President Barack Obama is tapping former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords for the board that selects recipients for Fulbright scholarships.
The Arizona Democrat resigned from Congress in 2012, a year after a gunman shot her at close range while she was greeting constituents in her Tucson district. Six people were killed and 13 others wounded in the shooting rampage.
Giffords has since become a prominent advocate for gun control, testifying before in Congress and starting an advocacy group. Obama singled her out during his February State of the Union address. She appeared alongside him at the White House the day the Senate voted down expanded background checks.
The Fulbright Scholarship Program is an international education exchange program. The federal government sponsors the program to increase mutual understanding with other countries.
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