LAS VEGAS — Julianne Newman, a co-valedictorian of Foothill High School in Henderson, has been chosen as the third recipient of the Professor R.S. Nigam & NPRI Freedom Scholarship, the Nevada Policy Research Institute announced today.

​NPRI awarded Julianne the scholarship in recognition of her academic excellence, volunteer and extra-curricular activities, including 300 hours of community service, and her well-written essay answering the question: “What impact would raising taxes have on the economy in general, on Nevada's unemployment rate and on struggling businesses and families?”

“It was a privilege to award this scholarship to Julianne,” said Swadeep Nigam, who has generously funded the scholarship program. “Her academic achievements, several hundred hours of volunteer work and excellent essay on the destructive impacts of raising taxes made her a worthy winner. Julianne continues the tradition of talented and accomplished scholarship recipients.”

“Julianne’s essay and achievements set her application apart from the field,” said NPRI President Andy Matthews. “It’s great to be able to reward such a talented young person as she is about to enter one of Nevada’s fine universities.”

Beginning in the fall of 2013, Julianne will be attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in business.

Professor R.S. Nigam, the scholarship’s namesake, was a director of the Delhi School of Economics at the University of Delhi, a visiting professor at the College of Business at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a senior fellow at the University of Wisconsin, in addition to academic engagements in Europe, the West Indies and Asia, including North Korea. The scholarship was made possible through a generous donation from Professor Nigam’s son, Swadeep Nigam, who is an active member of NPRI and has resided in Las Vegas for the past 25 years.

Previous recipients of the Professor R.S. Nigam & NPRI Freedom Scholarship include Katarina A. Krouse and Daniel Waqar.

“This scholarship and its third recipient are a fitting way to honor Professor R.S. Nigam, a man devoted to education and who has taught at UNLV and around the world,” said Matthews. “We appreciate this opportunity to honor Professor Nigam, and also to help provide Julianne with assistance in continuing her education.”

NPRI will offer its fourth annual Professor R.S. Nigam & NPRI Freedom Scholarship to eligible high school seniors in Clark County in the spring of 2014.

Photo cutline: Swadeep Nigam awards Julianne Newman the Professor R.S. Nigam & NPRI Freedom Scholarship.

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