Two University of Arkansas Students Named as 2014 Harry S. Truman Scholarship Finalists

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Katie Dunn and Cicely Shannon

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Two University of Arkansas juniors, Katie Dunn of Muskogee, Okla. and Cicely Shannon of Texarkana, Ark., have been selected as finalists for the 2014 Harry S. Truman Scholarship.

This is the third straight year that multiple U of A students have been named Truman finalists. 

Their selection places Shannon and Dunn among the top students in the country. Truman Scholars are selected based on a commitment to public service and are awarded $30,000 in scholarship funds to attend graduate or law schools. The application process is rigorous and often requires more than 50 hours to complete. Candidates must also interview. Universities and colleges can submit up to four applications each year.

Finalists will be interviewed through March, and Truman Scholars will be announced in April. 

“Katie Dunn and Cicely Shannon are two extremely talented students who are committed to public service and who will both be agents for positive change regardless of the outcome of this award,” said Provost Sharon Gaber. “The University of Arkansas is very proud of their many accomplishments and pleased to have them represent us in this incredibly competitive process. Like everyone who knows them on our campus, the Truman Scholarship program has recognized that these are students who are going to make a difference.”

Katie Dunn, a Cherokee National Undergraduate Scholar, is the first University of Arkansas Truman finalist from the Fay Jones School of Architecture. She is a member of the Honors College majoring in landscape architecture. At the heart of Dunn’s commitment to civic engagement is her belief that there is a fundamental relationship between the health of a community and the health of its infrastructure.

Dunn is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, an organization in which she has served as treasurer, vice president and public relations officer. As a freshman, Dunn first worked with society to clean up the Scull Creek Trail, a vital part of the city of Fayetteville’s infrastructure.

With the American Society of Landscape Architects, she also oversaw the design and construction of a rain garden and bioswale at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks. She has served with the School of Architecture’s Leadership by Design program as a mentor for first-year design students. In 2012, Dunn worked with the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, with funding from the National Science Foundation, to educate Native American high school students in Tahlequah, Okla., about STEM careers in the geosciences. 

After completing a bachelor degree in landscape architecture with a minor in urban planning, Dunn intends to study for a master of landscape architecture and urban planning degree, with a focus on urban ecological design. She plans to use this training to serve as a landscape architect and urban planner in post-industrial cities such as Cleveland and Detroit, which she recognizes as being in immediate need of committed, daring and imaginative public servants. 

“I am truly honored and humbled by being named a finalist for the Truman Scholarship,” said Dunn. “This process has pushed me to understand my values as a designer and a planner and how to direct my path for future success. With this award, I will be able to continue my education in landscape architecture and city planning and work closely with public organizations to put forth smart planning strategies and frameworks encompassing great design with a holistic approach to all factors – ecological, economical, and cultural.”

Cicely Shannon, a Bodenhamer Fellow in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, is a member of the Honors College majoring in economics with a concentration in international finance and economic policy. She is a National Achievement Scholar and a national Coca-Cola Scholar as well.

As chair of the Volunteer Action Literacy Program, Cicely has managed two significant grants, both used for programming. She has worked with “Make a Difference Day” to successfully increase the number of people participating. She has contributed to projects associated with the Lee Creek Cleanup and with the Fayetteville Public Library, and has participated actively in the university’s Associated Student Government. 

Shannon has also served as a supplemental instructor for economics, meeting with large classes to answer questions that some students may have been reluctant to ask faculty members. She also leads study sessions when students are preparing for exams. 

Her service interests include the development and implementation of policies concerning public finance. She is particularly interested in issues connected with infrastructure, municipal projects and transportation. Before going to graduate school, she plans to work in the public sector, focusing on domestic economic issues. The dual degrees she plans to pursue in graduate school require work experience prior to matriculation, and her first focus will be national issues. After graduate school, her long-term goal is to work on financial problems associated with developing nations.

“Applying for the Truman Scholarship has been a rewarding experience. I have learned so much about myself through developing my application,” said Shannon. “To be chosen as a finalist is an honor, and I am so proud to be representing the University of Arkansas. I am grateful for the high level of support from my professors and advisers throughout this entire process. I look forward to moving into the next steps in pursuit of the Truman Scholarship.”

Interviews take place through March, and Truman Scholars will announce in April.

Recent University of Arkansas Truman Scholars include Nathan Coulter, political science, 2013; Mike Norton, agricultural business and poultry science, 2012; Olivia Meeks, political science and economics, 2008; Dwayne Bensing, political science, 2006; and Catherine St. Clair, international business, 2005. Seventeen University of Arkansas students have been Truman Scholars, and in 2002, the University of Arkansas received the Truman Honor Institution Award for its commitment to assisting students interested in a career in public service.

University of Arkansas students who are interested in applying for the Truman Scholarship should contact the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards at awards@uark.edu.