Environmental science student Vincent O’Leary was named a 2017 Truman Scholar, a prestigious national honor intended to support future public service leaders. As one of just 62 recipients nationwide chosen from a pool of 768 candidates — and the first-ever Dragon recipient — he will receive a $30,000 scholarship toward graduate school and support in pursuing a career in the public sector.
O’Leary spent his summer on a co-op with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — his first foray into the public sector after coming to Drexel set on becoming a professor — and the scholarship cements a new direction for his budding career.
“It’s extremely rewarding to be validated in this way — that not only is what I want to do valid and needed and topical right now, but that people are really looking for this kind of science and advocacy at the inter- section of research and policy.” — Vincent O’Leary
