Computer Science and Engineering’s own Tarik Brown is one of only 62 students nationwide to be selected as a 2021 Truman Scholar.
The Truman Scholarship, named in honor of former U.S. President Harry Truman, recognizes college juniors who demonstrate outstanding potential for public service and aspire to public service as a career.
Brown, who is pursuing a major in computer science and a minor through the Hesburgh Program in Public Service, has packed a lot of experience into his three years at Notre Dame. In addition to his coursework, he has served as a software engineer/program manager intern with Microsoft, a robotics intern with Johnson & Johnson, and a student intern with Google.
He serves as a research assistant for Laura Zanna, professor of mathematics and atmosphere/ocean science at New York University, where he conducts machine learning research related to climate change and is a part-time intern at Apple in Palo Alto, California, as part of the Notre Dame’s Silicon Valley Semester off-campus study program.
Brown is active in campus life, serving as a member of the Irish Guard and Band of the Fighting Irish, the National Society of Black Engineers, and the Black Cultural Arts Council. He is also the founder and president of the Financial Literacy Club of Notre Dame.
In his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, he has established robotics programs at multiple elementary and middle schools and worked with the Duval County Public School System to establish STEM enrichment programs.
The Truman Scholarship provides a fellowship for graduate school, and Brown plans to pursue a master of public policy. His career goals include developing nonprofit organizations focused on reducing inequity within the criminal justice system, bias in policing, and racial disparities in education.
— Nina Welding, College of Engineering