KU nominates 4 juniors for Harry S. Truman Scholarships

Thu, 02/10/2022

Erin Wolfram

LAWRENCE — Four outstanding juniors will be the University of Kansas nominees 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:

Nathan Do, majoring in biochemistry and minoring in Spanish
Ximena Ibarra Quintana, majoring in political science and American studies and minoring in Spanish
Abeer Iqbal, majoring in behavioral neuroscience and minoring in social justice in the U.S.
Max Lillich, majoring in political science and minoring in Jewish studies, business and sociology.

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 by the Office of Fellowships, a unit of Academic Success. Students interested in applying for the Truman Scholarship in future years are encouraged to contact the office, which can nominate a limited number of students each year.

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, 20 KU students have become Truman scholars. Samuel Steuart was the most recent KU student to receive the honor in 2019.

Congress established the Truman Scholarship Foundation in 1975 as the federal memorial to President Harry S. Truman. A national selection committee reviews applications from more than 800 nominees for the Truman Foundation. Approximately 200 students will be named finalists in late February and invited for regional interviews in March and early April. The scholarship recipients will be announced in late April.

More information about KU’s nominees is below:

Nathan Do, of Wichita, is majoring in biochemistry with a minor in Spanish and is a graduate of Wichita East High School. He is the son of Hien Do and Huong Huynh. After graduation, Do plans to earn a dual degree of Doctor of Medicine and Public Health to pursue his passion in medicine, both at the level of preventative care and community health. He currently serves as president of the KU chapter of Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM), which was recently awarded 2021 Chapter of the Year by oSTEM Global. Additionally, Do is a recipient of the 2021 oSTEM Undergraduate Award. He serves as co-director of Alternative Breaks to promote and create opportunities for ethical service learning on campus. As a 2021 K-INBRE Scholar, he conducts research regarding host-pathogen relationships in the lab of Brian Ackley, associate professor of molecular biosciences. A member of the University Honors Program, he has also served as a member of the KU Advisory Group of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Undergraduate Research. Do’s service experience includes serving as an isolation monitor for the Shawnee County Health Department and volunteering for the Utah Pride Center through Alternative Breaks.

Ximena Ibarra Quintana, of Pittsburg, is double majoring in political science and American studies with a minor in Spanish and is a graduate of Pittsburg High School. She is the daughter of Susana Quintana and Marco Ibarra. After graduation, Ibarra Quintana plans to earn a Juris Doctor focusing on law and social change. She is a member of the University Honors Program and was selected as a 2020-2021 University Scholar. Ibarra Quintana served as the chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at KU, where she co-organized and moderated a town hall forum that provided students from underrepresented groups the opportunity to voice their concerns. She is also the vice president of the ACLU at KU, was the student representative for Kansas for Constitutional Freedom and is a founding member of Lawrence Freedgin Kansas community food pantry. Additionally, she was a student ambassador for the Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity and formerly served as the founder and Campus Corps Leader for Jayhawks for Bernie in 2020. Ibarra Quintana also participated in the Bench Builder Summer Internship Program within the Kansas Democratic Party during summer 2021 and is currently serving as an intern at the American Bar Association’s Commission on Immigration in Washington, D.C., throughout spring 2022.

Abeer Iqbal, of Des Moines, Iowa, is majoring in behavioral neuroscience with a minor in social justice in the U.S. and is a graduate of Waukee High School. She is the daughter of Sadia and Sami Iqbal. Iqbal plans to pursue a dual Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health to give back to her community by helping underrepresented communities of color have more satisfactory health outcomes and medical experiences. Iqbal is a University Honors Scholar and was recently named KU’s 2022 Newman Civic Fellowship nominee. She also is the current academic chair of Phi Delta Epsilon (PhiDE) Academic Pre-Medical Fraternity and previously held the service chair position. Iqbal is the director of alumni relations for Mortar Board Society, a Family Relations Committee member for KU Dance Marathon and service chair for Sigma Kappa sorority. Iqbal has also volunteered within KU LEAD-UP, Jayhawk Health Initiative Medical Tele-Brigade, Sigma Kappa Campus Clean-Ups and Broadlawns Hospital. Since fall 2021, she has participated in a research recruitment internship at KU Medical Center, where she helps teach and connects minority communities to research opportunities and resources within the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Center.

Max Lillich, of Lawrence, is majoring in political science and minoring in Jewish studies, business and sociology. He is a graduate of Free State High School and the son of Roxanne Rachlin and Shane Lillich. Lillich plans to earn a Juris Doctor to contribute to the field of international law and prosecute crimes of genocide or develop policy to make genocide prosecution easier. A member of the University Honors Program, he was selected as a 2020-2021 University Scholar and is the 2019 Kansas 6A 2 speaker policy debate state champion. He also is a KU Rising Scholar and Brosseau Scholar. Lillich currently works as the internal affairs director for KU's Student Senate and as an assistant to the mayor of Lawrence. Additionally, Lillich serves on several organizations’ boards, including Legal Services for Students, KJHK and Student Senate Outreach. In fall 2020, he was a research assistant for the Texas Governor’s COVID-19 Taskforce, and he interned at the Texas Hotel and Lodging Association in summer 2018.