WASHINGTON (TIP): Two Indian-Americans have been named finalists for the prestigious White House Fellows program that offers first-hand experience of working at the highest levels of the US federal government.

Tina Shah, a physician from the University of Chicago and Anjali Tripathi, an astrophysics Ph.D. candidate at Harvard University, have been shortlisted for the White House Fellows Program, the White House said , June 7.

Shah and Tripathi were among the 30 finalists selected for the program founded in 1964 by President Lyndon B Johnson.

The National Finalists will be evaluated by the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships in Washington, DC from June 9-12, a media release said.

In a statement, the White House said this year’s class of Finalists represents an accomplished and diverse cross-section of professionals from the private sector, academia, medicine, and armed services.

National Finalists for the nation’s premiere program for leadership and public service have demonstrated remarkable professional achievement early in their careers, a commitment to public service, and the leadership skills needed to succeed at the highest levels of the Federal government, the White House said.

After a competitive application process, selected individuals spend a year in Washington, DC working full-time for Cabinet Secretaries, senior White House staff, and other top-ranking government officials.

Fellows also participate in an education program consisting of round-table discussions with renowned leaders from the private and public sectors, including the President and Vice President.

Fellowships are awarded on a strictly non-partisan basis.

There are more than 700 White House Fellow alumni, a distinguished group that includes former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr Sanjay Gupta, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.