylor Zabel of Smith Center, majoring in biochemistry

Criteria for the nominations include an extensive record of campus and community service, commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit and advocacy sectors, communication skills and a high probability of becoming a "change agent," and a strong academic record with likely acceptance to the graduate school of the candidate’s choice. The campus nomination process is coordinated through the Office of Fellowships and Scholarships, which is housed in the University Honors Program and open to all KU undergraduates.

Scholars receive priority admission and supplemental financial aid at some premier graduate institutions, leadership training, career and graduate school counseling, and special internship opportunities within the federal government.

Since 1981, 18 KU students have become Truman scholars. Ashlie Koehn was the last KU student to receive the honor in 2015.

The Truman Scholarship Foundation was established by Congress in 1975 as the federal memorial to President Harry S. Truman. Each year, a selection committee reviews applications from more than 600 nominees for the Truman Foundation in Washington, D.C. Approximately 200 students will be named finalists in late February and invited for regional interviews in March and early April. The 60 or so Truman Scholars will be announced in late April.

More information about KU’s nominees is below:

Daisy Crane of Columbia, Missouri, graduated from Columbia Hickman High School. She is the daughter of Jana Wilson and Kevin Crane. Her involvement at KU includes MEDLIFE and Create KU through the Center for Community Outreach. She was the group leader of the KU MEDLIFE medical brigade to Tanzania in 2015. She is a member of Omega Phi Alpha national service sorority and the University Honors Program. Crane is currently participating in an internship with Tanya Hartman, associate professor of visual art, to work on Hartman's Migration Stories project.

Tomas Green of Lynnwood, Washington, graduated from Meadowdale High School. He is the son of Guy and Aina Green. He has been involved with several organizations at KU, including the KU Student Senate, the Student Environmental Advisory Board and the University Honors Program. Off-campus he has worked with the Willow Domestic Violence Center and the Citizens Climate Lobby. He was been selected as a KU Man of Merit by the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity and has received a Self Engineering Leadership Fellowship.

Emily Reno of Lawrence graduated from Free State High School. She is the daughter of Greg and Tammie Reno. Before coming to KU, Reno earned an associate’s degree and a Sustainable Agriculture Certificate from Johnson County Community College. She has been active in JCCC’s Student Sustainability Committee and the Slow Food movement.  Her involvement at KU includes the Multicultural Scholars Program, the McNair Scholars Program and the University Honors Program.

Taylor Zabel of Smith Center graduated from Smith Center Junior-Senior High School. He is the son of John and Laura Zabel. At KU, Zabel has been involved in the University Honors Program, Student Senate, is on the advisory board of KU’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and was active in the Provost’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group. He has held national internships with the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and with the National Institutes of Health.