UF student chosen one of two Truman Scholars from Florida universities

April 7, 2009

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida junior Adam Amir is one of only two students attending Florida universities to be named a Truman Scholar for 2009.

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation awards scholarships to students who intend to pursue careers in leadership and public service. Only 60 students are chosen from 120 finalists and more than 600 nominations. Each receives up to $30,000 for graduate school.

Amir, of Coral Springs, is double majoring in political science and queer perspective on German history, a self-created program in which he studies under history professor Geoffrey Giles, a leading expert on homosexuality in Nazi Germany. Amir speaks German and Hebrew.

During his time at UF, he has participated and been a leader in Florida Alternative Breaks, a program in which students spend their vacation doing public service projects. He also worked with a group of students to amend the Student Government constitution to include gender identity as a protected category.

“Working to overcome queer oppression is my passion,” Amir said. “The Truman Scholarship will provide me an unparalleled platform to tackle these social and legal obstacles.”

Sheila Dickison, UF’s Truman faculty representative, said applicants must submit policy statements, show leadership experience, be nominated by officials at their universities and conduct an interview with members of the scholarship foundation. Amir’s policy proposal advocated for workplace protections for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered people.

“We are all very proud of Adam’s accomplishment in winning the highly competitive Truman scholarship,” Dickison said. “He is truly an outstanding leader/scholar with a very bright future ahead of him.”

Congress established the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation in 1975 as a memorial to Truman instead of building a monument.