Rouse Named University’s First Truman Scholar

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (April 24, 2026) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is celebrating the naming of Terrence “Olu” Rouse as a 2026 Harry S. Truman Scholar – the first in the university’s history.

The Truman Scholarship is the nation’s premier graduate fellowship for students pursuing careers in public service leadership. It provides up to $30,000 for graduate study, along with leadership training, mentoring, and access to a national network of public service professionals.

A third‑year political science and economics major in the Honors College, Rouse is a February One Scholar with academic homes in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and the Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics. Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, he was recognized for his exceptional leadership in civic engagement, public policy research, and voter advocacy. His work centers on strengthening democratic participation and advancing economic justice through evidence‑based fiscal policy.

“Olu Rouse demonstrates the extraordinary talent, excellence and commitment to purpose that is at the heart of North Carolina A&T’s mission,” said Chancellor James R. Martin II. “His well-deserved and historic selection as a Truman Scholar solidifies our university’s national reputation for cultivating leaders who are dedicated to service, scholarship and exponential impact.”

Rouse plans to pursue a Ph.D. in public policy and economics, with the long-term goal of shaping equitable, data-driven fiscal policy at the state level. He aims to be a senior lead in governmental affairs, focused on expanding democratic participation, distributional analysis and inclusive economic growth in North Carolina.

As a Truman Scholar, Rouse will participate in The Washington Summer Institute to address economic injustice and racial disparities through state fiscal policy.

“North Carolina budgets and tax codes are our moral documents that tell what and who our government values,” said Rouse. “Engaging the voices of historically underrepresented and marginalized communities are especially important to create policies that effectively support the needs of these communities. Providing this opportunity to those who were not afforded an equal start is a part of establishing equity, justice and democracy in state government.”

Rouse was chosen to receive the scholarship from among a highly competitive national pool of 781 candidates representing 305 colleges and universities based on his academic excellence, leadership and a demonstrated commitment to public service. Only 55 students from across the nation were named Truman Scholars this year.

“Olu Rouse is an outstanding scholar-leader whose intellectual rigor, moral clarity and commitment to the public good exemplify the values of the Truman Scholarship and the legacy of this institution,” said Margaret I. Kanipes, Ph.D., Honors College dean and Truman Scholarship liaison. “This achievement is historic for North Carolina A&T and deeply affirming of the work we do to prepare students for leadership in public service.”

Rouse is also a John Lewis Young Leaders’ Fellow with the Robert and Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center and an undergraduate research fellow in the Roosevelt Network. His research in these roles analyzes how reparation programs, North Carolina guaranteed income programs, and progressive tax policy shape racial and economic disparities. He is also an alumnus of the American Economic Association Summer Program where he completed research on how community violence intervention programs impact crime in local United States municipalities.

At A&T, Rouse serves as head chair of the Civic Engagement Coalition, where he secured funding for and coordinated a team of fellow students to host voter engagement initiatives, and co-founded #ProtectOurs, mobilizing more than 100 students and partnering with local, state and national organizations to advocate for early voting sites for university and college campuses across the state. He also conducts independent research with the Department of Economics on the impact of reparations, served as N.C. A&T Fiscal Challenge team captain and was a student dialogue ambassador for North Carolina Campus Engagement, in addition to other civic and economic impact activities including work with the North Carolina Office of Strategic Partnerships, NC Budget & Tax Center, Concord Coalition, and Democracy NC.

Rouse has received the university’s Excellence in Political Engagement Golden Aggie Leadership Award and Honors College Research Symposium Best Oral Speaker Award, along with many other accolades, and is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society. On Monday, he served as a panelist for The Assembly’s inaugural Greensboro Newsmakers event, “The Civic Health Conversation: Preparing the Next Generation of Engaged Citizens,” which also featured Chancellor Emeritus Harold L. Martin Sr. as a panelist.

A&T is among a select group of institutions nationwide to celebrate its first Truman Scholar as part of the 2026 cohort. This year’s Truman Scholars were recommended by 17 independent selection panels based on the finalists’ academic success and leadership accomplishments, as well as their likelihood of becoming public service leaders. Regional selection panels included distinguished civic leaders, elected officials, university presidents, federal judges and past Truman Scholarship winners. 

Established by Congress in 1975, the Truman Scholarship is administered by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, created in honor of the nation’s 33rd president. The program supports college juniors from across the country who demonstrate leadership potential and a dedication to careers in public service.