SMU sophomore Ryan Cross has been named a Presidential Fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress in Washington, D.C.
Ryan Cross
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Cross is majoring in political science and international studies with minors in Spanish and history in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences. As a member of the Tower Scholars program, he also is pursuing a third minor in public policy and international affairs.
The Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, a non-partisan organization, selects up to 75 undergraduate and graduate students from across the country for its year-long Presidential Fellows program. Fellows travel to Washington twice during the year to attend policy workshops and discuss national issues with scholars, senior government officials and leaders from business, media, public policy and the military. Fellows present original research papers and are eligible for awards and publication in the center’s journal.
"I'm excited by this opportunity because it will facilitate my research on the development of American energy policies since the 1970s," said Cross. "The center’s access to policymakers will be a critical component of my project. I look forward to the program's fall and spring conferences at which I will discuss my research and network with my peers from universities across the country.
"Additionally, this opportunity will prepare me for a career in public service by providing a glimpse at DC-based government agencies and think-tanks."
Cross also has been selected for an internship at the Library of Congress as part of the Junior Fellows Summer Internship Program. He will be working on a multi-year curatorial project in the Library's Prints & Photographs Division.
A native of Wilton, Connecticut, Cross is a member of the University Honors Program, the Hilltop New Century Scholars Program, Career Development Ambassadors, and the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He is a recipient of the Tower Center’s 2016-17 R. Richard Rubottom Foreign Service Scholarship. He plans to pursue a career with the U.S. government after graduation.