KNOXVILLE – Six undergraduates and four graduate students have been selected as the 2006 class of Baker Scholars at the University of Tennessee.
“Each year, the Baker Center seeks out UT-s brightest and most engaged students to honor as Baker Scholars. These students, drawn from a range of academic disciplines, are active, highly motivated and forward-looking members of the university community,” said Alan Lowe, director of the Howard Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy.
Now in its third year, the title of Baker Scholar has grown to become one of the premier honors conferred upon students of public policy at the University of Tennessee.
The 2006 Baker Scholars are:
– Brock Bosson, graduate student, law, Knoxville
– Jamie Clariday, graduate student, law, Mt. Juliet
– Matthew Kroplin, graduate student, public administration, Franklin
– Chris Lewis, doctoral student, political science, Knoxville
– Michael Lumley, freshman, economics and philosophy, Nashville
– Eric Maudlin, sophomore, political science and philosophy, Hendersonville
– Amit Patel, junior, political science and legal studies, Lafollette
– Ben Signer, sophomore, public administration, Knoxville
– Georgia Varlan, freshman, political science and history, Knoxville
– Nathan Zipper, junior, political science, Springfield
Baker Scholars have one-on-one meetings with featured speakers at Baker Center events and help Center directors plan conferences, such as the upcoming British-American conference that will feature notable speakers including Winston S. Churchill and Henry Kissinger. They also are frequent guests of local organizations, including the East Tennessee Economic Council, and are honored at an annual dinner hosted by UT.
Many scholars conduct academic research, undergraduate and master-s theses, and dissertations under the auspices of the Baker Center. Scholars now work with the Tennessee General Assembly, non-profit groups and UT faculty on projects related to energy industry standards, civic education, immigration policy, and joint research initiatives between colleges and municipalities.
The Baker Center also supports scholars who elect to study abroad and work as interns in many of America-s most prominent government agencies and political institutions.
Each January, students are invited to apply and interview to be Baker Scholars. To qualify, undergraduates must have a 3.5 GPA and graduate students must be in the upper third of their classes. They must have an interest in politics, public policy, government and/or public service.
The new class joins existing Baker Scholars to support and enhance ongoing efforts of the Baker Center. Existing Baker Scholars are:
– Wes Boling, junior in journalism, electronic media and business, a Baker Scholar since 2005.
– Christina M. Haines, senior in journalism and history, a Baker Scholar since 2004.
– Eric M. Harkness, senior in public policy and sustainability, a 2003 Founding Scholar.
– Rahim Manji, senior in sociology and rhetoric of violence and violent societies, a Baker Scholar since 2005.
– Lane E. McCarty, senior in history and English, a Baker Scholar since 2004.
– Bryce W. McKenzie, graduate student in law, a 2003 Founding Scholar.
– Aaron F. Perfetti, senior in communication studies, a Baker Scholar since 2004.
– Lauren Sutterfield, senior in the college scholars program, a Baker Scholar since 2005.
– Bradford A. Vaughan, senior in economics and political science, a 2003 Founding Scholar.
– Troy S. Weston, graduate student in law, a Baker Scholar since 2004.
– Beth Wilson, junior in public policy and immigration studies, a Baker Scholar since 2005.
For more information on the Baker Center and the Baker Scholars, see http://bakercenter.utk.edu/
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Contacts:
Amy Blakely, (865) 974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu
Alan Lowe, (865) 974-8515, alowe4@tennessee.edu