4 Indian Americans Among 58 Outstanding College Students Selected as Truman Scholars
- The scholarship was created by the U.S. Congress in 1975 as a living memorial to the 33rd president of the United States.
Four Indian Americans are among 58 outstanding college students selected as Truman Scholars. The scholarship is awarded to college juniors “with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in government, nonprofit or advocacy sectors, education or elsewhere in public service.” It aims “to sustain and empower the community of Truman scholars and to strengthen a commitment to public service in all its forms through intellectual, personal and professional development.”
The scholarship was created by the U.S. Congress in 1975 as a living memorial to the 33rd president of the United States.
Indian American scholars include Eshika Kaul, Wellesley College; Avi Gupta, Stanford University; Bhav Jain, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Amisha Kambath, Harvard.
Avi Gupta of Oregon studies political science and computer science with specializations in American politics and artificial intelligence (AI) at Stanford University. “His background in AI engineering and public policy informs his passion for public service at the intersection of technology and policy,” says his profile on the Truman website. Gupta intends to pursue a JD to harness law as a tool for crafting effective policy. He enjoys playing basketball, exploring new cuisines, and walking Zaylie, the family labradoodle.
Bhav Jain of Pennsylvania is interested in global health care delivery and transforming clinical care as a future physician-policymaker. His research spans oncology delivery, health disparities, and health systems transformation, and has been published in outlets such as Nature Medicine, American Journal of Public Health, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Annals of Surgical Oncology, and American Journal of Managed Care. Additionally, he engages with undergraduate students and physicians across 20 states through his nonprofit organization, The Connected Foundation, which forges intergenerational connections between youth and seniors, and partners with health care systems to support seniors transitioning from inpatient or clinical to home-based care.
Amisha A Kambath of California studies social studies and economics at Harvard University. Committed to a life motivated by justice, she is interested in the criminal legal system writ large, with a particular focus on the intersecting threads of economic opportunity, violence, urban economic development, policing, and alternatives to incarceration. She intends to pursue a JD/Ph.D. to study the architecture of the criminal legal system and examine alternate models of economic policy to challenge existing paradigms of economic development. She also loves spending time outdoors on walks or playing basketball, and listening to and reading about music analysis
Eshika Kaul of New Jersey is a student of economics and peace and justice at Wellesley College. Her passion for harnessing the power of grassroots activism and coalition building to advocate for change stemmed from her successes in founding programs to support mental health and diversity initiatives in her hometown. At Wellesley, Kaul is a leader in civic engagement, expanding service opportunities for students by establishing partnerships with local nonprofits. She works alongside lawyers, accountants, and law students at the Harvard Legal Services Center Federal Tax Clinic to advocate for low-income taxpayers with IRS controversies. She plans on pursuing a JD with the intent of challenging systemic injustices as a lawyer, community organizer, and public servant.