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Tran one of 20 students named to 2009 USA Today All-USA College Academic Team
Contacts: Tessa Eagan, College of Liberal Arts, (612) 625-3781, teagan@umn.edu
Ryan Maus, University News Service, (612) 624-1690, maus@umn.edu
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (04/29/2009) — Anh Tran, a senior psychology and neuroscience student at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, has been selected to the 2009 USA Today All-USA College Academic Team, as announced today by the national publication.
The official announcement can be found online at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-04-29-college-all-stars_N.htm
“I am honored to have been chosen to receive the USA-Today All-USA College Academic Team Award,” Tran said. “And I am grateful to the University of Minnesota for supporting my goal of international volunteerism -- many people here have been a vital source for my growth as a student and as a leader.”
USA Today solicited nominations from universities around the country and selected the top 20 students from thousands of nominees. Winners are college juniors and seniors who excel academically and extend their reach beyond the classroom to benefit society. They receive a $2,500 award and are featured in USA Today.
Tran serves on the Dean's Scholars Program, the College of Biological Sciences Student Board and the Fairview Volunteer Advisory Committee. She was a recipient of the 2008 Howard R. Swearer Student Humanitarian Award by Campus Compact—an award for work that shows an extraordinary commitment to improving local and global communities.
Additionally, Tran founded the first-ever chapter of Biology Without Borders. The organization is akin to Doctors Without Borders, providing students the opportunity to broaden their international perspectives. Tran intends to use the USA Today award to cover some of the costs associated with nationalizing the Biology Without Borders organization.
Born in Vietnam, Tran and her family immigrated to the United States in 1991. Tran intends to pursue a dual M.D./Ph.D degree and wants to work in medicine and epidemiology in the United States and in developing countries like Tanzania and Vietnam.
Two other U of M-Twin Cities students have been selected for the USA Today All-USA College Academic Team in recent years -- biology, society and environment major Rebecca Mitchell in 2007, and political science major Zachery Coelius in 2004.