FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Stephanie N. Gosnell, a junior financial management major in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, has been awarded the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship.

Congress established the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation in 1975 in honor of the nation’s 33rd president. The merit-based $30,000 award is given to approximately 64 undergraduates across the nation who plan to pursue careers in government or elsewhere in public service. The Truman Scholars participate in leadership development programs and have special opportunities for internships and employment with the federal government.

The scholars receive $3,000 for the senior year and $27,000 for two or three years of graduate study. Along with the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarship programs, the Truman program is deemed one of the most prestigious of the national scholarship programs in the country for undergraduates.

UA Chancellor John A. White said, "We were thrilled to learn that Stephanie was selected as a Truman Scholar. She is the first student from the Walton College to be awarded this scholarship. She has made great contributions to the quality of campus life through her leadership in Associated Student Government. This scholarship award provides further evidence that our best students are competitive with the best in the nation."

Mary Tolar, deputy executive secretary of the Truman Foundation, said, "We are fortunate to have Stephanie in the 2002 class of Truman Scholars. This is a remarkable group of students committed to careers in public service, truly this country's future leaders. She and her classmates are already working to make our society better, safer, healthier, more just. They are inspirational, as members of their selection panels - former Truman Scholars, federal judges, college presidents, and other lifelong public servants - attest.

"While her accomplishment is clearly her own, Stephanie brought with her to the selection interview the support of her faculty and advisors," Tolar said. "The University of Arkansas is right to celebrate her success - it is a wonderful reflection on a gifted student leader and the institution who supports her."

Gosnell, a native of Conway, was also recently elected president of the Associated Student Government (ASG) for the 2002-2003 academic year. She previously served as secretary and as a senator for ASG.

Gosnell said, "This is a very big honor, but it means continuing my commitment to public service in the future. I plan to get an MBA and a law degree and try to find a position in the government, possibly in the area of education. I am very grateful to the University of Arkansas for providing so many opportunities for service and leadership, especially with ASG."

She is a member of the Walton College’s Honors Program, and she served as a Chancellor’s Honors Intern. While secretary of ASG, she was involved in the resurrection of the UA Safe Ride program and has continued to work on the committee for two years to make the program a permanent part of the campus.

Gosnell has been very active on the UA campus, serving as director of Impact Arkansas, co-chair of the University Leadership retreat, chair of the Delta Delta Delta Philanthropy Committee, volleyball chair of the Booster Club, and ASG representative on the University Athletic Committee. In addition, she has been involved in many community and charitable endeavors, most notably, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Suzanne McCray, director of the Office of Post-Graduate Fellowships in Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, said Stephanie worked extremely hard on her application, participating in 10 mock interviews and completing a difficult application that takes approximate 35-50 hours to prepare.

"Stephanie has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to public service here at the University," McCray said. "She is the most involved student we have on campus, but her involvement has never been superficial; she rolls up her sleeves and gets into the thick of things. Application for the Truman Scholarship is quite rigorous, but Stephanie demonstrated through the interview process that she can think on her feet."

The U of A’s first Truman Scholar was Cindy Jessen in 1978. Previous Truman Scholarship winners from the University of Arkansas include Earnest Brown Alsor, 1990; Lou Green, political science, 1993; Jon Fernandez, philosophy, 1995; Warwick Sabin, political science, 1997; Megan Ceronsky, international relations, 1999; and Angela Maxwell, international relations, 1999.