Congratulations to the fall 2024 Richard Murray Endowed Scholarship Recipients!

Vincent Fumey-Nassah is a junior majoring in public policy with a minor in linguistics and a certificate in Teaching English as an Additional Language. They are passionate about promoting civic engagement among university students and serve as a student leader with Texas Rising, where they focus on voter education and registration on campus. Fumey-Nassah also completed a summer fellowship with the Democratic Erosion Consortium, contributing to the expansion a database of a global incidents of democratic erosion. Additionally, they participate in the Horticulture Society at the University of Houston and serve as the Communication Chair for Freedom Collective, an organization dedicated to creating a supportive space for Black and Queer individuals at the university. Fumey-Nassah is involved in several Hobby School initiatives such as the Civic Houston Internship Program working with Emgage, a local nonprofit for political literacy and civic engagement, and is a member of the school’s registered student organization. In 2024, they represented UH at Texas’ largest policy and politics festival in Austin. 

Anisah Khan is a senior at the majoring in English, with minors in psychology and the interdisciplinary program Law, Values, and Policy. She is currently interning at the Mayor’s Office of Education and Youth Engagement as a 2024 Civic Houston Intern, where she has contributed to the City of Houston Youth Mental Health Guide and collaborated with the City of Houston Youth Ambassadors. Her campus leadership roles include serving as managing editor of “Glass Mountain,” the university's undergraduate literary magazine and as a former Rowan intern at the Blaffer Art Museum. Her essay, "Narrating the Spectrum," was recognized as the 2023 Non-Fiction winner in the Alexandra L. Rowan Memorial Foundation Writing Competition. In addition to her creative pursuits, Khan, as a PURS scholar and FrameWorks Fellow, has researched the significance of partition literature for contemporary South Asian communities and continues her research in Special Education. Her passion lies in improving educational systems for disabled youth through civic engagement and public service. 

Chinwe Nwaeze is a senior double majoring in philosophy and political science with a minor in public leadership. She currently interns at the UH Law Center Immigration Clinic where she is part of a student legal team representing clients in their asylum cases. Her passion for public service and justice informed her previous roles as a Hobby School Harris Fellow, an intern in Young Invincible, a national non-profit, and as a Houston City Council District K intern deepening her understanding of community building and local government as a catalyst for political change. The Nigerian native possesses strong research and analytical skills with expertise in community engagement, advocacy and project management and her professional philosophy centered on advocacy, justice, and meaningful change. On campus she serves an associate justice on the UH Student Government Association’s Supreme Court, as a senior advisor in the UH Pre-law Society and on the executive board of RCCGF UH a Christian Fellowship on campus. She aspires to utilize her academic background and practical experiences to create impactful changes in the fields of public policy and law, contributing to global democracy and legal reform.

Milan Sam is a junior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy and a Master of Public Policy through the Hobby School’s dual degree program, with a minor in management and leadership. He participated in the Civic Houston Internship Program, working in the office of Harris County Justice of the Peace, Judge Dolores Lozano and has extended his 2024 Harris Fellow internship at the Research Analysis Division in the Harris County Office of County Administration. Sam is currently a member of the Houston Scholars program in the Honors College and a writer for the Arete Review, an undergraduate academic journal dedicated to addressing political polarization. He is also a participant in the 2024-2025 Next Generation Leadership Academy. His campus and community involvement includes UH Debate, Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees (PAIR), Model G20 and the UH Indian Student Association. He represents the Hobby School of Public Affairs as an undergraduate council member, serves as a resource officer for MOVE Texas and is the finance officer for One Small Step. Sam has received the Hobby Excellence and the UH Academic Excellence Scholarships. He aspires to become a policy analyst while continuing his commitment to community and civic engagement.

Past Recipients

Alexia Aguilar, Public Relations
Fall 2024

Alexis Boehmer, Psychology
Fall 2024

Caitlyn Foret, Strategic Communication
Fall 2024

Enrique Garcia, Master of Public Policy
Fall 2024

Gabriela Hamdieh, Public Policy
Fall 2024

Cyrus Hosseini, Master of Economics
Fall 2024

Saron Regassa, Public Policy
Fall 2024

Drew Tonjes, Master of Social Work/Master of Public Policy
Fall 2024

Veronica Nwanna, Journalism
Fall 2024

Andres Espinola, Political Science
Spring 2023

Winnie Pham, Political Science
Spring 2023

Matthew Tao, Political Science & Psychology
Spring 2023

Arkan Turki, Political Science
Spring 2023

Eshal Warsi, Political Science
Spring 2023

Mya Little, Political Science
Spring 2022

Christine Le, Political Science
Fall 2021

Carolina Lopez-Herrera, Philosophy major
Fall 2020

Kryss Schofield, Political Science major
Fall 2020

Shiva Baradaran, Political Science major
Spring 2019

Danielle Niangar, Political Science and Sociology major
CHIP Intern, Congresswoman Shiela Jackson Lee, Fall 2016

Aylin Rodriguez, Political Science major
Spring 2019

Britnee Chuor, Political Science major
CHIP Intern, State Representative Gene Wu, spring 2018

Ben Nelson, Political Science major
CHIP Intern, City Council Member Michael Kubosh, fall 2016

Stephanie Gomez, History and Political Science double major
CHIP Intern, City Controller Chris Brown, spring 2016

Andrea Elizondo, Political Science and Liberal Studies major
CHIP Intern, Houston Crackdown, spring 2015

Seth Howard, Political Science major
CHIP Intern, Congressman Ted Poe, spring 2015

Patrick Sears, Political Science and Philosophy major
Metropolitan Volunteer Program, spring 2015

Stephanie Brooks, Political Science and Sociology major 
State Department, Lima, Peru, fall 2013

Sarah Aimadeddine, Political Science and Economics double degree
Hobby Fellow, State Representative Jim Murphy, spring 2013

Mathew Mendoza, Political Science major
Phi Alpha Delta, vice president 2013-2014

Miriah Soliz, Political Science major
University of Houston Student Government, executive director, August 2012-May 2013

Amir Tavakkoli, Political Science and Sociology major
Shami Farouk Campaign for Texas Governor, spring 2010 

Taylor Kilroy, Political Science and Public Relations major
City Councilmember Pam Holm, fall 2009