Northwestern student Ethan Barnes named a Truman Scholar

Northwestern student Ethan Barnes has been named a 2025 Truman Scholar in recognition of his academic achievement and commitment to public service leadership.

A junior studying political science in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Barnes is planning to pursue a law degree and a career in law and public service.

Before transferring to Northwestern from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he made history as the town’s youngest civil service commissioner. Barnes is deeply committed to criminal justice reform and civic engagement, and he worked in Carlisle to help facilitate local police hiring and promotion processes.

“My interest in the criminal justice system stems from firsthand experience — like many other Americans — witnessing the injustices and inefficiencies that often occur within it, from wasted tax dollars on prison policies that increase recidivism rather than reduce it, to unarmed civilians being killed by police officers,” Barnes said. “These flaws undermine the American people's faith in a system that fundamentally relies on public trust in order to function.

“A community that lacks trust in institutions such as the police makes it harder for officers to serve effectively, as collaboration between law enforcement and community members — often essential witnesses in solving cases — is weakened. Likewise, a system that has lost the public’s trust faces greater difficulty in building support for policies intended to improve it.”

Barnes has contributed to several congressional campaigns and worked in both the D.C. government and executive offices of two state governors. He has served as a leader in nationwide grassroots efforts focused on probation and parole reform — mobilizing support across states including Illinois and Virginia and raising thousands of dollars to support decarceration and reduce recidivism.

In addition, he founded Fair Policing, a student-led initiative that fosters constructive relationships between police departments and youth from low-income communities and communities of color.

At Northwestern, Barnes has served as a research aide on several academic projects, most recently professor Ava Greenwell’s Hearing Silences project, which is dedicated to spotlighting the history of Black women professors at the University.

With Barnes, there are now 23 Northwestern students who have earned a Truman Scholarship. They join a community of almost 4,000 Truman Scholars named since the first awards in 1977.

Any Northwestern student interested in pursuing scholarship and fellowship opportunities can contact the Office of Fellowships to learn more.