Applications for the 2027 class of Presidential Leadership Scholars are open. Apply now.
All the latest Scholar stories, updates from the modules, program news, and more.
As we enter the holiday season, the PLS team is reflecting on our incredible Scholars who continue to be catalysts for action and positive change around the globe. We recently asked the Presidential Leadership Scholars to share their thoughts on gratitude and what they are most thankful for as they think back on the past year.
Memarsadeghi has dedicated her life and career to advocating for democracy in Iran. In 2010, she started Tavaana E-Learning Institute for Iranian Civil Society, a civic education and civil society capacity building initiative with a vision for a free and open society in Iran. Memarsadeghi most recently founded the Cyrus Forum, which aids peaceful, durable transition to democracy in Iran through a multi-stakeholder, collaborative process.
Mariam Memarsadeghi
Class of 2017
As the Director of Community Social Impact at Dallas’ Parkland Health, BrainCharge Founder and CEO, and 2017 Presidential Leadership Scholar, Vidya Ayyr is finding ways to identify and support what the World Health Organization terms the social determinants of health. Her team is collaborating with medical software provider Epic Systems Corp to capture these risks within every patient record at Parkland Health and beyond.
Vidya Ayyr
Class of 2017
The 2022 Presidential Leadership Scholars completed their sixth and final module in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, earlier this month.
Presidential Leadership Scholar Adam Gilbertson, Vice President at RDO Equipment Co., is working to solve a major challenge in his home state of Montana and across the country: There aren’t enough young people entering into the trade industries.
Adam Gilbertson
Class of 2020
The Presidential Leadership Scholars Class of 2022 completed their fifth module in Austin, Texas, last week. This module focused on the leadership skill of working collaboratively to influence and persuade stakeholders through the lens of President Lyndon B. Johnson and his administration.
The Presidential Leadership Scholars program opened the application process for its 2023 program cycle.
This month, the Presidential Leadership Scholars visited the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas. The fourth program module focused on the leadership skill of decision making through the lens of President Bush’s leadership and administration.