Lauren Finzer ‘09, a junior majoring in human biology, has been named a 2008 Truman Scholar.

The Truman Scholarship Foundation, created as a living memorial to the 33rd President of the United States, seeks to identify college juniors who have dedicated themselves to public service and provide them with financial support for graduate study.

Each scholar receives up to $30,000 to pursue a graduate degree leading to a career in public service.

According to the foundation’s Web site, selected scholars must demonstrate exceptional leadership both on their respective college campuses as well as in individual pursuits, and must be committed to being “change agents” who will continue their public service in the future.

Normally, over 600 students apply for approximately 60 annual awards, but these 600 applications do not include students who compete for initial campus nominations.

“Each year Stanford students usually win one or two of these very competitive awards,” said Stern Academic Director Renee Courey.

Courey called this year’s candidate pool “exceptionally strong,” but said Finzer was selected because of her “effective leadership, the quality of the policy proposal she wrote on incentives in energy usage, stellar academic achievement, strong research trajectory and galvanizing presence.”

Finzer, who said her primary interest is the intersection of environment, health and social issues, first became involved in environmental work in high school, when she volunteered for six weeks in rural Mexico and eight weeks in rural Nicaragua.

“Community members in the villages in which I was living eagerly got involved in school reforestation and trash disposal projects,” Finzer said. “I was impressed with how the environment, as a common resource, can bring people together to ensure that future generations can thrive.”

Finzer said that by first addressing environmental concerns, many other problems can be addressed. On campus, she works to make Stanford more sustainable as co-president of Students for a Sustainable Stanford.

“There are a lot of problems that can be seen as opportunities,” Finzer said, “and I really want to make positive change.”

Two Stanford students were awarded the Truman Scholarship last year.