Nicholas Neuman

2025 Truman Scholar

Hometown

Rushville, Indiana

Major

Agricultural Economics; Political Science

College

College of Agriculture; College of Liberal Arts

 

Recognized by the Harry S. Truman Foundation for his leadership and commitment to a career in public service, Nicholas Neuman has been named a 2025 Truman Scholar. Awarded up to $30,000 to pursue graduate studies, Truman Scholars also participate in leadership development programs and have special opportunities for internships and employment with the Federal government.

 

Growing up on a family farm in Rushville, Indiana, Nicholas was motivated to make change for this rural community as well as to defer college for a year to serve at the state level with the Indiana FFA Association through the Indiana Department of Agriculture. His commitment to public service would only expand when he entered Purdue, where he would gain a global education to better serve his community in Indiana. From working as a legislative intern at the city and county levels to conducting research in comparative international agriculture, Nicholas persistently pursued the next opportunity before him, including eventually to secure 45 million dollars through multiple grant applications for rural Indiana.

 

Demonstrating his intellectual abilities and leadership early on, Nicholas was recognized as Outstanding Freshman and then Outstanding Sophomore the following year by the College of Agriculture as well as Outstanding Sophomore by and the Department of Political Science. On campus, Nicholas showed leadership through his engagement in Sigma Nu Fraternity, Purdue Student Life Board, and Purdue Student Government (PSG), including as PSG Vice President for the 2025-26 academic year. There to witness the development of this budding public servant at Purdue, Dr. Michael Wilcox, Jr., Purdue Extension and the Department of Agricultural Economics, invested in Nicholas from serving as his thesis advisor to writing in support of his nomination for the Harry S. Truman Award.