Plant Biology graduate student John Tran awarded Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Endowed Scholarship from MSU

John Tran, a fifth year Plant Biology Ph.D. student in Curtis Wilkerson's lab, has been awarded the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Endowed Scholarship from Michigan State University.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Endowed Scholarship Program recognizes MSU students who are, through their stewardship, becoming society’s leaders by actively engaging in building inclusive communities in ways that fight injustice and promote equality for all on every possible level.

Contributions of John Tran in building inclusive communities 

John has co-founded the Asian Pacific American Graduate Alliance (APAGA) student organization and served as its president to promote the research done by Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) MSU graduate students. A Graduate Facilitator for the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) from 2016-2018, John has mentored undergraduate students from different types of colleges and universities, including small liberal arts and historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). As a Steering Committee Member, John held leadership roles in the Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) and was Editor for their science bulletin.

This fellowship will enable John Tran to make progress towards his dissertation which he anticipates to complete in Spring 2020 before pursuing a research position.

John Tran says "Students contribute significantly to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for teaching and learning at MSU. I am honored to receive this recognition and will continue to 'tend to the part of the garden that I can touch' ".