Varun Sivaram ’11, a junior majoring in international relations and engineering physics, has been named a 2010 Truman Scholar. Sivaram, the chair of the ASSU Undergraduate Senate, was the only Stanford student awarded the honor this year.
The Truman Scholarship was awarded to 60 juniors from across the nation. Each winner receives $30,000 to be used for up to three years of graduate school in pursuit of a career in public service. This year’s winners were chosen from a field of 576 candidates nominated by 245 colleges and universities, according to a news release.
“It feels amazing,” said Sivaram, who is from Saratoga, Calif. “It’s been something like a seven-month process from start to finish. It was a grueling process.”
He hopes to pursue his academic interests in energy policy and international strategic interaction at the graduate level.
“I’d like to apply to a dual masters program at MIT in technology and policy and material science,” Sivaram said. He is interested in working as an international climate negotiator.
Sivaram plans to pursue an honors thesis next year in the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) program about the security implications of renewable energy. On campus, Sivaram models for Charity Fashion Show, sings a cappella and dances for Stanford Bhangra.
-Zach Zimmerman