The Society for Science & the Public published a profile of Christina Faust, detailing how winning the Truman Scholarship, along with two other prestigious fellowships, has allowed to her to travel around the world and conduct scientific research. 

Read the article.

The TSA Mentorship Program for the 2010-2011 class of Truman-Albright Fellows is off to a great start, thanks in large part to the excellent response from Truman Scholar alumni in the DC area.  With more than double the number of volunteer mentors needed for the number of Fellows participating in the program this year, Fellows were able to be matched selectively with mentors who shared career goals, graduate paths, or interests.  The program held a kick-off event for all of the volunteers and Fellows at Akin Gump on Tuesday, October 19th, and will hold several other events throughout the year, in addition to encouraging one-on-one communication between mentors and mentees.  The Truman-Albright Fellows are a small group of recently-graduated Truman awardees who will spend a year in DC working and participating in educational and service programs.

Frederick S. Lane (MA '83) is working on his sixth book, tentatively entitled CyberTraps for the Young: How a Single Click Can Ruin Your Child's Life -- and What YOU Can Do About It. His fifth book, American Privacy: The 400-Year-History of Our Most Contested Right will be out in paperback in the first week of January. www.FrederickLane.com

Jeff Rosen (CA ’87) was elected District Attorney of Santa Clara County, which is in Silicon Valley. He will take office on January 3, 2011, and would welcome contact from other Truman Scholars who are prosecutors or criminal defense attorneys.

Chiraag Bains (MA '02) recently started a six-month detail from the Civil Rights Division to the U.S. Attorney's Office in DC, where he works in the Domestic Violence Misdemeanors section.

David Simon (MN ’03) has had a whirwind year: “In the past year, Keira and I bought a house, and became parents. Chase Alexander Simon was born on September 22nd.  He weighed in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and is 21.5 inches tall.  At three weeks old, he is fiercely seizing each day.  We are as exhilarated as we are exhausted.  There's no better feeling. On a professional note, I'm still litigating, teaching law, and serving as the director of a poverty law clinic that I started up in 2009.”

Zara Snapp (CO ‘05) recently graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School with a master’s in Public Policy.  She is working at the National Democratic Institute as a Program Officer with the Latin America & Caribbean team, with a focus on Peru and Ecuador, and loves thinking about Latin American policy on a daily basis.  She is excited to be living in Washington, DC and close to many Truman friends and  former classmates from the Kennedy School.

Elected Officials Running for Office or for Reelection

Dan Gelber (FL '80), a State Senator in Florida, is running for Attorney General. He was elected State Senator in 2008, and served as a State Representative from 2000 until 2008. http://www.dangelber.com/home.php

Chris Coons (DE ‘83), New Castle County Executive in Delaware, is running for U.S. Senate. He was elected County Executive in 2004 and reelected in 2008. http://www.chriscoons.com/

Steve Simon (MN '90), a State Representative in Minnesota, is running for reelection. He was elected in 2004 and has served three terms. http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/members.asp?district=44A

Stacey Abrams (MS ’94), a State Representative in Georgia, is running for reelection. She was elected in 2006 and reelected in 2008. http://www.staceyabrams.com/

Jake Zimmerman (MO ‘95), a State Representative in Missouri, is running for reelection. He was elected in 2006 and reelected in 2008. http://www.jakezimmerman.org/

Jeff King (KS ‘96), a State Representative in Kansas, is running for reelection. He was elected in 2006 and reelected in 2008. http://www.jeffkingks.com/

Dusty Johnson (SD '98) is running for his second six-year term on the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. http://www.johnsonforpuc.com/

Chris Nybo (IL '98), a Alderman in Elmhurst, Illinois, is running for State Representative. http://www.chrisnybo.com/ 

Jules Bailey (OR ‘00), a State Representative in Oregon, is running for reelection. He was elected in 2008. http://www.julesfororegon.com/

Ryan Quarles (KY ’05) is running for State Representative in Kentucky. http://ryanquarles.com/

Kesha Ram (CA ’07), a State Representative in Vermont, is running for reelection. She was elected in 2008. http://www.kesharam.org/ 

Elected Officials Not Up for Reelection

Scott Ross (MS '80) is the Mayor of West Point, Mississippi. http://www.wpnet.org/About_Government.htm

Bill de Blasio (MA ‘81) is Public Advocate of New York City. He was elected in 2009. http://www.billdeblasio.com/

Bill Halter (AR ‘81) is Lieutenant Governor  of Arkansas. He was elected in 2006 and is not seeking reelection. http://www.billhalter.com/

Greg Davis (MS '86) is Mayor of Southaven, Mississippi. He was reelected to his fourth term in 2009. http://southaven.org/Directory.aspx?EID=40

Ted Deutch (PA ’86) is a U.S. Representative from Florida. He was elected in a special election in 2010. http://tedforcongress.com/

Jeff Rosen (CA ’87) is District Attorney-elect of Santa Clara County, Calfornia. He was elected in 2010 and will take office in 2011. http://www.rosen4da.com/

Brad Lander (MO '89) is a City Council Member in New York City. He was elected in 2009. http://bradlander.com/

Cindy Castañeda (CA '91) is a Trustee for the Garland Independent School District in Texas. She was elected in 2008.

Bill Gates (NV '91) is a Phoenix City Council Member in Arizona. He was elected in 2009. http://www.gatesforphoenix.com/

Nader Baroukh (CA '94) is the Mayor of Falls Church, Virginia. He was elected in 2010 after serving as a City Council Member since 2008. http://www.fallschurchva.gov/Content/Government/Council/NBaroukhBioWeb10%20_2_.pdf

Dayne Walling (MI ’95) is the Mayor of Flint, Michigan. He was elected in a special election in 2009. http://www.votewalling.com/

Monisha Merchant (CO '98) is a University of Colorado Regent. She was elected in 2008. https://www.cu.edu/regents/current/merchant.html

Todd Gloria (CA ‘99) is a San Diego City Councilmember. He was elected in 2008. http://www.sandiego.gov/citycouncil/cd3/about/

Mac Schneider (ND '01) is a State Senator in North Dakota. He was elected in 2008.  http://macschneider.com/

Matt Delligatti (WV '07) is Mayor of Fairmont, West Virginia. He was elected in 2009. http://www.fairmontwv.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10#delligatti

Former Elected Officials

David Adkins (KS '81) previously was a State Senator and a State Representative in Kansas. He was first elected in 1992 until 2004.

Dave Cooley (TN '82) previously served as Deputy Governor of Tennessee. 

John Cranley (OH '95) previously was City Council member for the City of Cincinnati, Ohio. He served from 2000 until 2009.

Dan Nguyen-Tan (CA '95) previously was City Council member for the City of Chico, California. He served from 2000 until 2004.

Are you or someone you know a current or former elected official or currently running for office? Please email us at news@trumanscholars.org. 

This month, a group of 2006 Scholars gathered for dinner in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Have you organized a Scholar get-together in your community? If so, email your photo to news@trumanscholars.org.

Pictured (left to right): Andrew Lee (CO '06), Nina Meigs (TX '06), Dan Tuttle (AZ '06), Greg Nolan (FL '06), Ming-Jay Shiao (OH '06), Katie Liberman (MA '06), Joseph Walla (MN '06) and Zac Manfredi (MI '06)

By Jared Duval (VT ’04)

Just over five years ago Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, creating a challenge of epic proportions for the public leaders responsible for the rescues, recovery, and rebuilding of New Orleans. I open my forthcoming book, Next Generation Democracy (Nov. 9, Bloomsbury), with the stories of the rescue and recovery efforts, exploring those that largely failed (namely FEMA), those that worked (the Coast Guard most of all), and what separated the two.

Perhaps the most interesting interview I conducted for my opening chapter, however, was not about the immediate rescue efforts but longer-term rebuilding. A year after the storm hit, New Orleans was still without a citywide rebuilding plan, a requirement for federal aid to start flowing in earnest. The Mayor’s effort to create such a plan had failed because of the public outcry that erupted after he cut citizens out of the process and hired outside “experts” who proposed turning low-lying neighborhoods – which also happened to be the poorest and most African American neighborhoods – into green space.

Into the void stepped AmericaSpeaks, an organization whose mission is to engage citizens in governance. Through a series of three 21^st Century Town Meetings, over ten thousand New Orleanians demographically representative of the city by race and income deliberated with their neighbors to work through the challenges facing their city. Using keypad polling, these “Community Congresses” created the “Unified New Orleans Plan.” The plan included some ideas suggested directly by citizens and came to win overwhelming public support, finally providing a path forward for the city.  

One of the leaders who facilitated community engagement for the Unified New Orleans Plan was Vera Triplett.  I asked Vera how the process of creating the plan changed her outlook about government.  What she told me opened my eyes to a whole new vision of democracy and public leadership:

“At the end of the day,” she said, “it’s about letting people who are impacted by something be a part of the decision-making process ... For a long time, our city elected people who thought of us as too stupid to make our own decisions. But now I’ve begun deciding who to vote for based on whether they are willing to have us actually be a part of the problem-solving process. Before, we would give them votes or money. Now we want to give them evidence and case studies, and we want them to make decisions on the ground with us, not from some isolated and untouchable ivory tower.”

Vera’s view of a more collaborative and directly democratic form of government seems to me long overdue. Many of the assumptions that necessitated a more republican form of government, based on a clear division between citizens and elected officials, no longer hold true. Compared to the late 1700’s we have incredibly high literacy rates and access to education. And with the great invention of the 20^th century - the Internet – we also now have near instant and increasingly widespread access to information and communications costs are nearing zero. Altogether, the prohibitive factors that once prevented citizens from effectively playing a more direct role in government problem solving efforts are disappearing.

Another story I tell in the book is that of the Internet startup company SeeClickFix, a web-based tool for “turning residents into citizens.” Built on a Google maps platform, the site allows anyone to report non-emergency issues in their community (ranging from potholes to drug dealing to an area of town lacking a supermarket) with a message, picture, or video. Through the site’s discussion forums citizens can explore the complexities of the issue with other citizens and with government officials. The amazing thing about SeeClickFix is that it is not only a more transparent and effective reporting service aimed at government, but also a tool for collaboration, with or without our government.

It’s not a coincidence that Ben Berkowitz, the co-founder and CEO of SeeClickFix, is only 32 years old. The Millennial generation (those of us born roughly between the late ‘70s and late ‘90s) has markedly different views than our elders about both the role of government and how we want to interact with it. Consider that one of the largest generation gaps in American politics today is on the question of “the proper role of government.” According to Pew, 69 percent of Millennials “favor an expanded role for government, agreeing that it should do more to solve problems.” Yet among older generations, not one age group registers majority support for that statement.

I believe that what Millennials really care about though isn’t so much the size of government but rather our process of governance. Consider that, according to polling from Harvard’s Institute of Politics, fully a third of Millennials express an interest in “internet collaboration with government.” So while we may be fairly agnostic about the size of that more active government we desire, it’s clear that we want to be able to do far more than just vote and donate money.

In this context, I think we need a new concept of what leadership means for public servants. It can’t be about “vote for me and I’ll solve your problems for you.” After all, the “I’m the decider” model is patronizing and uninspiring to a public with web 2.0 inspired inclinations to directly engage in problem-solving efforts. Effective public service leadership for our time should be more about facilitation and engagement. As Vera Triplett said, it’s time for our next generation of democracy to be about “letting people who are impacted by something be a part of the decision-making process.”

Jared Duval (VT ’04) is a Fellow at Demos and the author of Next Generation Democracy: What the Open-Source Revolution Means for Power, Politics, and Change (Nov. 9^th, 2010, Bloomsbury). For those in DC, the launch event for his book will be Nov. 8^th at 6:30 at the Busboys & Poets at 5^th & K. 

The TSA Board of Directors met in person in Washington, D.C. from October 15^th-17^th, 2010.  This group of 11 volunteer TSA leaders dedicated almost 15 hours to working on a strategic plan for the TSA, but also took time to get to know each other, tour a possible venue for the 2011 National Conference, and establish priorities for the 2010-2011 year. 

The TSA Board will seek input from all Truman Scholars during the year and then present a full strategic plan to the Truman Scholar community at the 2011 National Conference.  (If you’d like to contribute ideas to TSA’s strategic plan, look for ways to do so in TSA’s November newsletter.)  In the meantime, here are a couple of highlights from the TSA Board’s strategic planning session. 

Over the next five years, the TSA Board’s priorities are to:

• Increase Scholar involvement in the TSA community
• Improve TSA Board governance and infrastructure
• Increase TSA funds, and
• Increase awareness and prominence of the Truman Scholarship.

For 2010-2011 specifically, the TSA Board set goals that include:

• Increase the number of Scholars for which we have accurate contact information
• Hold a successful 2011 National Conference, and
• Create a 5-year strategic plan for TSA.

Help us achieve our first goal by updating your contact info in the Scholar database.  For instructions on how to do this, see the related blog post, "Update Your Contact Info in the Truman Scholar Database." If you’d like to help us locate lost Scholars, please email us at tsa@trumanscholars.org. 

As always, we value your input and feedback as we work to improve TSA.  Feel free to email us at tsa@trumanscholars.org any time!

Adair Ford Boroughs (SC '01) is the President of the TSA Board of Directors.

You asked for a list of publications authored Truman Scholars - here’s your chance to help us create one to share with the entire Truman community!  Submit publications that you know of authored by Truman Scholars at http://www.trumanscholars.org/keep-in-touch/publications by November 15. (We'll post all the submissions online soon thereafter.) Questions? Email us at tsa@trumanscholars.org.

Want invitations to TSA events near where you live, like Truman Scholar Finalist Dinners, meet-and-greets with Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation Executive Secretary Fred Slabach, and regional get-togethers?  Want to receive the latest information on the 2011 National Conference?   Then make sure your contact information is up-to-date in the Truman Scholar Database.

1. Go to http://www.truman.gov/for-scholars.
2. Log in on the bottom left of the page where it says "candidates, scholars & faculty sign-in." 

Username: Your username is the email address on file with the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation.  If you don’t remember which email address they have, email us at tsa@trumanscholars.org, and we’ll look it up for you.

Password: If you don't know your password, click on "Forgot your Password" under the log-in, and it will be emailed to you.  If you no longer have access to the email address on file or you have any trouble logging in, you can email office@truman.gov for help. 

3. Click "Update my Profile" in the left-hand column to bring up your profile.  Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the "edit my profile" link at the bottom.  
4. Update the contact information in each of the fields, including email address, and then click “update profile” at the bottom of the page to save your changes.  If you change your email address, the new email address will be your username the next time you log-in.

This simple process will only take a couple minutes and will ensure you stay tied into the Truman community.  Thanks for staying connected!

When I got off the phone with fellow Scholar Joseph Bornstein (OR '07) a few months ago, I was re-energized. Amidst policy debates in Washington, I often feel like I am focused on problems—poverty, environmental degradation, access to quality education, war and conflict, hunger. But hearing about Semilla Nueva (New Seed), the nonprofit organization Joseph co-founded in Guatemala, was the chance to explore innovative and exciting solutions. When I learned that Joseph would be in the States this month, Julie Curti (WI ’06) and I decided to host a discussion for DC Trumans and friends.

More than 30 folks gathered to hear about the challenges facing communities and ecosystems in Guatemala and the impact of Semilla Nueva. Our diverse backgrounds and perspectives made for an engaging and inspiring discussion. To set the stage, Joseph illustrated the detrimental effects of current agricultural methods on people and the land in Guatemala. Most use subsistence farming methods that deplete soil quality and remove necessary nutrients. These crops do not provide adequate nutrition for families, nor can the lands withstand the extreme weather of the region. Joseph then explained how, with innovation and community collaboration as key pillars, Semilla Nueva is working to raise farmer crop yields and rejuvenate the agro-ecosystems upon which communities rely for sustenance. Joseph also explained how, through this work, Semilla Nueva is aiding the efforts to stop deforestation in one of the world's most important forest regions and prevent further land degradation.

An engaging conversation followed. Familiar with the agricultural methods and technologies in Central America, Kyle Gracie (PA ’03) asked about the history of terracing and biodiversity in Guatemala and how innovations in corn seed would contribute to public health and ecosystem stewardship. Marissa Duswalt (TX ’09) provided insights from her experience at the US Department of Agriculture. With experience at the World Bank, Jennie Hatch (ME ’09) sparked a conversation about foreign aid and development practices.

Concluding the event, Joseph reminded us all that Semilla Nueva’s efforts were entirely grassroots. In sharing our ideas and our support, we were helping to grow Semilla Nueva’s impact on communities and ecosystems in Guatemala. And, for many of us who work here in Washington, we were also rooting new ideas for addressing challenges and finding solutions.

Julie and I look forward to sharing the impact of Semilla Nueva and growing the network of supporters. We will be hosting another event in the coming weeks, and we hope other Truman Scholars can join! If you would like to learn more about Semilla Nueva or support its work in Guatemala, visit www.semillanueva.org. Also feel free to contact fellow Truman Scholar Joseph Bornstein (OR ’07) at josephbornstein@semillanueva.org.

Christine Curella (NJ ’07) works at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and loves organizing events with Truman Scholars in the Washington, DC area.

Truman Scholars who joined for this event included Jon Cardinal (NY ’07), Steven (SJ) Cohen (DC ’07), Julie Curti (WI ’06), Marissa Duswalt (TX ’09), Kyle Gracie (PA ’03), Jennie Hatch (ME ’09), and Kelsey Yamasaki (HI ’07).

By Caraleigh Holverson (IL ’08)

When we think about Harry Truman’s legacy, an enterprising entrepreneur may not be the first image that comes to mind.  In fact, Harry knew first-hand about the challenges that come with taking a leap of entrepreneurial faith; before his public service career, he actually started up both mining and men’s clothing businesses that didn’t quite take off.  While we’re all fortunate he didn’t have more success selling dress shirts and ties, I’ve no doubt that Truman’s experience of having taken those entrepreneurial risks contributed valuable lasting lessons for his later leadership.

I would submit that the lessons of social entrepreneurship – a term not yet in vogue in the early 1900s – are not such a far cry from the lessons Truman no doubt learned from attempted business endeavors.  The analogy of a business entrepreneur is quite apt to understanding the innovative dynamism that undergirds social entrepreneurship:

“Just as entrepreneurs change the face of business, social entrepreneurs act as the change agents for society, seizing opportunities others miss and improving systems, inventing new approaches, and creating solutions to change society for the better. While a business entrepreneur might create entirely new industries, a social entrepreneur comes up with new solutions to social problems and then implements them on a large scale.”  (Source: Ashoka)

The concept is of course nothing new to the dozens of Truman Scholars who have struck out as social entrepreneurs of their own, like Indra Sen (NC ’07), who founded Inspire Dreams, Inc, and many others.

I’m no enterprising social entrepreneur myself (…yet!), but I am proud to say that I currently work to support the efforts of young social entrepreneurs at Ashoka’s Youth Venture.  Youth Venture is the sister organization of Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, the global organization of the world's leading social entrepreneurs.  Over decades of Ashoka’s work, a pattern was discovered:  The world’s most successful social entrepreneurs had a transformative experience of leading change at an early age.  Accordingly, Youth Venture’s mission is to support young people (ages 12-24) in launching and leading their own social ventures – and to help them realize tangibly their own capacity to create change. Our vision is to help build a world in which everyone is a changemaker and where the power of youth is universally acknowledged.

As many Trumans know, the experience of launching your own venture is uniquely empowering.  Something important happens when you are able to identify a problem, come up with an idea to fix it, mobilize your community around it, and get support from the outside to see it through. For our youth, these entrepreneurial and leadership skills carry forward – like so many Scholars, they will lead again and again to make their schools, businesses, and communities better places. 

Creating a society where youth-led changemaking is recognized and valued requires all of us to shine a spotlight on the power of youth – and to share their stories.  Storytelling is an immensely powerful (and universal) way of sharing not just our identities, experiences, and values, but a way of inspiring others to see themselves and their world in different way.

On November 13 in Washington, DC, Youth Venture will host an event to share these powerful stories of youth-driven change.  TEDxYSE: Unleashing Young Social Entrepreneurs will be an all-day event that brings together young social entrepreneurs and individuals interested in social innovation.  Our goal is to spark inspiration and action that creates positive social change.

Truman Scholars and friends in the DC area, you’re invited to get involved and join us to:

• Hear the amazing TED-model stories of eight of the most inspiring young social entrepreneurs from around the world
• Listen to speeches from actor James Cromwell and other professionals, including the founder of GlobalGiving, Dennis Whittle, and the founder of Making Cents International, Fiona Macaulay
• Learn about social entrepreneurship and using entrepreneurial principles to create social change 
• Meet and network with others interested in social entrepreneurship and innovation
• Enjoy music by talented performers, including internationally acclaimed Jourdan Urbach
• To learn, be inspired, have fun! (And enjoy the free food!)

For more information on anything (including the complexities behind hosting an independently organized TEDx event!), I’m always happy to talk. To learn more – or register for the event! – visit our website at www.tedxyse.com. For all in our Truman community that aren’t able to join us in DC that day, stay tuned for inspiring talks to be posted online afterwards!

All of us are driven by our core commitment to public service and our fundamental desire to see positive changes in our world.  I know each Scholar out there has his or her own inspiring story of how they’re working to create change, and I look forward to hearing more stories of how each you are a powerful changemakers.

Caraleigh Holverson (IL ’08) works at Ashoka’s Youth Venture as a fellowship and community builder.

By Christine Curella (NJ ’07)

Last month, Truman Scholars in Washington, DC, came together to participate in the National Day of Service and Remembrance, a day to remember and honor those lost on September 11, 2001, through volunteerism and community service. Our team, dubbed “Harryed Hands”, joined senior citizens at The Washington Home, a comfort care center that provides long-term services for elderly residents and their families. Our task: to interview residents about September 11 and contribute their stories to the oral histories compiled by StoryCorps and preserved at the Library of Congress.

Tia Trout-Perez (KY ’01) and I spoke with Mr. Washington, who remembered watching the coverage on the news and feeling sadness. In other cases, our conversations roamed to other memories that the residents had.  For Irene, interviewed by JoAnna Smith (IA ’07), speaking about September 11 led to stories of her life in Berlin. Marie, who had been a nurse in DC, shared the story of a friend who had lost three children and two godchildren.  I was at the World Trade Center, on my way to an international fashion show, the culmination of my first job in the Garment District and my years at a vocational high school for the needle trades in New York City.

Some of the stories were sad.  Some were inspirational and funny, with the residents sharing advice and letting us learn from their life experiences.  Knowing that these stories would be contributed to our oral histories and shared with others was elevating. But I only fully realized the importance of our efforts in my conversation with Annabelle, a native of Queens, New York, who had worked at Voice of America in the 1950s. For Annabelle, stories—such as the ones we were collecting—are how we communicate ideas , and also compassion.  The Trumans of Harryed Hands thank the residents of The Washington home for teaching us a little about both.

Christine Curella (NJ ’07) works at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and loves organizing events with Truman Scholars in the Washington, DC area.

Harryed Hands volunteers included Katherine Blaisdell (HI ’08), Matthew Garza (CA ’09), Amber Herman (TN ’06), Sheila Korth (NE ’07), Eleanor Ott (KS ’08), Patrick Reimherr (UT ’09), JoAnna Smith (IA ’07), Tia Trout-Perez (KY ’01), Tish Scolnik (NY ’09), Caitie Whelan (ME ’07). 

Saul Garlick (CO '05), founder of ThinkImpact, published a piece in The Huffington Post, "Calling Extraordinary Young Entrepreneurs to End Poverty." 

Read the full article.

The Delaware News Journal published a piece about U.S. Senate Candidate Chris Coons (DE '83) that highlights his involvement with the Truman Scholar community.

Excerpt: 

In 1983, Lane and Coons were awarded Harry S. Truman Scholarships through a federal agency set up in honor of the former president to recruit young people into a life of public service.

Since college, Coons has remained active in the organization, mentoring new Truman Scholars across the country and helping found an alumni association of past scholars, said Fred Slabach, director of the federal program.

"It's in his blood to be a public servant," said David Griggs, a past Truman Scholar and environmental law attorney from Dallas who has known Coons for 20 years. 

Read the full article.

Oxford American magazine publisher Warwick Sabin (AR '97) is a new director of the pragmatic nonprofit Center for a Better South, a Charleston, S.C.-based regional think tank that develops new ideas for thinking leaders.

Sabin is publisher of the Oxford American magazine. In 2009, he was named to the FOLIO:40, a list of the 40 most influential people in the national magazine industry. Previously he worked on Capitol Hill, at the White House, at the U.S. Embassy in London and at Foreign Affairs magazine. He is a Marshall Scholar and a Truman Scholar, and he holds a master's degree in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University and a bachelor's degree (summa cum laude) in political science from University of Arkansas, where he graduated as valedictorian and was president of the student body. Sabin lives in Little Rock, Ark. 

Source: Better South