Students at UGA will have the opportunity to intern as Chambliss Fellows in Washington, D.C., thanks to scholarship funds raised during the inaugural Chambliss Leadership Forum dinner held Nov. 10 in Atlanta.
Founded in 2014, the Chambliss Leadership Forum includes the annual fundraising dinner, the Chambliss Fellows Program and a campus lecture series. Chambliss Fellows, five UGA students competitively selected each semester, will be provided with financial and academic assistance to live and work in the nation’s capital.
A number of students and policymakers joined the celebration of former Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and his wife, Julianne, both of whom are UGA alumni and have been public servants since Chambliss was elected to office in 1994.
“The Chambliss Leadership Forum provides a unique opportunity for our students to learn from Sen. Chambliss and to witness policymaking in the nation’s capital,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “It offers an unparalleled learning experience for those who are interested in careers in government and politics, and we are deeply appreciative of Sen. and Mrs. Chambliss—and of our donors—for establishing the program at the University of Georgia.”
The event, which raised more than $350,000 to help endow the fellows program, included a panel discussion with Chambliss, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and former Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. The discussion included questions from the audience on issues ranging from entitlement reform to national security.