A WVU student with dark hair and rounded glasses. He is wearing a dark blue suite jacket over a white button up shirt with a light blue tie.

Azeem Khan

Political Science

Class of 2024

“I think I’ve always had an interest in politics and public service, but seeing the effect you could have on peoples lives [is] something you don’t appreciate fully until you see it in person, in real life. ”

Azeem Khan, a West Virginia University student committed to public service, has been named the University’s 26th Truman Scholar, the nation’s top graduate fellowship award for aspiring public service leaders.

“Azeem blends a demonstrated commitment to public service with a fierce passion for problem solving, which is an unbeatable combination when facing challenges ranging from mental health to opioid abuse,” President Gordon Gee said.

A native of Charleston, the political science major with dual minors in business cybersecurity and philosophy is acutely aware of the challenges his home state faces, especially with respect to the opioid epidemic.

“I think it’s impossible to live in West Virginia and go a single day without thinking about the impact the opioid epidemic has had on our state,” Khan said. “Growing up, it’s something we always saw impacting our communities. But in the face of incredible adversity, I always found myself inspired by the resilience of ordinary West Virginians.”

As co-chair of the Mountaineer Fentanyl Education Task Force, Khan has led efforts to educate WVU students about the dangers of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid drug.

Excerpt from WVUToday — read more.

WVU Activities

Presidential Student Ambassador,Senator At-Large & President Pro Tempore within Student Government Association, Honors College Member, WVU Club Squash Team, WVU Pre-Law Society, Intern for US Senator Joe Manchin III, Member of Juvenile Justice Subcommittee of Governor’s Committee on Crime, Delinquency, and Correction; Mountaineer Fentanyl Education Task Force