Anjali Tripathi and Dr. Tina Shah were among the 30 finalists named White House Fellows.

President Barack Obama's Commission on White House Fellowships announced the national finalists for the 2016-2017 White House Fellowship June 9.

The 30 finalists, who represent an accomplished and diverse cross-section of professionals fronm the private sector, academia, medicine and the armed services, were evaluated June 9 through June 12 in Washington, D.C., the White House said in a statement.

Each of the finalists hails from various parts of the country and 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 added.

Anjali Tripathi, of Woodland Hills, Calif., is an astrophysics doctoral candidate at Harvard University. Prior to pursuing her doctorate, she earned her undergraduate degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While at MIT, she served as a member of the Solar Electric Vehicle Team and the Society of Physics Students.

Additionally, Tripathi participated in the television game show "Jeopardy" during its "Kids Week" in 1999 and again in 2008 for its "Kids Week Reunion" events. In the reunion week, Tripathi won her contest, earning a $25,000 first-place prize.

Tina Shah, of Chicago, Ill., is a pulmonary and critical care physician at the University of Chicago. She is a graduate of Penn State University, Thomas Jefferson University and the Harvard School of Public Health.

According to her LinkedIn bio, Shah is a global thought leader at the Center for Health Care Innovation, a non-profit life sciences research organization. She is also the immediate past national chair of the American Medical Association Resident and Fellow Section, where she represented more than 40,000 physicians. She is using her leadership to address resident wellness while in training and resident satisfaction alongside patient advocacy efforts at the national level.

Additionally, she serves as a member of the board of trustees and a vice speaker at the Chicago Medical Society, a member of the editorial board of Clinical Leader and a member of the PRAXIS advisory board of the COPD Foundation.

The White House Fellowship finalists were chosen after advancing through a competitive selection process which included a comprehensive written application and regional interviews with civic leaders.

The winners, who will be chosen at an unspecified later date, will spend a year in the nation's capital working full time for cabinet secretaries, senior White House staff and other top ranking government officials.

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