1980   Lang Opportunity Scholarship In 1980 Eugene M. Lang, a member of the Class of 1938, established the Lang Opportunity Scholarship. Five scholarships are awarded each year to first-semester sophomores who have distinguished themselves in academic and extracurricular achievement and with demonstrable interest in social change. Lang is chairman emeritus of the Swarthmore Board of Managers and founder of Project Pericles, a not-for-profit organization that encourages and facilitates commitments by colleges and universities to include education for social responsibility and participatory citizenship as an essential part of their educational programs, in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community. In 1997, Lang received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Each Lang Scholar receives funding for a summer internship, a no-loan financial aid package, and support and guidance from the staff of the Lang Center and the community of current Scholars and alumni. Lang Opportunity Scholars are eligible to apply for an additional grant of up to $10,000 to conduct a project that is expected to facilitate transformative social change. One recent Lang Scholar, economics major Smitha Arekapudi, Class of 1999, helped launch an organization called the Illinois Public Health Advocate, which sought to educate and mobilize people in her home state who were interested in public health issues. One of her first efforts was to organize a round table on public health in DuPage County, Ill. The program's success drew national attention, and others modeled on it have since been developed in several states. Another, Melkizedeck Okudo, Class of 2003, spearheaded an effort called Digital Bridges to provide Chester, Pa., residents with computer training and the skills to share their knowledge with others. "The residents' lack of computer knowledge puts them at a disadvantage in the job market, and this project addresses that problem," says Okudo, an economics major from Kenya. "In addition, computer training allows them to learn to use a vital communication tool, as well as serve as a community-building activity." One of the College's closest friends, Lang has a long history of philanthropic involvement with Swarthmore. His gifts, totaling more than $50 million over the last three decades, include, in addition to the scholarship program, the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility,the Lang Music Building, the Eugene M. and Theresa Lang Performing Arts Center, endowed professorships, and support for faculty research and financial aid.

Eugene M. Lang (center) and a group of Lang Scholars
	Smitha Arekapudi, Class of 1999. Credit: Meghan Kriegel '97		Melkizedeck Okudo, Class of 2003 Credit: Jim Graham