April 19, 2002 UNT Inhouse publications: UNT entrepreneurship student wins prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship

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UNT entrepreneurship student wins prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship

Wayne Rickard Wayne Rickard, a senior entrepreneurship and strategic management major at UNT, is one of 64 students in the United States to receive a Harry S. Truman Scholarship, which is among the premier national scholarships funded by Congress.

The 64 students receiving Truman Scholarships this year were chosen from 590 finalists.

Rickard, who began his college education at age 38, is currently the hazardous materials manager for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Region VI office in Denton, where he has worked for 12 years. He is the fifth UNT student selected as a Truman Scholarship finalist and the third to win the scholarship since 1998.

This year, Rickard is one of five Texas residents receiving the scholarship. The others attend Austin College in Sherman, Baylor University, Princeton University in New Jersey and the University of Texas at Austin.

Established as the official federal memorial to honor the 33rd president, the Harry S. Truman Foundation provides scholarships to outstanding students who have demonstrated interest in federal, state or local government careers. Truman Scholarship recipients receive up to $3,000 for their senior year of undergraduate education and up to $27,000 for two years of graduate studies.

Students are nominated for the scholarships by their universities. To be eligible, a student must apply as a college junior or senior. Students applying as college seniors must plan to earn their bachelor's degrees within three years. All students must have extensive records of public and community service and outstanding records of academic achievement.

Rickard says the Truman Scholarship is "so much more than a scholarship."

"Being a Truman Scholar means building a sense of community among peers with guidance from the Harry S. Truman Foundation," he says. "The educational opportunities, mentoring and leadership available to Truman Scholars will open doors for me and equip me to serve the public on a national level."

Rickard received support from UNT's Truman Nominating and Mentoring Committee, which met with him each week for practice interviews for the scholarship.

Committee members include five UNT faculty members: Al Bavon, public administration; David Molina, economics; Charldean Newell, public administration; Peggy Tobolowsky, criminal justice; and James Duban, director of the UNT Office of Postgraduate Fellowships. Duban heads the committee.

Duban says the Truman Scholarship "recognizes Wayne's academic excellence, his impressive track record of public service and his immense potential for helping to shape our country's evolving policies toward natural and terrorist-inspired disaster."

"The scholarship also trumpets the talents of UNT's non-conventional students, who bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to our campus when they return from the workplace to complete their undergraduate degrees," Duban says.

Rickard joined the U.S. Air Force after graduating from high school in 1978. After leaving the Air Force in 1982, he worked for various companies as an electronics technician, building a career that brought him to FEMA.

At FEMA, he was appointed to a group that helped to establish national communications policies under the guidance of the White House Office of Science and Technology. He was also selected for the Regional Counter-Terrorism Workgroup, working with counterparts at the Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to provide information, instruction and training to communities.

Rickard decided to earn his bachelor's degree after attending FEMA's Professional Excellence Program.

"At that time, my background was in information technology, but I became interested in the strategic planning portion of the program and decided to change careers," he says.

At UNT, Rickard maintains a 4.0 grade point average and was selected to the National Dean's List in the spring of 2000. He is involved in community service through the UNT chapter of Gamma Beta Phi, an academic honor society; and the American Association of Lutheran Churches Youth Commission. He directed AALC's national conference for youth, where participants hear motivational speeches as well as participate in whitewater rafting, rock climbing and other outdoor activities.

After receiving his bachelor's degree in entrepreneurship and strategic management in May 2003, Rickard plans to enter Southern Methodist University's Executive Master of Business Administration program to prepare for a policy analyst or audit position with the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, the Congressional Budget Office or the General Accounting Office.

"I hope to assist federal agencies with effective strategic planning that is proactive rather than reactive," he says. "Most students who apply for Truman Scholarships focus on only one problem in our society, such as child welfare, but my focus is broad. I wanted to focus on the lack of proper strategic planning that prevents people from being served by child welfare programs, emergency response after a disaster or other areas. The key word is 'readiness.'"