UW’s Undergraduate Nominees & Scholars Archive (Q-R)
Browse our archive for information and bios of applicants, nominees, semi-finalists, finalists and scholars of our most prominent scholarships. Come learn their stories, what they have done, where they come from, and where they are going!
Q-R
History of UW Rangel Fellows
2022
Congrats Gabriel Kornas, 2022 Rangel Fellow!
Class of 2019, International Studies major
Read our recent interview with Gabriel.
Gabriel is originally from the Seattle area but spent part of his childhood in Doha, Qatar. At UW, Gabriel majored in International Studies and minored in Law, Societies, and Justice. As a student at UW, he studied Spanish and had the opportunity to intern with the State Department both in Washington, DC and in Muscat, Oman. He graduated with Interdisciplinary Honors in 2019. Since then, he has worked full-time for UW in the Office of Federal Relations. Gabriel is passionate about positively representing the US abroad as a Foreign Service Officer, and intends to serve in the Management Cone of the Foreign Service. The Rangel Fellowship will enable Gabriel to receive a graduate education in Public Administration ahead of joining the Foreign Service in summer 2024. The Rangel Fellowship also provides relevant internships and mentoring to prepare recipients to be successful in the Foreign Service. Gabriel is excited and thankful for the opportunity to serve his country by working on U.S. foreign policy.
Gabriel’s near and long-term goals: My near term goal is to pursue a Master of Public Administration to prepare me with the analytical and substantive skills to succeed in the Foreign Service. I am also looking forward to the internship components of the Fellowship. As a Foreign Service Officer, I hope to have the opportunity to take assignments in different functional and geographic areas of the State Department and learn new languages.
2016
Hamda Yusuf
Senior, International Studies major, Germanics and African Studies minor
Hamda Yusuf graduated in 2016 with a degree in International Studies and minors in German and African Studies. She is a Somali-American and calls both Hargeisa, Somalia and Seattle, Washington home. Hamda has been heavily involved with the Somali Student Association on campus and served as the Community Affairs Officer. Earlier in her undergraduate studies she was able to intern with Senator Maria Cantwell’s Seattle office where she focused on immigration and visa issues. During her time at UW she developed a passion for studying immigration pathways, cultural studies, and human rights.
These passions were a big motivation in her applying for both the Rangel Fellowship and the Fulbright-Austria Community Based Combined Grant for the 2016-2017 year. Having already participated in the Spring in Vienna study abroad program her sophomore year, Hamda felt well prepared to return to a city that she found both beautiful and perplexing. With the Fulbright grant, she will work as an English teaching assistant in an Austrian secondary school, attend classes at the University of Vienna, and work with an organization that finds better housing for refugees in Austria. If she manages to have any free time, she hopes to fulfill her dream of hiking parts of the Alps.
After her Fulbright year, Hamda plans to join the Rangel Fellowship Program and do her graduate studies at the New School’s Milano School of International Affairs in New York City where she will focus on conflict and security. Hamda hopes to eventually serve as a consular officer for the Foreign Service, where she will be able to work to promote security and increase understanding between nations. As a first-generation college student, Hamda wants to recognize her parents for always motivating her to be a positive force in the world.
2015
Anne Mwendar
Senior, Interdisciplinary Honors in International Studies major
Anne Mwendar hails from Seattle, Washington where she graduated from the University of Washington in June 2014 with a BA of Interdisciplinary Honors in International Studies. She was an inaugural member of the U.S. State Department’s U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program, where she worked for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in summer 2014. She also served as a fellow at the United Nations Information Center in Washington DC. In college, she studied international relations and law at Sciences Po Paris and volunteered extensively in Kenya. In Seattle, she worked with the World Affairs Council, East African Community Service and the University of Washington Athletics Department. She is fluent in French and Kiswahili. She is passionate about foreign policy, poverty, and youth development. She will pursue a Master’s in International Affairs at Columbia University SIPA.
2014
Philmon Haile
Senior, International Studies: Asia focus major
2013
2012
Jessica Kuhn
Senior, International Studies major
2010
Glorya Cho
Senior, International Studies and Economics major
2008
2007
Aysa Miller
Senior, Business Administration major
UW Seattle Undergraduate Nominees, Finalists, and Scholars
2021- 2022
Yogasai Gazula
2021 grad, International Studies major
Arwa Mokdad, Finalist
2021 grad, International Studies major, Rhodes finalist
Arwa is an honors graduate in International Studies with a specialty in Human Rights. Her studies have focused on human rights in the Middle East. As a child of Arab immigrants, she is passionate about peace efforts and activism in the region. She has spent time in Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Lebanon, Yemen, Oman, U.A.E, and Jordan. Growing up between the U.S. and Middle East solidified her global perspective on regional challenges. While at UW, Arwa was able to study abroad in Nizwa, Beirut, and Rome. These experiences furthered her interest in international cooperation and cross-cultural exchanges. While studying advanced Arabic at the American University of Beirut, Arwa volunteered as an English teacher for Syrian refugees. She has continued this work and now teaches vulnerable populations within Oman.
Currently, Arwa is an intern and teacher at Al Jisr Foundation in Muscat. She is also working on a cultural webinar series “Beyond the War” that aims to build international solidarity with Yemeni communities. Arwa volunteers with Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation as a Peace Advocate. Through this work, she supports aid programs in Yemen while participating in anti-war campaigns in the U.S.
Her time as a research assistant at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies inspired her to pursue a career in foreign policy. In graduate school, Arwa hopes to build on her past advocacy and research experience to center Yemeni perspectives on conflict resolution. In the future, she hopes to work on progressive Middle East policy that centers the voices of people throughout the region.
Arwa’s near and longer term goals: Arwa plans on pursuing a MPhil and DPhil in International Relations. Following her graduate schooling, she hopes to work as a Gulf Analyst at a think tank.
Arwa’s tips for future applicants: Start early and utilize all the resources available to you! OMSFA offers workshops, counseling sessions, and much more. As you undergo the application process, stay in regular contact with OMSFA- they are incredibly helpful and supportive. Keep in mind that applications are a marathon not a sprint, so make sure to break up tasks and set realistic deadlines. While researching the programs themselves, consider how the program is a good fit for you and how you are a good fit for the program.
Elizabeth Peterson
2022 grad, Near Eastern Studies major
Milli Wijenaike-Bogle
2022 grad, Public Health-Global Health major
Milli Wijenaike-Bogle is a senior in Interdisciplinary and Departmental Honors, majoring in Public Health- Global Health and minoring in Data Science. Milli is passionate about improving population health, especially in the fields of maternal and pediatric health. She also wants to work to improve global mental health by identifying and reworking systems that cause trauma and adverse childhood experiences. Milli has been involved in PTSD research at the Puget Sound VA since her first year at UW and was named a 2020-2021 Levinson scholar for her original research on Hostile Assessment Bias (HAB) in people who have experienced trauma. Hostile Assessment Bias refers to the tendency to interpret a neutral or ambiguous situation as hostile or dangerous. Specifically, her research examines the link between Hostile Assessment Bias and PTSD severity and the impact of prazosin in normalizing Hostile Assessment Bias patterns with the goal of alleviating PTSD symptoms. Milli has worked as a research assistant at WSU’s IREACH, served as a Public Health Major Steering Committee Representative and worked as a data extraction assistant at the Institute for Health Metrics. Milli also has been involved in creating and assisting with the University of Washington’s first undergraduate course specifically centered on Indigenous Health (HSERV 473/573). She also enjoys reading, painting, and engaging in various musical endeavors.
Milli’s near and longer term goals: In the future, Milli hopes to undertake a MPH in Maternal and Child Health and eventually pursue a PhD in population health. She hopes to work in international health to improve MCH in South/Southeast Asia where much of her family lives.
Milli’s tips for future applicants: Start early—you will undoubtedly go through multiple revision processes and it’s important to allow time for your work to grow. The process is intense—you will be asked to reflect deeply on the contribution you hope to make in the world in your future work and the aspects of your life that have led you to this point. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and emotive in this work, the more you put into your essays the more you will get out and be able to use for other projects.
2020- 2021
Kaley Aldrich, Finalist
2021 grad, English and Political Science majors
Kaley Aldrich is a Senior at the University of Washington in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program, studying English and Political Science. As a strong advocate for women’s rights and feminist jurisprudence, Kaley dedicates her research and career ambitions to their advancement.
At the UW, Kaley founded the Undergraduate Law Review and began her work as a research fellow at the Center for American Politics and Public Policy. There, she developed a successful measure of the Equal Rights Amendment’s impact on the sexual subordination of women. In her research on the effects of poverty and geography on abortion access in the United States, Kaley successfully measures the disparate impact of abortion restrictions on women existing in poverty in the United States through her Undue Burden Index.
Finding that legal precedent does not protect all women’s right to choose abortion in the United States, Kaley founded myreproductiveaccess.org in 2020, making her findings and data accessible to anyone visiting the website. Currently, Kaley is working on her two honors theses and an independent project on the comparative concept of privacy in Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own” and Roe v. Wade. After graduating from the University of Washington, Kaley plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in English and later attend law school. In the future, she plans on becoming a Professor of Law specializing in feminist jurisprudence and the integration of feminine consciousness in Constitutional Law.
In her free time, Kaley enjoys CrossFit, painting, music composition, and spending time with her dog, Alta. Kaley also spends her time writing her fiction novel titled “Penumbra” about the varying and intersectional impact of abortion restrictions on women’s lives. Out of all her activities outside of UW, Kaley’s most rewarding is spending time with the two girls she nannies, explaining that being a role model to them is her most important title.
Kaley’s near and longer term goals: After completing my undergraduate education, I plan to complete my Ph.D. in English, and later attend law school. Ultimately, I plan to teach feminist jurisprudence and Constitutional Law as a Professor of Law.
Kaley’s tips for future applicants: Approach these applications with an open mind—be open to suggestions, do not doubt yourself, and continuously communicate with your advisers and mentors throughout this process.
Ewan Cameron
2021 grad, Political Science and English majors
I am studying Political Science and English here at the University of Washington. You may recognize me from various volunteer events; advocating on behalf of student interests in the ASUW Senate; or running D&D games at the Pen & Paper Gaming Association. When not doing these or held up studying in Suzzallo, I am usually hiking, playing music, writing, or taking on some eclectic new hobby. I also run youth retreats and help in various missions around eastern Washington, focusing on at-risk youth and families through the network of nonprofits and church diocese working hard to fight the good fight in our state.
My work has principally been in the courts, where I have been fortunate enough to get involved in consumer rights advocacy—mostly surrounding class-action and appellate landlord-tenant and debt defense law. I have helped take on predatory lenders, abusive landlords, major banks, and even certain popular app developers—all who have sought to target and take advantage of those who are already underserved. Recently, I assisted our attorneys before the State Supreme Court against Toyota, where the court ruled in our favor to redefine ‘deception’. This month, we will be arguing before the Supreme Court again over the rights of tenants evicted during the pandemic. While enjoyable, this work has shown the deep, systemic perpetuation of inequality in the United States.
A US-UK citizen interested in the comparative politics of the Anglo-American relationship, I believe both sides of the Atlantic can learn a great deal from the other about protecting the welfare of historically underserved communities. If accepted, I aim to study these differences with a mind towards government, nonprofit or other policy work—directly pushing for more productive reforms in the fight for socioeconomic justice.
Ewan’s near and longer term goals: I would like to continue advocating for consumers’, debtors’, and tenants’ rights and for their humane and equal treatment by the law. If accepted, I would like to study the politics of poverty while in the UK in order to help governments and nonprofits better implement legislation that truly reforms systemic inequities. If not a policymaker, lobbyist, or nonprofit worker, I would like to go to Law school and become an attorney in order to directly serve those who are most in need.
Ewan’s tips for future applicants: Apply! But relax and put your best foot forward. Be confident and be passionate about your subject–show them what you have done, but also show them what you can do, what you want to do, and what you will do.
Willa Jeffers
2020 grad, Political Science major
I am a recent graduate in the Political Science Department, Political Economy Track. I have participated in several research projects since coming to the University of Washington focusing in American Politics, Security Studies, Foreign Policy, and Environmental Policy. In my current research position I am writing a paper on rebel dynamics in the Syrian Civil War. I am a Fellow in the Sierra Club Women and Gender program, and have participated in local and state political campaigns. Moving forward I am planning to focus my work on the economics of environmental policy, analyzing how varied levels of governance can most effectively pursue economically productive environmental transitions. I hope to earn a graduate degree in the areas of global environmental policy and progressive economic development. After graduate school I would love to work at the international level creating global climate policy in organizations such as the UN, World Bank, and various multilateral negotiating systems.
Willa’s near and longer term goals: In the near future I hope to gain career experience in the environmental policy sector, either in public or NGO positions. I will then move on to a graduate programs that can provide more specialized training on analyzing policy schemes and scaled research on environmental action at differing levels of government.
Willa’s tips for future applicants: You are in this position, having the honor to apply to amazing opportunities, because of the what you are passionate about. Nothing will serve you as well as voicing your honest reflections on why you want to engage with this work and how it will positively affect your community and our world.
Keong Mu Jason Lim, Finalist
2021 grad, Neuroscience major
I am a senior in the UW Honors Program, majoring in neuroscience and minoring in chemistry. I am from South Korea, but I went to middle and high school in Puyallup, Washington. Having two homes—Korea and America—I was immersed in different cultures, which I think naturally led me to take on a myriad of academic interests and hobbies.
I conduct research with three different groups. I have been helping Dr. Hak Sil Kim at Chungbuk National University in social sciences research since junior year of high school. Currently, I am studying global medical welfare systems with COVID in context. As my interest in STEM grew, I joined the Kaeberlein lab my freshman year of college. I was recently awarded the Washington Research Foundation Fellowship and will start research as the first author on large-scale screening of genes that affect hypoxic rescue of frataxin deficiency in yeast. I have also been part of the Stroke and Applied NeuroScience Center since sophomore year, where I study the molecular pathophysiology of aneurysm development.
As an aspiring physician, I hope to utilize these experiences to advance medicine both scientifically and systematically, breaking down the socioeconomic barriers that hinder marginalized populations from receiving medical care. At Oxford, I hope to study neuroscience and public policy to build my frameworks in translating scientific discoveries into medical innovation and grounding my goals in reality through progressive policy change. Afterwards, I plan to return to the US and get my medical degree to serve the local community while collaborating with healthcare allies in Korea and the UK.
Beyond the classrooms, I enjoy playing soccer, lifting, and watching movies.
Jason’s near and longer term goals: Should I receive the Rhodes Scholarship, I plan to study neuroscience and public policy at Oxford. Afterwards, I plan to return to the US and pursue a medical degree. Ultimately, I want to advance medicine through medical innovation and policy changes in the US, Korea, and UK to make medicine more accessible and affordable.
Jason’s tips for future applicants: Prepare early and do not be afraid to take your chances! I found out about the Rhodes Scholarship summer after sophomore year in college. While applying, I learned a lot about myself. There’s everything to gain and nothing to lose from taking your chances.
Shannon Pierson
2020 grad, International Studies major
I received my BA in International Studies from the University of Washington in March 2020, where I specialized my coursework and centered my research on cybersecurity policy and disability studies. Since graduating and during the COVID-19 ‘infodemic’, I pursued a research assistant role under one of the US’s leading experts on influence operations, the Wilson Center’s Disinformation Fellow Nina Jankowicz. Together, we track disinformation campaigns directed at women running for public office that employ gendered tactics.
As democracies around the world begin to recognize the threat of election interference and begin to extend their administrative reach into cyberspace to rein in the proliferation of disinformation, I want to play a role advising regulatory policy that strikes at the correct angles of these threats and is framed by democratic and human rights standards. I have studied attempts by States to regulate social media platforms in response to disinformation and observed the tensions and trade-off’s democracies often face between fighting disinformation and protecting freedom of speech online. The world needs more Internet-literate experts who understand the nuances on the battlefield of information warfare weighing in on technology regulatory policy and international relations in cyberspace. I am committed to helping identify the best strategies for addressing the assaults on democratic institutions, discourse, and elections democracies around the world experience today from foreign and domestic actors. It is my highest aspiration to devise and roll out future-proof policy solutions that engage governments, Silicon Valley, and civil society to safeguard democracy against disinformation.
Shannon’s near and longer term goals: I intend to position myself as both a digital rights-focused internet policymaker and national security expert specializing in information warfare and democratic interference defense strategy. I hope to pursue roles at organizations like the National Democratic Institute, Ranking Digital Rights, or the State Department. In these capacities, I could make a difference influencing policy decisions that have implications for democracies around the world in their fight against disinformation. In the future, I hope to contribute to US leadership establishing global precedent-setting democratic responses to evolving digital threats at the National Security Council.
Shannon’s tips for future applicants:Be very specific and honest about your dreams and aspirations in the application — don’t censor yourself. Start early and set aside time to mull over your statement/answers. Read books/studies associated with your field/intended masters degree while you mull it over. Do in-depth research into the programs you’re proposing– read the course plans, identify the research groups you wish to work with, and have a very clear idea of what your outcomes are. It may seem overwhelming when you start these applications, and you may experience imposter syndrome. Apply anyway and put yourself out there. Begin preparing for the interview after you submit the application. Give yourself an advantage over the competition by starting early.
Irika Sinha
2021 grad, Biochemistry and Biology (Molecular, Cellular, Developmental) majors
I am currently a senior at the University of Washington and a 2020 Husky 100 scholar. I am planning to graduate Winter 2021 with a B.S. in Biochemistry and B.S. in Biology (Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental). Additionally, I am a part of Interdisciplinary Honors at UW and plan to complete College Honors for Biochemistry.
Currently, I am a part-time researcher in the McGuire Lab at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center studying Epstein-Barr virus. I am also a C.L.U.E. tutor for chemistry and illustrate for The Daily at UW. Previously I have also researched in the bioinformatics and chemistry fields as a member of the Yang Lab at UCLA and Ginger Lab at UW, respectively. I am very grateful to have been funded by the Goldwater Scholarship, a Mary Gates Endowed Research Scholarship, and a Washington Research Foundation Fellowship over the years.
This year I have been nominated from the UW for the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships in the UK. Through these scholarships I am applying to research neuroimmunology as it pertains to dementia and Alzheimer’s at either Oxford or University College London.
Irika’s near and longer term goals: Currently I am applying to graduate schools to study neuroimmunology or neuroscience pertaining to dementia and hope to begin in Fall 2021. Long term I hope to be able to both research and mentor other students who may lack support or opportunity in the sciences.
Irika’s tips for future applicants: Starting these applications is intimidating but the first step is always just writing (often a somewhat terrible) draft. But once you have a draft you can come back to it and work on it a few hours every day to change the parts you don’t like! So, regardless of how confident you feel about the essay, try to write down SOMETHING, even if it’s bullet points at first, to get your thoughts down on the paper. After that, definitely talk to mentors and friends to help streamline your thoughts. If you’re explaining your reasoning and ideas to them, then it will help you word it in the essay itself. (Be careful with the Rhodes essay though! make sure that’s done first!)
Kayla Van Kooten
2020 grad, International Studies and Near Eastern Studies majors
I am a recent International Studies and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations graduate with a minor in European Studies. During my time as an undergraduate, I was fortunate to have the ability to study Arabic, Persian, German, and Spanish, as well as complete an honors thesis on the influence of migration and multicultural identities on rap and hip-hop in Germany and the UK. I am currently an English language teaching assistant in Seville, Spain, with the Auxiliares de Conversación program administered by the Spanish Ministry of Education, as well as volunteer English tutor at a migration nonprofit. As a Marshall or Rhodes scholar, I hope to continue my language training and research on integration and multiculturalism within migrant communities in Europe, using an interdisciplinary approach that blends humanities with the social sciences at Oxford or London School of Economics.
I draw my urgency from the rise of political regimes on both sides of the Atlantic that have tried, with terrifying success, to unravel long-standing immigration, asylum and refugee laws. As many politicians threaten the future of migration and declare multiculturalism as a policy failure, it is now more important than ever to understand the unique identities 1st and 2nd generation migrants to Europe. I feel a deep sense of responsibility as an American to use my voice and my knowledge to help reframe the question of migration, not as an external problem, but as an internal, humanitarian problem.
Kayla’s near and longer term goals: After my time in Spain, I hope to either continue my English teaching assistantship experience in Germany as a Fulbright awardee or start graduate school. I’m currently in the process of applying to several different graduate programs both in the US and in Europe that would allow me to continue my passion for studying languages and my research on multiculturalism within migrant communities in Europe.
Kayla’s tips for future applicants: Start early and use your network of professors, advisors, and friends, they are all eager to help you! Don’t get discouraged by being “behind” on applications and most importantly—don’t self sabotage!
Alexander Zhu
2019 grad, Neuroscience major
I call Tacoma home and currently live in Teejop/Madison, Wisconsin. I am the child of Chinese immigrant parents for whom I am eternally grateful. I feel it is my responsibility to use my power and privilege to give others what my parents gave me: the chance to live a meaningful, impactful life.
My values are shaped by my communities. The atmosphere of curiosity and kindness in the Promislow lab fostered an environment where the scientific process could thrive, where it was possible to be vulnerable, admit mistakes, and ask for help. CHID brought together students of all disciplines, backgrounds, and interests to create space for a more loving, inclusive world. While studying creative writing in Rome, I shared my roughest drafts, ripest tomatoes, and longest nights with my cohort, solidifying my understanding that a meaningful life is composed of novelty, intentionality, and community. The Filipino American Student Association (FASA) and Filipino Night created family through shared stories and histories, emphasizing empowerment through learning history and culture. I have shared many wonderful moments with all my friends in the Neuroscience cohort, Stevens Court Community Council, UW Glee Club, and beyond.
Looking forward, I hope to study the social factors that contribute to marginality and exclusion, followed by studies in public health to understand the methods to quantitatively identify, communicate, and address issues affecting health on a large scale. My vision is to create multicultural, interdisciplinary organizations composed of people who ask important questions, who can understand and communicate their community’s needs, and who can collaborate to effectively enact change.
I currently work at Epic, where I provide healthcare organizations with interoperability support and implement Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives to educate and empower Epic employees to address bias in processes and software and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare.
My free time now is spent around stovetops, books, bikes, podcasts, and plants.
Alex’s near and longer term goals: Following my studies, I hope to volunteer with the Peace Corps Response to apply my public health knowledge to improve health in our global community. My goal is to identify and address the interconnected systemic causes of public health problems and to be a bridge between communities with power and those which are excluded. I intend to cultivate communities through shared space and stories, shift cultural paradigms of health to be more inclusive, and produce knowledge that can change policy and institutional frameworks.
Alex’s tips for future applicants: Take care of yourself! Spend time with loved ones, read authors who inspire you, do things that bring you joy, and take breaks. I’m more than happy to chat! Send me an email.
2019 - 2020
Alexander Peterson, Finalist
Senior, Economics major
Alex Peterson is a junior at the University of Washington in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program studying economics and statistics. Since his freshman year, Alex has been involved in several areas of campus leadership, including the ASUW Senate and Office of Government Relations, the Student Council on Insurance, the HUB Board of Representatives, and others. Alex’s academic interests are multifaceted, primarily revolving around US public policy, economics, Middle Eastern political history, and language, and he has taken steps to explore each of these in depth throughout his undergraduate career. As a freshman, Alex was awarded a Fulbright Summer Institutes Scholarship to study Middle Eastern politics at the University of London, and he has also conducted his own research project regarding the influence of language on political identity in Israel.
Outside of the UW, Alex is an intern at an economic consulting firm in downtown Seattle and is preparing for deployment as a humanitarian aid worker in Dominica this summer, assisting in disaster preparedness programs for public schools. After graduating from UW and through the potential support of a Rhodes or Marshall scholarship, Alex hopes to pursue a master’s degree in economics with an emphasis on policy, helping him to not only develop high economic literacy for a career in public service but also to conduct research on Brexit and broader questions of European economic integration. In addition to a future in politics, Alex is also interested in practicing law, teaching in a university, or becoming an economic policy adviser.
When Alex has free time, he enjoys making music, hiking, and fixing watches. He explains that his motivation in life comes from a combination of his Christian faith, a desire to be a good role model for his younger siblings, and an awareness of the importance of leadership in supporting the goals of others.
Alex’s tips for future applicants:
Be authentic, sometimes even to the point of discomfort. On applications for big scholarships or grad schools, it may feel like you need to portray yourself as perfect, but committees are interested in your humanity and ability to reflect on both successes and failures.
Marielle Trumbauer, Nominee
2018 graduate, International Studies major
Marielle graduated from the University of Washington in June of 2018 and currently works in immigration constituent services for U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell. She initially began her academic career in business with the intent of pursuing entrepreneurship. After high school, she attended Trinity College Dublin in Ireland and studied business and Spanish. She then transferred to the University of Washington and continued her business education. Marielle started two companies, was a member of two business-oriented student organizations, and worked on several consulting projects. In 2016, she moved to Florida to work for Hillary Clinton and found her way into politics. After the election, she changed her major from business to international studies, worked on campaigns across the country, interned at the Department of State in the Dominican Republic, and spent six months as an intern in Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal’s office. In the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, Marielle was a part of the undergraduate departmental honors program and conducted field research in the Dominican Republic, New York, and India. Her honors thesis was entitled, “Motivations Driving the Differentiated Electoral Behavior of the Dominican Diaspora in New York during the 2012 and 2016 Dominican Presidential Elections”. Marielle also served as an officer on the Jackson School Student Association and was subsequently elected to the presidency. In this capacity, she led 17 officers in the implementation of internationally relevant events, networking opportunities, and advocacy work. The events included two rallies for a UW alumnus detained in Iran, fundraising for a UW fire victim, a dialogue about Israel and Palestine with a senior U.S. diplomat, and career panels with ambassadors, UN advisors, and White House officials. Outside of her professional and academic lives, Marielle recently completed her first half marathon and has begun to train for a full marathon. She was born and raised in Seattle and enjoys spending time with her family and her dog, Patrick.
Marielle’s tips for future applicants:
Take time to prepare your application and think extensively about the questions. Make sure that your answers are diverse and that you also spend time preparing for the interviews.
Jordan Brown Nominee
Senior, Mathematics major
I am an early entrance student at the University of Washington pursuing a degree in mathematics. I hope to become a research mathematician. My current research is focused on recent developments in type theory and the foundations of mathematics. The expansion of the use of computers in formal mathematical proofs is of great interest to me, and I hope to ascertain the extent to which type theory can be used not only to create programs which can check the validity of proofs, but which can independently generate mathematical proofs.
I come from Seattle, Washington and I have been interested in mathematics since I was very young. For the past few years, I have volunteered with the eMode Learning Foundation, teaching mathematics in Mount Baker and Rainier Beach to elementary- and middle-school students. I enjoy sharing my love of mathematics with people from my community, many of whom receive a very poor mathematical education in school.
Although I spend most of my time doing mathematics, I also act and play the clarinet. I love libraries and have visited nearly every branch in the Seattle Public Library system. One of my favorite activities is reading mathematical papers in German, both because I enjoy the mathematics and because I enjoy reading German. While I am far from fluent in German, I am rather adept in reading mathematical writing in German. This is convenient, as much of the literature on the foundations of mathematics in the twentieth century was written in German. Many other academic subjects interest me, and I have spent significant amounts of time reading about ethics, epistemology, psychology, physics, history, and sociology. My favorite authors of fiction are Paul Auster and James Baldwin.
Sacha Moufarrej, Nominee
Senior, Neuroscience major
I am currently a senior in the UW Honors Program, majoring in neuroscience and minoring in music. I conduct research on pediatric chronic pain at Seattle Children’s Research Institute, and am currently working on a meta-analysis on the prevalence of chronic pain in young adults. Raised in a Lebanese-American household, I grew up in the midst of the sociopolitical issues plaguing Lebanon and its neighbors, and have witnessed the physical and mental trauma experienced in war-torn and displaced communities. I have volunteered as a tutor in Lebanon at SOS Children’s Villages, an international organization dedicated to providing homes, families, and other resources to abandoned or orphaned children, some of whom, within the Lebanese village of Bhersaf, are victims of the Syrian refugee crisis. I have also performed as a pianist and singer at fundraiser concerts in the Bay Area for SOS.
Through these experiences, I have developed an interest in studying disease patterns and health risks and disparities in vulnerable communities, with a specific focus on displaced, homeless, and refugee populations. Although I plan on pursuing medical school and becoming a physician, I also want to be able to play a role in informing public health policy through research. To do so, I hope to pursue graduate studies in medical anthropology and public health to develop a better understanding of the epidemiology of various diseases affecting different populations and to develop a strong foundation in health care policy, in order to identify key strategies for health care reform for systemically neglected displaced and migrant populations.
With the US and the UK being prominent global leaders and hubs of immigration, it is vital to have collaboration between the two nations in developing effective, people-focused domestic and foreign policies. However, these countries greatly differ in their approaches to public and global health. Pursuing graduate study in medical anthropology and global health in the UK, where many institutions have become leading proponents of public health reform, would allow me to widen my perspective on public health at an international level.
Sacha’s tips for future applicants:
Do a lot of research on programs and scholarships that are available to you, and reach out to professors and advisers! UW has so many resources and people who provide a great support system during all stages of the application process.
Henry Milander, Nominee
2018 graduate, Business Administration, International Studies, Near Eastern Languages and Civilization majors
My academic work and interests focus on developing a better understanding of development and mobility, and what roles state and society play in the process. Considering that extreme poverty is often understood as the largest violation of human rights, I am excited and honored to study in a field with huge implications for human well-being and global peace. The key realization through my community work and leadership, service and learning, and failures and successes, has been that each community’s needs and priorities are unique, and as the true beneficiaries of any development project they deserve dedicated, qualified professionals who recognize this fact.
With the support of one of these graduate scholarships, exposure to the latest in the development field, and heightened language skills, I will be well-equipped to pursue a career dedicated to economic justice and spatial mobility in the world. Ideally, this would be through working for an international or multilateral entity such as the Danish Refugee Council, Global Reporting Initiative, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and USAID. It will be in these organizations that I hope to add nuance, develop public opinion research, and give weight to mobility and locally-driven projects that I help develop, coordinate, and implement.
Earning a graduate degree is in no way the end of my learning as it simply opens a door to some of the institutions that house many of the great ideas and thinkers of our time whom I can learn from and together, positively impact the world for those who have historically been marginalized.
Henry’s tips for future applicants:
Be cognizant of what the fellowship looks for and think about how that aligns with your own values, the experiences that have shaped those values, and how you think they apply to what you want to do in the fellowship and beyond. Embrace your inner perseverance, because fellowships, especially one with a UW nomination and subsequent national round, you’ll have to edit many a time more than what you’re likely used to. Seek out advice from a professor or professional that is familiar with the type of material or tasks you’ll be carrying out in the fellowship. They can really help guide your thought piece or personal statement and vet it for realistic application. Go to them early on in the process because at least for me, it took time to figure out what or how exactly I would contribute to the field I was hoping to enter, and they have plenty of insights into making contributions through research and/or through teaching.
2018 - 2019
Havana McElvaine, Nominee
2017 graduate, Sociology major
2017 Graduate, sociology major and student-athlete. As a team captain and co-founder of the black student-athlete union, I sought to support diversity and inclusion through leadership. In my senior honors thesis I examined the impact of repeated video exposure to police violence on black male students at UW. Currently I am traveling as a Bonderman fellow on an 8 month solo journey spanning 3 continents and 8 countries, exploring global race relations, identity, community, and blackness. I hope to further my education through graduate study in the UK in programs focused on social intervention, policy evaluation and inequality. My hope is to seek out a career in government leadership and a life dedicated to social equity and equality both in the United States and globally.
Havana’s tips for future applicants:
Don´t sell yourself short.
Cassandra McMaster, Finalist
2017 graduate, Political Science major
I am applying to the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships with the intention of pursuing a master’s degree in Gender and Women’s studies at Cambridge or Oxford in order to conduct research that will prevent gender violence on college campuses in America. I believe that pursuing a master’s degree in the United Kingdom will give me a critical and unique perspective on women’s policy that will enable me to reach my professional ambitions.
My interest in women and gender studies began my freshmen year of college when I took a course in the Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies Department and was introduced to feminism. As a woman who grew up in a small, conservative town, I often describe my introduction to feminism as the discovery of a vocabulary that I desperately needed but never knew existed. My interest in the field was solidified after witnessing the impact of sexual violence on my college campus. I have since devoted my academics, volunteer efforts and career aspirations to the study of gender violence on university campuses. I am passionate about the intersection of research, policy and advocacy and believe that this intersection creates meaningful impacts within communities and it is my ultimate goal to become a leader in the effort to eradicate sexual violence from higher education through the creation of these intersections.
2016 - 2017
Ian Bellows, Nominee
Junior, Geography and International Studies major
Daniel (Byung-Hee) Keum, Nominee
Junior, Political Science; Law, Societies, & Justice major
I have practical aspirations, and then I have normative ones. The former, I believe, is necessary to achieve the latter.
I would first like to continue my education and receive a PhD in Political Science or in a Law and Societies discipline. To be an effective agent of change, I believe one needs to harness an intimate understanding of how the distribution of social goods occurs. In other words, the understanding of why some groups win and others lose in society. As a species, we still know too little on the mechanics of peace and justice; our historical track-record affirms this. A PhD program will not only let me explore these gripping questions but also permit me to intellectually contribute to a discipline vested in the study of democratization, rights, dissidence and protest. In conjunction, I would also like to acquire a JD. I wish to do more than intellectually contribute to a body of knowledge; indeed, I wish to influence laws and policy as much as I do ideas. I would likely not accomplish these two goals simultaneously, but one at a time over a course of years.
A strong educational background is crucial to what I ultimately wish to achieve: diplomatic peace on the Korean peninsula. This peninsula is the most volatile region in the world. There are no other states which defect from international norms like Pyongyang. Achieving peace between North and South Korea is more than a regional ambition, it is a global necessity. On this issue, the boundaries between diplomat and international human rights lawyer becomes thin. Having a PhD and JD would make me competent for the uncertainties and challenges of the field. Ideally, I would pursue a career as an international lawyer, gain experience and then consider becoming a state representative, ambassador or diplomat. I hope to either facilitate reunification on the peninsula or at least the signing of a peace treaty (which has yet to happen). Once I accomplish these goals, I will return to academia to teach my observations onto the next generation of pioneers.
Zachary Reshovsky, Nominee
Junior, International Studies major
Zachary Reshovsky was born in Pasadena, California on December 2nd, 1993. Both artists by trade, Zachary’s father and mother had careers in cinematography and professional illustration respectively . At age 12, he moved up to San Juan Island, enrolling in a local alternative school. Here, he enjoyed engaging in a variety of subjects, ranging from creative writing to mock trial to geographic studies. Following 8th grade, his family moved to Bellevue, Washington, where he attended Interlake High School. At Interlake, he completed the rigorous International Baccalaureate program in 10th and 11th grade, one year ahead normal schedule. Zachary is currently a Freshmen with Junior standing in terms of credits. He is majoring in International Studies at the Jackson School with an East Asia Concentration and intends to work in diplomacy, intelligence, and/or international human rights law following his graduation.
Austin Wright-Pettibone, Nominee
Junior, Chemical Engineering major, Applied Mathematics minor
Austin is a rising senior at UW, where he is pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Applied Mathematics. His research focuses on the design and implementation of metabolic controls in bacteria for the production of plastics and other important industrial chemicals. This summer, he will be among three individuals appointed by the American Institute for Chemical Engineers to study science policy in Washington, DC. His project focuses on understanding the technical and political challenges facing modern biotechnology.
Austin was recently appointed to the University of Washington Board of Regents by Governor Jay Inslee, becoming the first undergraduate to hold the position since 2008. Previously, he served as Vice Chair of the Provost Advisory Committee for Students and lobbyist for the UW student body, where he successfully campaigned to lower college tuition for the first time in more than four decades. As a freshman, Austin interned with the White House Office of Digital Strategy, assisting in outreach and engagement efforts around the President’s second Inaugural Address and the 2013 State of the Union.
Post-graduation, Austin hopes to pursue graduate work in synthetic biology. He is interested in the ways biology can be engineered to address challenges in manufacturing and public health. By applying for the UK scholarships, Austin hopes to take advantage of England’s recent work in promoting synthetic biology to design novel biotechnologies. Beyond his research interests, Austin hopes to work towards connecting scientists and politicians together to improve the public’s trust in science. He believes meaningful change is possible only when people from many backgrounds come together.
Sarah Yu, Nominee
Junior, International Studies, Computer Science, and Economics major
Sarah Yu is in her third year majoring in International Studies, Computer Science and Economics along with interdisciplinary and departmental honors. Her interests are in using technology as a vehicle for social empowerment and economic mobility in developing countries and hopes to pursue graduate school for these interests. As a part of the Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD) lab, Sarah has participated in the Digital Financial Services Project researching ways to accelerate the secure and culturally relevant development and deployment of digital banking solutions in developing regions. In this capacity, she has been interested in working at the intersection of the respective academic disciplines to work towards financial inclusion in resource-constrained environments. In the past, Sarah has also worked as a Microsoft Global Research Fellow researching the cybersecurity climate in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as completed internships in government relations, corporate finance, and sustainability consulting.
Outside of academics, Sarah has participated in her communities as a member of the local American Red Cross Board of Directors, where she has worked with the regional CEO on implementing a government relations department with the support of a Jackson-Munro Public Service Fellowship. She has served the past two years as President for the Jackson School Student Association and will be the incoming Chair of the Association of Computing Machinery Women for her final year. By the time she graduates, she will have participated in (too) many study abroad programs ranging from studying the surrealism movement, to learning about art as a form of political and social activism, and many in between. Sarah hopes to one day hold a Guinness World Record (but unsure for what).
2015 - 2016
Krittika D’Silva, Finalist, Canada
Senior, Bioengineering and Computer Engineering major
Krittika is a senior at UW where she is pursuing a double degree in Computer Engineering and Bioengineering. Her current research is a collaborative project with both departments. Her work is focused on using technology as a tool in low-income regions to improve remote health monitoring and disease detection.
The motivation for the work is that diagnostic tests routinely administered in well-equipped clinical laboratories are often not appropriate for low-resource settings. However, paper-based diagnostic tests present an inexpensive and reliable diagnostic tool. Her research project consists of the development and analysis of an Android application that enables the diagnosis of paper-based tests on a mobile device. The software interprets test results using computer vision algorithms run on a mobile device and provides health workers with an objective and automated diagnosis at the point of care.
Last summer, Krittika worked as a research intern at Microsoft Research on a project similarly targeted at low-income regions. She designed and developed an Android application as part of a campaign to help end the Maoist conflict in India by giving a voice to tribal populations and facilitating communication with different agencies. The application is actively being used throughout the Chhattisgarh area in northern India.
This summer, Krittika will be interning at Google. In the future, Krittika hopes to pursue a PhD in Computer Science. Her interests lie at the intersection of Bioengineering and Computer Science where software is used as a tool to develop solutions in healthcare.
2014 - 2015
John Chelgren, Finalist
Senior, English Language and Literature major
I grew up north of Seattle, in Edmonds, Washington, where I attended Edmonds-Woodway High School and graduated with an International Baccalaureate Diploma. For my freshman year of college, I attended Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, then transferred to the University of Washington in Autumn 2012. I am currently an English Language and Literature major, am enrolled in the University Honors Program, and will take part in Departmental Honors next year. I am the founding editor of an online poetry magazine at the UW called Blind Glass, which will release its first issue this spring. Outside of school, I enjoy writing poetry, reading, bicycling, cooking, volunteering, and spending time with friends and family.
My main academic interests involve experimental and avant-garde literature, especially but not exclusively 20th and 21st century poetry. On a very fundamental level, I’m fascinated by the seemingly limitless capacities of language — its ambiguities and nuances, its ability to both communicate and transcend communication, its role in shaping human interactions and consciousness. I’m interested in experimental writing in particular because I think literature that “bites its thumb” at accepted ideas of what language can and should be for, writing that challenges us to know our own lives and experiences in new and unfamiliar ways, is essential to the intellectual vitality of our society. Literature can be entertainment, but it is also a way of learning about the world and our places in it.
I want to study literature in graduate school so that I can contribute to the discussion and culture around good writing and art. Whether this will involve going on to earn a PhD and pursuing an academic career, getting into publishing, working at a literary nonprofit, or following some other unknown trajectory, I hope to determine along the way. Whatever career I end up securing for myself, however, my highest aspiration and joy will be helping others develop a love for poetry and other literary arts, and I am confident these scholarships will enable me to do just that.
2013 - 2014
Hunter Bennett, Nominee
Junior, Bioengineering major, Chemistry minor
Hunter is a junior majoring in Bioengineering. Upon arriving at UW in Fall 2010, he was amazed at the work being done across campus to create novel systems for disease treatment and prevention and sought to get involved as a way to apply what he had learned in high school and to make a positive change in medicine. This interest in research led him to the lab of Dr. Kim Woodrow in the Department of Bioengineering where it grew into a passion. Hunter studies the cellular and molecular basis of the mucosal immune system and ways in which mucosal immunity to HIV can be engineered. Currently, Hunter is focused on creating a cell-based therapeutic system capable of stimulating a long-term mucosal immune response to HIV and lowering rates of HIV sexual transmission. Ultimately, his research aims at improving protection HIV in high-risk populations by inducing a potent and long lasting immune response at common sites of infection. His development as a researcher has been aided by generous funding from the UW NASA Space Grant Fellowship, the Mary Gates Research Scholarship, and the Art Levinson Emerging Scholars Fellowship.
Beyond the lab, Hunter focuses his time on teaching and mentoring younger students through the UW Biomedical Engineering Society. Hunter also enjoys running and hiking in the Seattle area, playing basketball, and cheering on the UW football and basketball teams.
After graduation, Hunter hopes to pursue a Ph.D in Bioengineering and Masters in immunology. His ultimate goal is to lead a research group that seeks to develop novel biomaterials systems that can program the human immune system.
Genevieve (Gennie) Gebhart, Nominee
Senior, International Studies and Economics major
Gennie Gebhart, a Sacramento native and now a proud Seattlite, grew up exploring libraries. Gennie plans to graduate from the University of Washington in June 2013 with a degree in International Studies and Economics. While her academic studies at the UW have focused on environmental economics and international energy politics, she is aiming to extend these fields of study into a career in information justice and international librarianship.
The UW Libraries have opened countless doors for Gennie, and she owes her current informatics skills and aspirations to them. Having worked at the UW Libraries‘ Odegaard Undergraduate Library, the Northwest branch of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, and the UW’s Media Center (the main multimedia library), Gennie has had hands-on experience in what it takes to keep a university library running from day to day through everything from budget cuts to large-scale renovations.
Gennie’s introduction to the art and study of cinema at the Media Center has led to her current senior Honors thesis on Italian film, which she has been fortunate to undertake in Rome during winter quarter 2013. Her activities in Italy so far have included trips to Naples for Christmas and New Years with strangers-turned-family, trying to fix her apartment’s water heater, and speaking as much Italian as possible.
Gennie’s greatest passion lies in the problem-solving and advocacy she has found as a student representative on the UW’s Library Student Advisory Committee and Faculty Council on University Libraries. In these groups, terms like “open access,” “information justice,” and “digital commons” have taken on tangible and urgent meaning. Gennie hopes to enter the global open access debate armed with international experience, a multidisciplinary education, and constant mindfulness of the vital human side of digital information technology.
Philmon Haile, Nominee
Senior, International Studies major
Philmon Haile’s background, formative events in his early years, participation in OneWorld Now!, and his pursuit of higher education have fueled his passion to address global issues of equal access to education for underrepresented youth. Philmon was born in Sudan to Eritrean parents, who were both soldiers in the Eritrean War of Independence. He arrived as a refugee in Seattle at age three. He speaks Mandarin, Arabic, and Tigrinya.
Through OneWorld Now! (OWN), a global leadership program for underserved high school students, Philmon began to study Mandarin Chinese and develop leadership skills. Through the support of OWN, he spent his junior year in the U.S. House of Representatives Page Program. In his senior year of high school, he was awarded an OWN study abroad scholarship to Anshan, China for an academic year where he attended a local high school.
Following high school graduation, Philmon was accepted to Swarthmore College, where he was involved in a Chinese NGO that promotes awareness of Hansen’s disease survivors, leading a work camp in a rural village in Southern China recovering from the disease. At UW, he began to study Arabic, earning a U.S. State Department internship working at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing with Ambassador Gary Locke. Last summer, he studied Arabic in Jordan and began formulating his Fulbright research project while there.
Philmon was recently chosen to speak on a panel and present an award to Ambassador Gary Locke in Washington, D.C. Soon after, First Lady Michelle Obama quoted Philmon in a major speech in Beijing about the importance of studying abroad. After his Fulbright year in Jordan, Philmon will begin graduate study as a Rangel Fellow and looks forward to a career in the State Department Foreign Service.
Kristine Hamilton, Nominee
Psychology and Communication (Journalism) major
Kayhan Nejad, Nominee
History major
2012 - 2013
Michael Bocek, Nominee
Biochemistry major
Sarah Boone, Finalist
Junior, International Studies major, Environmental Studies minor
Sarah Boone is a Junior in the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington, studying diplomacy and international relations. She also has a minor in environmental studies from the UW Program on the Environment. Her academic interests bridge these two fields of study as she focuses on issues of environmental degradation at the international level and how the global community can resolve the rising number of environmental conflicts. In particular she is interested in the management of fresh water resources around the world and the effect that issues of water quality and quantity have on international politics and security. This focus crystalized during her sophomore year, when she took the Jackson School course, “Water and Security in the Middle East.” Since then, she has studied water security issues around the world, producing several research papers on the subject which she presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium in May. She is currently the editor of a research taskforce on environmental issues in Indonesia and is working on her senior thesis on water resource conflict in Oman.
Outside of classes, Sarah participates actively in a number of organizations. Sarah has taken on leadership roles within the Jackson School Journal of International Studies where she works as a senior editor, and within the Center for Learning and Undergraduate Enrichment, in which she taught weekly course review sessions for students in the entry-level Jackson School courses. These experiences have honed her leadership skills and increased her interest in taking on greater leadership roles in the future.
After finishing her undergraduate degree, Sarah intends to get a masters and possibly doctorate degree in water science, policy and management. She wants to become a leader in the field of global environmental politics, with the research skills and depth of knowledge needed to participate in scholarly dialogue at the highest level. Professionally, she would like to pursue work in environmental policy consulting within the agencies of the federal government. She believes that environmental justice is social justice, and that we must seek widespread policy reforms that honor and preserve the natural world.
Marianne Von Fisher, Nominee
Senior, International Studies major
Helen Olsen, Nominee
Junior, Public Heath and Geography major, African Studies and Global Health minor
Hi! My name is Helen Olsen and I am a double major in the Department of Geography and the School of Public Health. I work as an Undergraduate Research Assistant with Professors Victoria Lawson & Sarah Elwood. My research interests lie in exploring the intersections of health, development, and women’s studies both at home and abroad. After graduating from the University of Washington, I hope to attend graduate school in the UK and pursue both an MSc in Global Health and an MSc in Forced Migration & Refugee Studies. The combination of these two degrees would allow me to continue to develop some of the research relationships I’ve built during my time at the UW, as well as deepen my understanding of the social determinants of health and wellbeing.
At the end of my two years at Oxford, I will return home with her two MSc degrees and, undoubtedly, a new way of thinking about and interacting with the world as a whole. Once I return to the United States, I will continue my academic studies by entering a concurrent MD/PhD program. Blending the practice of field-based medicine with social science research within the academy will allow me to serve the vulnerable populations I study while, simultaneously, conducting mixed methods research on women, health and the experience of trauma. I intend to be both an academic and a global advocate for women’s health access and the importance of training Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and Midwives in culturally competent care provision in post-conflict zones. My time studying at Oxford will certainly help shape me into the global leader I will become.
This summer, I will continue to gain experience in field-based maternal health research by traveling to Uttarakhand, India with the JSIS program on Environment & Development in the Indian Himalaya. During my time in India, I will intern with the Central Himalayan Rural Action Group (CHIRAG) and study the impact of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) on access to maternal health care options. Outside of school, I am an active outdoorswoman – hiking, kayaking and snowboarding. During my time at The Colorado College, I developed a passion for the outdoors that continues to this day. I also enjoy baking pies in my tiny over during my spare time!
2011 - 2012
Nicholas Crown, Nominee
Senior, History and Italian Studies major
A native of Seattle, I am a History and Italian Studies major with a passion for teaching, the legal system and trial advocacy. Shortly after arriving on campus, I co-founded the university’s nationally-recognized mock trial program, which strives to provide hands-on legal education and an intellectually stimulating, competitive outlet for UW undergrads. In December of 2010 I co-hosted a mock trial tournament at the UW School of Law, drawing 20 teams from a dozen universities across the country. I also volunteer with the UW Dream Project, Teen Feed, and a local high school mock trial program. I will study Italian literature at the University of Bologna during the Fall of 2011, after which I plan to pursue a MA in history. Ultimately, I hope to apply any skills I have to a career as a teacher and as an attorney.
Kevin Depner, Nominee
Senior, English and Biology major
Because I’d always loved literature, I had planned on studying English at the University and aspired to write fiction. However, at UW, I became fascinated by biology and decided to combine my interests and pursue two degrees: a BA in English and a BS in Biology, with the hopes of becoming a scientific writer.
Upon my arrival at University, I also began working in Dr. Merrill Mille’s molecular biology lab. We study the movement of cells during vertebrate development. I’ve presented my research at the Undergraduate Research Symposium, and am currently contributing to a paper we hope to submit for publication. I’ve learned that scientific research is n collaborative process, and that communication IS enormously important to scientific progress.
Having also worked with a local non-profit that provides support for adults with mental illness, I became interested in mental health, and in the unique medical problems facing underserved and marginalized communities.
I’m applying fòr these scholarships to come closer to my ultimate goal of being a physician and author. Medical science is intrinsically fascinating, and I’d like to use my talents not only to heal individual patients, but also to chronicle the history and progress of science for the general population. In an age of exponentially increasing information, I hope to serve society by bridging the sea of jargon that lies at the cutting edge of science. I •d also like to write about the interface of medicine and society. and the problems facing traditionally underserved populations. In the U K, I hope to study the philosophy and communication of science and medicine, before pursuing a medical degree. I am also interested in participating in biomedical research in the UK to remain involved in the global scientific community.
Evan Easton-Calabria, Finalist
German Language and Literature major
Byron Gray, Scholar
Senior, Political Science, Law Societies & Justice, Asian Studies (South Asia) major, South Asian Languages & Literature (Hindi) minor
Byron Gray is a triple major in the departments of Political Science; Law, Societies, & Justice; and Asian Studies with a minor in South Asian Languages & Literature. Although Gray’s research explores a diverse range of topics – including religious politics, nationalism, political violence, human rights, and law – his inquiries are united by an underlying interest in how people conceptualize the world and how these conceptualizations shape political and social struggles. His work is regionally focused on South Asia and attempts to combine a rigorous understanding of social theory with in situ empirical work. In the summer and fall of 2010 Gray spent seven months in India dedicated to language training in Hindi and research for an honors thesis through the Jackson School of International Studies, which explores how family law has become a site of political struggle for different social and religious groups in post-colonial India. As part of this research, Gray interviewed activists and politicians from the Indian Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Muslim, & Parsee communities. Following graduation he plans to pursue a PhD in either Political Science or Sociology. His aim is to become a professor focused on the political structuring of South Asian society.
In addition to his studies, Gray is a second year tutor at the Political Science/Law, Societies, &
Justice/International Studies Writing Center, and is Managing Editor for this year’s Orator Undergraduate Journal of Political Science. He is also a member of the newly formed Undergraduate Research Leader program, which seeks to facilitate outreach to undergraduates interested in becoming involved in the research process. Outside of class, Gray likes reading modern literature such as that of Kafka and Borges, and also enjoys science fiction films that play with philosophical themes such as Blade Runner or Tarkovsky’s Stalker. He is also an avid fan of video games.
Sara Hefny, Nominee
Senior, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations major
Sara Hefny is a senior in the Near Eastern Studies department with a focus in Languages and Civilizations. For the past two years she has worked with the Ottoman Texts Archive Project as an undergraduate researcher with the Svoboda Diary Project, translating and researching the history of a set of 19th century Iraqi diaries. In her research, she was struck by the migratory trends of the various ethnic communities in the Middle East and how they were affected by the political standing of the Ottoman Empire.
Sara has taken this research to Rome, Italy for the 2011-2012 year as a Fritz Fellow where she is researching the migration trends of Arab populations to Italy and the subsequent changes in Italian migration policy as a result of the recent influx of refugees fleeing political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa. Following graduation and return from Rome, she hopes to go onto graduate school at Oxford University to study forced migration and comparative European Union migration policy.
In addition to her studies, Sara is an avid volleyball player and coach, having coached at Seattle’s Cascade Volleyball Club and Shorewood High School, her alma mater. She is a member of Washington’s Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and is a recipient of the University of Washington’s Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Scholarship for her work with the Svoboda Diary Project. In her free time she enjoys belly dancing, experimenting in the kitchen and trivia nights with her friends.
Matthew King, Finalist
Senior, History and Latin major, Music minor
Motivated by my experiences as a child and a college student, I have decided to pursue a career as a secondary school social studies teacher. As a youth, my passion for history was spurred not only by reading books, but also by classic adventure movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark. Armed with a passion for history and the vast reserves of historical knowledge at the University of Washington, I set out to become a well rounded historian by studying fields as varied as the European Middle Ages, the Middle East, and American History. Although much of my college life has been devoted to the study of history, nonetheless I have developed other interests that have motivated me towards a career in public education: working as a section leader in the Husky Marching Band, leading United Nations simulations at the WASMUN conference, and coaching youth tennis. When I think of becoming a teacher, I approach it through these various lenses: as an academician, a coach, a musician, an athlete, and an advisor.
By effectively combining my knowledge of history with my leadership skills, I hope to light in teenagers the same fire for history that has consumed me. However, my studies thus far would leave my teaching capabilities incomplete. My hope is that through this scholarship I can go to the sources in order to later leverage them as a teacher. Studying in England and examining the artifacts that I have read about for years would not only be personally stimulating, but it would also increase my potential as a teacher. It would allow me to more authoritatively show students the intricacies of working with primary sources and allow them access to a wide array of historical material. These hands on experiences would further my goal of presenting history as a humanizing study and would allow students to make intimate, personal connections with the past.
Andrew Lewis, Nominee
History and Political Science (International Security) major
Cameron Turtle, Scholar
Senior, Bioengineering major, Mathematics minor
Cameron is a senior Honors student majoring in Bioengeering with a minor in Mathematics. In Dr. Michael Regnier’s lab, Cameron studies the mechanisms of cardiac function and dysfunction in order to design innovative therapeutics including gene and cell therapies, which may restore heart function after damage or disease. Cameron is currently investigating the potential of a novel regulatory protein variant to treat cardiomyopathy and is also exploring the mechanism by which cell therapy improves heart function following a hear attack. His lab efforts aim to replace symptomatic pharmaceutical treatments for chronic illness with therapies that target the root case of disease. Cameron is grateful for research support provided by the National Science foundation, American Heart Association, Mary Gates Foundation, Amgen Scholars Program, and Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Program.
Outside of the lab, Cameron enjoys education and leadership opportunities related to global health. these interests led him to help found the student-run organization called “Bioengineers Without Borders” that is dedicated to providing low-cost bioengineering solutions to health problems in developing nations. Currently, Cameron leads the group on the development of a suite of medical diagnostic instruments that run of mobile devices. This summer, Cameron will expand his global health experience through an exploration seminar in Nepal.
After graduation, Cameron will pursue a PhD in Bioengieering and a career in medical research at either a university or private biotech company. His eventual goal is to lead a lab that develops novel medical technologies capable of reducing health inequalities and improving global health outcomes.
Outside of academics, Cameron is an avid runner and competes in various intramural athletics. He grew up in Canada and Eastern Washington, spent multiple summers working on a wheat farm, and was once selected as “Dawg Pack Fan of the Game” during the 2008-2009 men’s basketball season.
2010 - 2011
Jesse Burk-Rafel, Finalist
Bioengineering major
Brianna Craft, Nominee
Reece Johnson, Nominee
Political Science and Philosophy major
2009 - 2010
Alula Asfaw, Finalist
Senior, English and Political Science major
Jay Singh, Finalist
Senior, Political Science and Law, Societies & Justice major
2008 - 2009
Emily Cimber, Nominee
William Mari, Finalist
Senior, History and Journalism major
Steve Margitan, Nominee
Elizabeth Thelen, Nominee
Senior, Asian Language & Literature and Comparative History of Ideas major
Pavan Vaswani, Finalist
Senior, Computer Science, BioChemistry, and Neurobiology major
2007 - 2008
Angelena Crown, Nominee
Jeffrey Eaton, declined interview
Senior, Mathematics and Sociology major, Music minor
From the Marshall Scholars Profile: Eaton intends to pursue a PhD in Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College in London. His research interests are in mathematical modeling of HIV and other disease epidemics and collection and utilization of demographic data. As an undergraduate, Eaton’s research created a mathematical model of potential male circumcision HIV intervention scenarios. He also spent a year working at the Agincourt Health and Population Unit, a rural demographic surveillance site in the northeastern region of South Africa.
Graham Griffiths, Nominee
Holly Lange, Nominee
Ji Yoon Shin, Nominee
2006 - 2007
Charles Johnson, Nominee
Mei Liu, Nominee
Derek Schreck, Nominee
Tiffany Straza, Nominee
2005 - 2006
Alison Ensminger, Nominee
Kristi Govella, Nominee
Political Science and Japanese major
Eliana Hechter, Scholar
Senior, Mathematics major
Eliana graduated magna cum laude from the University of Washington in 2006 with a degree in mathematics. She entered the UW at age 14 through the Robinson Center’s Early Entrance Program, was a student in the University Honors Program, and graduated when she was 18 years old.
As an undergraduate, she studied creative writing in Rome with the Honors Program, conducted research at Friday Harbor Laboratories, participated in the Mathematics Department’s highly selective Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program, was a teaching assistant for honors accelerated advanced calculus (a course she took as a freshman), and was an involved student in the Honors Program community.
Eliana’s undergraduate honors and awards include UW and national recognition. Her UW awards include a Dean’s Medal in the natural sciences, a Phelps Fellowship, NASA Space Grant Scholarship, and a Best Graduating Senior Award from the Department of Mathematics. Nationally, Eliana received a Goldwater Scholarship and was a 2006 Rhodes Scholar—at the time she was the second-youngest person to ever receive the Rhodes. She was also selected for a Marshall Scholarship but declined in order to accept the Rhodes.
At Oxford University, Eliana earned her Ph.D. in statistics. According to her website, she was a visiting graduate student at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard as well. At the time of her death in 2014, she was a first-year medical student at the joint Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program.
Riley Newman, Nominee
Lindsay Scola, Nominee
Tiffany Straza, Nominee
2004 - 2005
Kathleen Belew, Nominee
Elizabeth Gray, Finalist
Amy Piedalue, Nominee
Clare Rustad, Finalist, Canada
Jared Silvia, Nominee
Senior, Chemistry and Biochemistry major
Jared Silvia is a Richland resident who is a senior at the University of Washington. He began working on research with a faculty member as a freshman. He plans to continue on for a doctorate and eventually to become a university professor.
Outside of class, he performs on alto saxophone in the UW Concert Band and also participates in outdoor activities.
Ben Spatz, Finalist
2003 - 2004
Erin Earl, Finalist
2003 graduate, Music, Piano Performance, and Computer Science major, Mathematics minor
Erin Earl graduated June 2003 with degrees in Music, Piano Performance, Computer Science, and a minor in Mathematics. She was awarded the 2003 Deans Medallist in the Arts. As a Marshall or Rhodes Scholar, she plans to study Music, Performance and History at Oxford University.
Erin began full-time study at the UW at age 14, through the Robinson Center for Young Scholars Early Entrance Program. During her time at the UW, she has participated in numerous activities. Erin was a volunteer in the Do-It project and was a Teaching Assistant for Computer Science courses. As a Mary Gates Research Scholar, Erin worked with Richard Ladner, Professor in Computer Science, using data compression techniques to analyze Bach. That led to her selection as a finalist in the 2003 Computing Research Association Outstanding Undergraduate of the Year.
A student of Bela Siki and Robin McCabe, professors in the UW School of Music, Erin has performed in various concerts on campus including master classes, keyboard debut series concerts, School of Music showcase recitals, and solo junior and senior recitals. In 2002, she won the School of Music’s annual Concerto Competition, which led to the performance of the Rachmaninoff second piano concerto with the University Symphony. Erin begins graduate studies in Piano Performance at the University of Indiana Bloomington in the fall 2003.
Allyssa Lamb, Scholar
Senior, Classics and Biblical & Ancient Near Eastern Studies major
When Allyssa Lamb, ’04, earned her bachelor’s degrees in classics and Biblical and near east studies, she had her future pretty well mapped out: earn a master’s in Egyptology from Oxford University on her Rhodes Scholarship, then on to a Ph.D. for a career in academia furthering the fields of classics or Egyptology. Her love of the subjects began when she was a child and deepened at the University of Washington through campus-based classes and international opportunities in Rome and on an archeological dig in Israel.
“That interest in travel,” says Allyssa, “and seeing and experiencing new things is part of what made me excited to go to Oxford in the first place.”
At Oxford, Allyssa learned to navigate an educational system unfamiliar to her in which master’s students work one-on-one with their faculty adviser as well as traditions unlike any she’d encountered before—from wearing subfusc for taking exams to “trashing,” post-exam celebrations that include showering exam-takers with confetti, glitter, flour, yogurt and octopi. “And I’m not making that up,” says Allyssa. “It’s a world-class academic institution but at the same time it has all these quirks.”
Allyssa wrote her master’s thesis on images of magical practitioners in Egyptian, Greek and Latin literature, a topic of interest since her undergraduate work. While Allyssa’s work centered on the ancient world, her friends were scholars with a global, contemporary focus, which helped her maintain her interest in politics and current world affairs.
After Oxford, Allyssa began her doctorate program in classics at the University of Chicago. While she enjoyed the classes, professors and students, she began to question whether this was the path she wanted to travel after all. An unexpected interruption in her Ph.D. program required her to return to Redmond, Wash., to care for her mother and grandmother who were both ill. At home, she began to reflect on her future. She took a departure from antiquity and decided to channel her growing frustration with U.S. politics into “something more proactive” and applied to law schools. A visit to Yale Law School solidified her interest in the field and in that school.
Now in her second year at Yale, Allyssa is keeping an open mind about the kind of law she may want to practice. A stint with the Innocence Project in New Orleans piqued an interest in wrongful convictions but she says she doesn’t “know if I want to be a proper lawyer.” As for the radical switch in disciplines, her work as a classicist trained her well for the lawyerly need to research, analyze and pick apart arguments. That said, legal research and writing is quite different than academic writing and an area in which Allyssa continues to refine her skills. However, “one thing I have a leg up on everyone else is that I can read the Latin terms.”
Matthew Mitchell, Finalist
David Roberts, Finalist
2003 Graduate, Business Administration and Political Science major
David Roberts graduated June 2003 with degrees in Business Administration and Political Science. He plans to study Comparative Ethnic Conflict at Queen’s University of Belfast as a Mitchell Scholar or Development Studies at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.
David grew up in the Seattle area entering the UW in autumn 1998. He quickly became drawn into many leadership activities; leading a divestment campaign at the UW targeting corporate impediments, election to the ASUW student government, to developing common sense solutions to flight global warming. David served two years as the director of EMPOWER, a very successful outreach program. EMPOWER assists Seattle area high school students from underrepresented communities with higher education and admission preparation.
David’s involvement opened doors to many opportunities including being an official observer at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in The Hague, Netherlands. He also garnered several awards. David was the 2001 Homecoming King, was selected as a Harry S. Truman Finalist, and was selected for the 2003 HUB Hall of Fame Student Activities, the highest UW award for student involvement.
David plans to continue his education eventually pursuing a Ph.D. in Political Geography and sees himself eventually returning to the academy to teach and do research.
2002 - 2003
David Moilanen, Finalist
Senior, Physics, Chemistry, and Russian major
Jasmin Weaver, declined interview
Senior, Community & Environmental Planning (CEP), Philosophy, and Political Science major
From the Mitchell Scholars’ profile page: Jasmin Weaver is the Executive VP for Civic Ventures, working to bring about change in Seattle, Washington. Prior to that, she served for several years as Deputy Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Relations for the city of Seattle, where Jasmin and her colleagues coordinated and facilitated the interactions of city representatives, such as the Mayor and City Council Members, with other governments, be they international, state, federal or tribal. Jasmin is a 2004 Mitchell Scholar. She received a Master’s Degree in Equality Studies from UCD. During her scholarship year, Jasmin wanted to research the experience of women in politics and thanks to the US-Ireland Alliance had the opportunity to interview Tánaiste Mary Harney (Deputy Prime Minister) as well as participating in a healthcare research project run by her office. Studying equality in society cemented Jasmin’s desire to be involved in public service. On her return to the US, she completed a Master’s Degree in Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Jasmin obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Seattle.
Ryan Biava, Finalist
Paul Vronsky, Finalist
Senior, Economics major
From the Marshall Scholars profile page: Paul Vronsky was born in Poland and grew up in Auburn, Washington where he attended Thomas Jefferson High School. He is a senior at the University of Washington, majoring in Economics. Outside of the classroom, Paul plays the tuba, baritone and sousaphone and is an active volunteer in a wide range of activities from tutoring students to working at food banks. He is hoping to earn an MPhil in Economics and later hopes to pursue a career in public policy.
Ryan Eney, Nominee
2001 - 2002
Elizabeth Angell, Scholar
Senior, History and International Studies major
A Bainbridge Island native, Elizabeth Angell was an early entry student at the University of Washington who double-majored in International Studies and History. At Oxford, she studied modern history and earned a Masters in Philosophy in Middle East studies. She was particularly interested in modern Turkish history and the transition from the Ottoman Empire to the modern Turkish state. After Oxford, Angell lived and worked in Turkey, and attended the American Research Institute in Turkey. When she returned to the U.S. she started working for Open Society Institute, a private operating and grantmaking foundation created by George Soros that aims to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform. Eventually, Angell plans to get a Ph.D. in International Studies or History and teach.
Joy Crosby, Finalist
Rory O’Sullivan, Nominee
Lael Weiss, Finalist
2000 - 2001
Emma Brunskill , Scholar
Senior, Computer Science and Physics major
After growing up in Seattle, Emma Brunskill came to the University of Washington as an early entry student at age 15. She triple-majored in physics, computer science, and engineering. The honors student was also a Goldwater Scholar, a Mary Gate’s Scholar, and an Anderson’s Scholar. She earned a degree in neuroscience at Oxford University and the rowed on Magdalen College’s crew team. Emma spent a summer in Rwanda where she helped an international program place computers in schools. She then went on to graduate school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she majored in computer science, studying artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Adrian Fehr, Nominee
Physics and Mathematics major
Dawn Hewett, Finalist
Senior, International Studies Latin American Studies, and Political Science major
From the Mitchell Scholars’ profile page: Dawn works at Quinn Emanuel as Counsel in the international arbitration group, where she represents investors in international investment disputes. Dawn served in the Obama Administration as the Deputy General Counsel for Strategic Initiatives for the U.S. Department of Commerce. At Commerce, she handled a broad range of legal issues including anticorruption, commercial rule of law, appellate litigation, trade and investment, export controls, digital economy, responsible business conduct, cybersecurity, and privacy. Before entering government, Dawn was an attorney at Arnold & Porter LLP where she was member of the firm’s international arbitration, litigation, global anticorruption, and white collar practice groups and on the firm’s Pro Bono Immigration Committee. Dawn is a 2002 Mitchell Scholar. She received an M.Phil in Ethnic and Racial Studies from Trinity. While studying in Ireland Dawn interned with the human rights organization Front Line Defenders, helping to organize a conference at Dublin Castle attended by delegates from 77 countries. Following her studies in Ireland, Dawn attended the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Yale Law School and worked on post-conflict issues in Sierra Leone, the D.R.C. and Cambodia. Dawn obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Seattle.
Conor Kleweno, Finalist
Mike Macpherson, Nominee
Hakim Weatherspoon, Finalist
1984 - 1985
Michael Anderson, Scholar
Political Science major
Michael Anderson grew up on Lummi Island and was a commercial fisherman while he attended the University of Washington, studying political science. In 1985 he was named The UW’s Presidents Medalist. He spent two years at Oxford studying Anthropology and then a year at the University of London studying law. Anderson worked for the British government in the department for International Development and chaired an international committee that looked at how humanitarian organizations can better respond to collapsing nation–states. He also taught part-time at the London school of Economics.
1981 - 1982
Jean McCollister, Scholar
Zoology and Slavic languages and literature major
The first woman from the University of Washington to become a Rhodes scholar (the scholarship was open to only men until 1977), Jean McCollister was a double major in Zoology and Slavic languages and literature. She also broke the gender barrier at the UW and Oxford by playing rugby on the men’s team. Forced out of the men’s league, McCollister later captained one of the first women’s rugby teams in the U.S. At Oxford, McCollister studied Soviet environmental policy and later attended the University of Ljubljana in what is now Slovenia. McCollister career includes work as a journalist, a teacher of English, a translator, and an author.
1980 - 1981
Peter Glomset, Scholar
English, Comparative Literature, and Spanish major
Peter triple–majored in English, comparative literature, and Spanish when he was an undergraduate at the University of Washington. He spent three years at Oxford, what he earned two degrees in Renaissance English. After his studies at Oxford, he came back to the UW and finished his Ph.D. in English in 1992. Peter taught in the UW‘s interdisciplinary writing program for three years, then traveled to Senegal to teach at a Université Cheikh Anta Dip on a Fulbright Fellowship. He also taught at Villanova University before moving to the Boston area, where he taught at St. Mark’s school in Southborough, Massachusetts.
1979 - 1980
Steven A. Crown, Scholar
Russian and History major
A native of Kalama, Washington, Stephen Crown double–majored in Russian and History at the UW. He studied Russian at Oxford, where he found time to row on Queen’s College crew team. After one year of working for the Rhodes trust, he transferred to Yale Law School, where he earned his degree in 1987. Crown worked for the Seattle law firm of Preston, Gates & Ellis before starting out on his own, specializing in Soviet and then Russian law. In 1988, he joined the legal team at Microsoft, where he works as an associate General Counsel for the Windows Client Legal team.
Bror V. H. Saxberg, Scholar
Electrical Engineering and Mathematics major
Saxberg majored in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics at the University of Washington and received the President’s Medal in 1980. At Oxford, he studied mathematics. Saxberg then went on to earn a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and, concurrently, an M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He spent five years at McKinsey & Company, an international management consulting firm, before he moved into education. Saxberg later became Chief Learning Officer of K12, a company that helps create “virtual academies” that is active in about 12 states.
1974 - 1975
Eric Carl Dahl, Scholar
Eric Dahl grew up in Colville, Washington. He attended Oxford, studying poetry, literature, and linguistics. While there, he won the Isis Poetry Prize for the best short poem of the year. He returned to the University of Washington to earn a Ph.D. in medieval texts in 1978 and then worked in the UW’s Office Of Research. He later became Associate Vice President for research at the University of Georgia. Dahl has released two CDs of his music. He also collaborated with UW’s Professor Jack Haney (a Rhodes Scholar as well) on the first English translation of a 13th century Russian poem, The Campaign of Prince Igor.
1967 - 1968
Frank William Aller, Scholar
Far Eastern and Slavic Studies major
A native of Spokane, Frank was a brilliant student of Chinese and a gifted classical pianist. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa in Far Eastern and Slavic Studies from the University of Washington in 1968. He was also a confirmed pacifist and, while at Oxford University, became a Vietnam war draft resister. President Bill Clinton was a close friend when they were both studying at Oxford. Because of Aller’s beliefs, Clinton later called him “…one of the bravest, best man I know.” After his return to the U.S. in 1970, Frank was arrested for resisting the draft but the case was later dismissed when physicians is determined he was not medically fit for service. Months after that ruling, he was hired by the Los Angeles Times as a foreign correspondent to Vietnam which he never began. He committed suicide in September 1971.
1966 - 1967
David R. Bock, Scholar
Philosophy major
David Bock earned a BA in philosophy from the University of Washington in 1967. He studied economics at Oxford, completing an advanced degree in 1969. From 1970-74, David was an associate with McKinsey and Company in London, working on client engagements in Europe, Africa and the US focused on corporate strategy, M&A, economic development and healthcare reform.
From 1974 to 1992, David worked for the World Bank in Washington DC on financial policy and planning, corporate strategy, organizational development and capital raising. In the 1970s, he contributed to the initial development of the international currency swaps market. In the 1980s, David helped shape the resolution of the global emerging markets debt crisis. In the 1990s, he served as the chief of staff for the Bank’s worldwide lending operations.
In 1992, David joined a major investment bank in London as Managing Director with responsibility for emerging markets corporate finance in Europe, the Middle East and South Asia. He returned to the US in 1995 to work on financing and managing early stage technology-based companies in the financial services and healthcare industries, serving as a chief financial officer of both private and public companies. David has also served as a director of public companies, including the Pioneer Funds, New York Mortgage Trust and the Swiss Helvetia Fund.
In 1973, David experienced a radical conversion from atheism to Christian faith, a story that he has recounted in a memoire entitled The Diary of a Reluctant Atheist. David and his wife Pam were actively involved in lay Christian ministry and evangelism, including service on the board of Alpha USA and other Christian organizations.
1963 - 1964
Richard H. Holmquist, Scholar
Economics major
“Dick” grew up in Richland and knew from a young age that he wanted to attend the University of Washington. He was elected President of the men’s Residence Hall Association his senior year. Holmquist majored in economics and was the President’s Medalist and 1964. He spent two years at Oxford studying labor economics, Soviet economic systems and international trade. He then returned to Seattle to study at the UW School of Law. After graduating in 1969, Richard joined the Washington State Attorney General’s office. He then moved to King County district attorney’s office, where he worked for 20 years as the chief civil attorney before retiring.
1962 - 1963
William T. Kerr Jr., Scholar
A native of Seattle, William Kerr was the first person in his family to attend a university. He never considered applying for the Rhodes scholarship, but one of his professors noticed his name was missing from the University of Washington nomination list and encouraged him to apply. At Oxford, he studied medieval and Renaissance English literature and history. When he returned to the U.S., Kerr began working on a Ph.D. in history at Harvard, but a summer experience in business change his career goals and he transferred to the Harvard Business School. William eventually became CEO of Meredith Corporation, one of the nation’s leading media and marketing companies with 26 subscription magazines and 14 television stations, plus book publishing, integrated marketing and interactive media division.
1961 - 1962
Jack V. Haney, Scholar
As a University of Washington student, Jack faced legendary History professor Giovanni Costigan on one Rhodes screening committee and UW President Charles Odegaard on another. He impressed them both and was selected for the Rhodes Scholarship where he spent two years studying Russian at Oxford. In 1965, Haney returned to the UW as a professor of Slavic languages and literature, where he taught for 37 years before retiring in 2002. He is the author of the six–volume text The Complete Russian Folk Tales. In 2001, he was named a Supernumerary Fellow of Queen’s College in recognition of his contribution to scholarship, especially his work on Russian folk tales.
1957 - 1958
Norman E. Terrell, Scholar
Slavic Languages major
A native of Texas, Norman began his undergraduate studies at the University of Texas in Austin, but left college to join the Air Force during the Korean War. When he was discharged, his parents had moved to Seattle, so he enrolled at the University of Washington where he majored in Slavic languages. As a Rhodes Scholar, he spent two years at Oxford studying Russian. Norman joined the US State Department in 1963, where his specialty was strategic arms control. In his career, he was assistant director under Eugene Rostow and an adviser to Henry Kissinger.
1956 - 1957
Theodore Lewis Houk, Scholar
Physics major
A Seattle native and graduate of Roosevelt High School, Theodore Houk majored in physics at the University of Washington and studied for two years at Oxford. He earned his Ph.D. in physics from Harvard in 1967 and taught at two liberal arts colleges before doing research in medical imaging at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Maryland. He was a pioneer in the field of digital subtraction angiography. In his later years, Houk worked as a researcher and adjunct clinical assistant professor in the Department of Radiology in the UW School of Medicine. Helping perfect optical measurements of high altitude air temperature and wind speeds.
1952 - 1953
Richard J. Selig, Scholar
Richard Selig was attending to University of Washington for graduate studies when he was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship in 1953. He attended Oxford and gained distinction for his poetry, so much so that the Magdalen College created the Richard Selig Poetry Prize in his honor. When he returned to the US in 1956, Selig began work in the public relations department of Western Electric – part of the Bell telephone system – until his death of Hodgkin’s disease in 1957. A collection of his poetry was published posthumously in 1962.
1951 - 1952
Jonathan R. T. Hughes, Scholar
Jonathan Hughes was pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Washington when he was selected for the Rhodes Scholarship. He attended Oxford and graduated with a doctorate of philosophy in 1955. Upon returning to the U.S., Hughes taught economics at Purdue University. He moved to Northwestern University in 1966 and was named the first Robert E. and Emily King Professor of Business Institutions in 1989. He became well known for his research on British economy of the 1850s. He was was a member of the Economic History Association for more than three decades, and served as its president in 1980–81.
1947 - 1948
Curtis Cosmos Aller, Scholar
A native of Yakima, Curtis Aller receive his bachelor of arts from the University of Washington in 1942. At the time he was awarded the Rhodes, Aller was doing graduate work at Harvard, where he earned an M.A. in Public Administration and a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government. He taught at the University of California–Berkeley and Michigan State University before joining the Department of Economics at San Francisco State University in 1959. While on the faculty he held several post in the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations. Aller was named Dean of San Francisco state School of Behavioral and Social Sciences in 1982.
1936 - 1937
Richard F. Watt, Scholar
Political Science major
A Seattle native and scion of the Denny pioneer family, Richard Watt major in Political Science at the University of Washington and received his bachelor of arts in 1937, graduating magna cum laude. While at the UW, he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Gamma Delta. Watt later earned his law degree at the University of Chicago and taught at that law school for many years.
1935 - 1936
Dean K. Crystal, Scholar
Anatomy major
A Cle Elum native, Dean majored in anatomy at the University of Washington and received his Bachelor of Science in 1936, graduating summa cum laude. As an undergraduate, Crystal won the Faculty Scholarship Medal. He earned his medical degree at Johns Hopkins Medical School and later became Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery at Children’s Medical Center in Seattle. In the 1950s he performed that hospital’s first open–heart surgery on a child. Crystal also served as president of the Washington Medical Association.
1930 - 1931
Robert E. Johnson, Scholar
Chemistry major
As a Seattle native, Robert Johnson majored in Chemistry while at the University of Washington. He was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship at age 19 and went on to attend Oxford when he received both his bachelor of arts in physiology in 1933 and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry in 1935. He returned to the U.S. to complete his M.D. at Harvard University in 1941, and began his medical career as an industrial physiologist at the Harvard Fatigue Laboratory. Johnson was an expert consultant for the Quartermaster Corps of the U.S. Army, and served as director of the U.S. Army Medical Nutrition Lab in Chicago from 1949-73. He held several distinguish teaching positions at various colleges such as the University of Illinois, Knox College, and the University of Vermont.
1927 - 1928
Hebbel E. Hoff, Scholar
Zoology major
A native of Bothell, Hebbel Hoff majored in zoology at the University of Washington, receiving a Bachelor of Science in 1928. As an undergraduate, Hoff was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Mu Chi. He later earned a medical degree and taught at the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, where he won the Distinguished Faculty award in 1974.
1926 - 1927
Charles Horowitz, Scholar
Pre-Law major
Born in Brooklyn, Charles Horowitz grew up in Seattle and majored in pre-law at the University of Washington. He graduated magna cum laude in 1927. As an undergraduate, he was a member of Sigma Alpha Mu and Phi Beta Kappa and was president of both the Political Science Club and the Menorah Society. Horowitz earned his law degree at the UW in 1929 and served as editor-chief of the Washington law Review. For 40 years, he was in private practice before Gov. Daniel Evans appointed him to the Washington State Court of Appeals in 1969. In 1974, Horowitz was elected to the Washington State Supreme Court. He retired from that position in 1980.
1923 - 1924
Oris Edward Sandusky, Scholar
A Spokane native, Oris Sandusky received his Bachelor of Science in 1923, graduating magna cum laude. When awarded the Rhodes Scholarship, Sandusky was already a teaching fellow at the University of Washington. Sandusky went on to become the assistant director of Harvard’s Biochemistry Laboratory.
1921 - 1922
Paul Theodore Ellsworth, Scholar
Paul Ellsworth received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington in 1920, graduating cum laude. A member of Delta Kappa Epsilon and Phi Beta Kappa, Ellsworth also participated on the crew and football team. Ellsworth was later awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship and went on to teach economics at the University of Cincinnati and the university of Wisconsin. He was the author of a leading economics textbook, International Economics.
1920 - 1921
Kenneth Carey Cole, Scholar
Cole received his bachelor of arts from University of Washington in 1921. While at the UW, Cole participated on the varsity debate team. A constitutional law scholar, Cole returned to the UW in the 1940s and spent more than two decades on the Political Science faculty. He was chair of the UW Department of Political Science from 1951–59.
1918 - 1919
Ford Keeler Brown, Scholar
English major
Ford Brown majored in English at the University of Washington, receiving a Bachelors of Arts in 1920. He also was on the Husky football team. After studying at Oxford, Brown became a professor of English at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, where he was on the faculty for 35 years. During World War II, he served on the staff of army Gen. Louis B. Hershey. Brown was the author of Fathers of the Victorians, a history of the late 18th century reform movement in England.
1917 - 1918
John Monk Saunders, Scholar
English major
John Saunders majored in English at the University of Washington, receiving his degree in 1919. While at the UW, he served as freshman class president and captain of the swim team. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. Saunders serviced in the U.S. Flying Corps during World War I, where, due to his proficiency at flying , he was made an instructor. He attended Oxford, earning his master’s degree in 1923. He married actress Fay Wray (of King Kong fame) in 1928 and went on to become a successful screenwriter. Saunders won an Academy Award in 1931 for his story outline for The Dawn Patrol
1913 - 1914
Charles Harold Gray, Scholar
English major
A native of Oklahoma, Charles Gray received his bachelor of arts in English from the University of Washington in 1913 and a Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1931. Prior to World War II, he taught at Reed College, Bowdoin College and Bennington College. Gray became Dean of Bard College in 1940 and he was later that college’s president. He was also on the faculty of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Julliard School of Music. Gray is the author of the historical text, Theatrical Criticism in London to 1795.
1912 - 1913
George Bernard Noble, Scholar
Political Science major
A Tacoma native, George Noble majored in political science at the University of Washington, receiving a bachelor of arts in 1914. While enrolled at the UW as an undergraduate, Noble served in World War I as an ambulance driver in France. After attending Oxford, he returned to the U.S. to receive his Ph.D. from Columbia University. Noble became a professor of political science at Reed College in Oregon from 1922 through 1947. He began his career with the State Department in 1946. For 16 years he supervised the publication of The Foreign Relations of the United States series, a preparation of historical studies for the background use of the Department of State and the Foreign Service. He later became Undersecretary of State for President Dwight Eisenhower. Noble wrote several books, including a biography of Secretary of State Christian Herter. A collection of his teaching notes, correspondence, manuscripts, and government documents remains at Reed College.
1909 - 1910
Joseph Barlow Harrison, Scholar
English major
As a Seattle native, Joseph majored in English at the University of Washington, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in 1910. While at the UW, Harrison was a member of the varsity track team, participated on the Tyee staff and served as editor of the Washingtonian Literary Magazine. At Oxford, he majored in English language and literature. Upon his return to Seattle in 1913, Harrison became a professor at the UW, teaching popular courses in American literature and writing. He was well known on campus for his column on language and word usage in the UW student newspaper, The Daily, as well as his frequent contributions to the UW alumni magazine, The Washington Alumnus. Harrison also served as an officer during World War I. He was the founder and later President of the UW Faculty Senate, was a member of the American Association of University Professors, and served on the Board of Directors of the Seattle Repertory Theater.
1904 - 1905
Lewellyn Gordon Railsback, Scholar
Greek major
Lewellyn Railsback majored in Greek at the University of Washington and received his Bachelor of Arts in 1907. In his sophomore year, Railsback played varsity baseball and basketball, and was a reporter for the University of Washington Wave. He earned a letter for playing tackle on the varsity football team in 1904. In addition, Railsback served as sophomore class president and was a member of Beta Theta Pi. In his later years he lived in Portland, Oregon, where he worked for a car dealership.
1903 - 1904
Joel Marcus Johanson, Scholar
Latin major
A Tacoma native, Joel Marcus majored in Latin at the University of Washington, receiving his bachelor of arts in 1904. As an undergraduate, Joel was a member of Beta Theta Pi and served one year as president of Phi Beta Kappa. He was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship in 1904, Joel return to the UW in 1907 as a professor of German. He was appointed to a position in the English Department in 1910, where he continued teaching and writing prolifically until his death in 1918. Upon his death, in memorial, a volume of Johansson‘s essays, verse, and letters was published.