Mayor Madeline Rogero and Deputy to the Mayor/Chief Policy Officer Bill Lyons had lunch with members of the University of Tennessee's Haslam Scholars Program today at the City County Building.

The Haslam Scholars Program, founded in 2008 upon a generous gift from Jimmy and Dee Haslam and Jim and Natalie Haslam, has flourished as a unique and diverse honors enrichment program in which top students learn from and with one another through a series of integrated, interdisciplinary seminars and extracurricular experiences.

Haslam Scholars serve as high-profile undergraduate leaders whose lofty academic ambitions match those of the program and the institution.

The Haslam Scholars Program admits 15 first-year students annually. Scholars undertake a curriculum which totals twenty-eight credit hours and extends from a one-credit summer program for newly matriculating first-year scholars to a one-credit senior-year research colloquium. The curriculum also includes general education seminars that provide orientation to key contemporary leadership challenges and which draw on the University of Tennessee's recognized academic strengths in the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. It also includes an all-expense paid study abroad program, professional development and community service, and extensive faculty-mentored Honors Thesis research.

2012 HASLAM SCHOLARS

Summer Awad
Hardin Valley Academy
Knoxville, TN
Languages and Religious Studies
Summer Awad has studied Arabic, Latin, and Mandarin Chinese. She plans to study comparative religion and imagines a career in international and intercultural affairs.

Chris Barnes
Hardin Valley Academy
Knoxville, TN
Biological Sciences
Chris Barnes has enrolled in 13 AP courses and is a swimmer. He is an alumnus of the Governor's School for the Sciences and Engineering.

Benjamin Brock
Jefferson County High School
Jefferson City, TN
Computer Science
Ben Brock serves as captain/co-captain of the Scholar's Bowl and Debate Team and as a member the Math and Science Bowl teams and German National Honor Society.

Franco D'Aprile
Westview High School/Chile
Martin, TN / Santiago, Chile
Geology & Environmental Studies
Franco D'Aprile will combine study of natural and social science in an environmental studies major. He aspires to an international career, perhaps via the United Nations.

Sharvari Desai
White Station High School
Germantown, TN
Computer Science
Sharvari Desai is involved in dance, literature, mathematics competitions, piano, Model United Nations, student council, and badminton club.

Sarah Hagaman
Franklin High School
Nashville, TN
Classics
Sarah Hagaman is the founder of the National Honors Society at her school, President of the National English Honors Society, and Captain of the Varsity Basketball Team. She contributes to the Franklin High Literary Arts Magazine.

Macy Harrison
Centennial High School
Frisco, TX
Sociology
Macy Harrison plans to major in sociology or social work. Her interest in human society and problem-solving leads her to imagine a career in global public policy.

Craig Jones
Franklin High School
Franklin, TN
Global Studies
Craig Jones is student body vice president and editor-in-chief of his school newspaper. He plans a Global Studies major and a career in international development.

Ben Miller
Middle Creek High School
Raleigh, NC
Undecided Major
Ben Miller is a member of the UTK Vols Swimming & Diving Team and a student whose interests range from culture to natural science and include Spanish.

Grayson Mynatt
Christian Academy of Knoxville
Knoxville, TN
Biological Sciences
In addition to his pre-medical studies, Grayson Mynatt also anticipates study of French.  He regularly plays violin at Hillcrest Nursing Home.

Andrea Richardson
White Station High School
Memphis, TN
Biomedical Engineering
Andrea Richardson participated in the 2010 and 2011 Carnegie Mellon University Summer Academy for Math and Science. She is a vocalist and enjoys learning Spanish.

Katie Lou Rogers
Franklin County High School
Winchester, TN
Biomedical Engineering
Katie Lou Rogers has undertaken several AP courses as independent studies. She imagines earning a Ph.D., pursuing research, and someday perhaps founding her own school.Sahba Seddighi
Farragut High School
Knoxville, TN
Biological Sciences
Sahba Seddighi imagines a career in neuroscience or neurology. She has studied nuclear science at Michigan State University and is currently a research intern in virology/immunology at UTK.

Elizabeth Stanfield
South Side High School
Jackson, TN
Undecided Major
Elizabeth Stanfield is a pianist, track team captain, Beta Club President, and former student body president. She worked with Habitat for Humanity for three years.

Tor Voorhees
Bearden High School
Knoxville, TN
Undecided Major - Engineering
Tor Voorhees is Science Olympiad team president and past Science Bowl captain at his school. He has served as a research intern in the UTK Department of Animal Science.