March 16, 2025
Josh Donaldson, a junior biological engineering major who is also pursuing the Honors Certificate, is a finalist for the Truman Scholarship.
When Josh Donaldson was recently named a finalist for the Truman Scholarship, he said he was flooded with a variety of emotions, including feelings of excitement and gratitude. Donaldson added that he couldn鈥檛 help but reflect on a specific conversation he had with the University of Missouri Office of Global and National Fellowships as a freshman.
鈥淚 knew when I arrived at Mizzou that I wanted to get involved in research,鈥 said Donaldson, a junior biological engineering major who is also pursuing the Honors Certificate. 鈥淭hose conversations connected me with the Office of Global and National Fellowships. During an introductory meeting and after discussing my interests, they mentioned that I should look into applying for the Truman Scholarship in a couple of years when I was eligible. I kind of stored that information away, and it鈥檚 really crazy to think I鈥檓 here now.鈥
The identities aspiring leaders who are in their junior year of college. The prestigious award is designed to recognize and reward students who are committed to careers in public service. This year, there are 201 finalists from a pool of 743 applicants.
Donaldson worked with the Office of Global and National Fellowships throughout the application process. It鈥檚 an office that Donaldson is very familiar with. Along with his initial visit as a freshman, he worked with the team as a sophomore during his application. With their guidance, Donaldson was able to secure funding to go to Tanzania to study Swahili.
鈥淭hat experience was incredibly transformative,鈥 Donaldson said. 鈥淚t was just perfect. There were definitely challenges; I had never been out of the country and didn鈥檛 know Swahili, but I soon fell in love with the nature, the work and the people. I made lifelong friends, and I can鈥檛 say enough about receiving that scholarship.鈥
Donaldson has always had a heart for helping others. While he was originally interested in pursuing a degree related to nonprofit work, his love of math and science eventually won out. The biological engineering degree does allow him to get the best of both worlds, though. The program features a science-based engineering curriculum that integrates engineering and biological sciences in the areas of health, sustainability and environmental stewardship.
鈥淎s I was making my college decision, I realized that I wasn鈥檛 going to be satisfied unless I was innovating,鈥 Donaldson said. 鈥淭hrough the biological engineering degree, I鈥檓 able to combine my love of math and science with my passions for aiding others. I want to be an engineer of change, and Mizzou is providing me with a great opportunity to do just that.鈥
Along with his work in the classroom, Donaldson is creating change at Mizzou through undergraduate research and efforts with . Donaldson鈥檚 research has covered two very distinct topics 鈥 a psychological science study examining how factors in the home and school affect mathematical understanding in young children, and, more recently, a project focused on volumetric muscle loss.
鈥淕rowing up, people would ask me what my favorite subject was, and I would always talk about math and science, but I also loved writing essays and poetry,鈥 Donaldson said. 鈥淚 love the fact that at Mizzou I get to explore all my interests. My research experiences have been top-notch, and it鈥檚 been great to gain so much knowledge so early in my collegiate career.鈥
Donaldson is the executive director of Tiger Pantry, which serves, educates and empowers individuals facing food insecurity within the Mizzou community. He began as a volunteer and then served as an ambassador before moving into the executive director role.
鈥淚 was super big into volunteerism and found a passion for unseen and overlooked issues in high school,鈥 Donaldson said. 鈥淲hen I got to Mizzou, I knew I wanted to continue to find work that felt meaningful. Luckily, one of the programs I was in as a freshman brought in a speaker from Tiger Pantry to speak about food security, which is something I really had no clue about. I signed up to volunteer immediately and fell in love with it.鈥
As a finalist for the Truman Scholarship, Donaldson will participate in a regional interview in Kansas City, Missouri. He said that he鈥檚 excited for the next step 鈥 and that his work with the Office of Global and National Fellowships has prepared him for the interview.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a fundamental program for Mizzou,鈥 Donaldson said. 鈥淓ven if you don鈥檛 receive the award that you鈥檙e applying for, you learn so much about yourself throughout the process. I鈥檝e learned how to tell my story and advocate for myself. The Office of Global and National Fellowships has been vital in this work, and I鈥檓 so thankful that I鈥檝e been able to interact with the team so often.鈥
This story originally appeared on the website of the .