Rhodes Scholars 2019 (check out the number of women this year!!)
American Rhodes Scholars-elect for 2019
(Subject to ratification by the Rhodes Trustees after acceptance by one of the colleges of Oxford University)
DISTRICT 1
Massachusetts
Eren Orbey, Acton, is a Yale senior with a double major in Computer Science and English Language and Literature. As a three-year old, he witnessed his father’s murder in Ankara, Turkey, an experience that ultimately led to his current book project that melds memoir, history, and contemporary reporting to create a portrait of his father and his father’s killer. Eren has won many Yale literature prizes, for writing in both English and French, is a regular contributor to the New Yorker, and has worked as a software engineer at Microsoft. His passion is to produce art that extracts compassion from the trials of trauma. At Oxford, Eren plans to do masters degrees in Global and Imperial History and in World Literatures in English.
Massachusetts
Sarah Tress, Staten Island, New York, is a senior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she majors in Mechanical Engineering. Sarah has maintained a grade point average of 5.0 (out of a possible 5.0). A prolific researcher and an inventor, Sarah works at the intersection of engineering and development, devising solutions to improve lives across the developing world. When she discovered the low life expectancy of wheelchair users in developing countries due to infection from pressure sores, she created Loop, a cost-effective inflatable wheelchair seat cushion made out of bike inner tubes. Sarah is the captain of the MIT Women’s Club Soccer Team and a member of the MIT DanceTroupe. At Oxford, Sarah will pursue the M.Phil. in Development Studies.
DISTRICT 2
New Jersey
Nicolette C. D’Angelo, Hewitt, is a senior at Princeton University where she is a pursuing an A.B. in Classics. Nicolette’s research puts contemporary issues in conversation with ancient works, interrogating society’s potential biases, interests, and assumptions. Nicolette’s translation, and original interpretation, of Euripides’ Supplicants elevated the perspective of the maternal community in the tragedy, countering centuries of neglect by scholars. As the Editor-in-Chief of The Nassau Literary Review, Princeton’s undergraduate literary magazine, she has extended its public reach through a series of free conferences and events. Nicolette teaches Latin to 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders at Princeton Young Achievers. At Oxford, Nicolette will do the M.St. in Classics.
New Jersey
Margaret H. Dods, Linwood, is a senior at the United States Naval Academy where she majors in English and Arabic. Maggie has maintained a perfect grade point average. At the Naval Academy, she serves as a Battalion Commander, leading 750 of her peers. Maggie connects her intensive study of the Middle East and its culture to a more textured formulation of foreign policy in the region. She has completed three marathons and is currently training for commission into the United States Marine Corps. At Oxford, Maggie will do the M.Phil. in Modern Middle Eastern Studies.
DISTRICT 3
New York - South
Alaleh Azhir, New York City, is a senior at Johns Hopkins University with a triple major in Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, and Applied Mathematics and Statistics. She has a perfect GPA (including an A+ in 22 courses). A Goldwater Scholar, she has many publications in genomics and various biomedical subjects in major national and international journals, and has done research at Harvard, MIT, the NIH, and laboratories in Switzerland as well as at Johns Hopkins. She mentors middle school students, edits a philosophy journal, runs arts programs for children in under-resourced neighborhoods, and provides cooked meals for a shelter for survivors of domestic abuse. Alaleh immigrated from Iran when she was 14. Alaleh will do the M.Sc. in Women’s and Reproductive Health at Oxford.
New York - South
Jin Kyu Park, Flushing, is completing his B.A. at Harvard in Molecular and Cellular Biology with a minor in Ethnicity, Migration, and Rights. Jin was born in South Korea and is the first DACA recipient to be selected as a Rhodes Scholar. He is the Founder and Director of HigherDreams, Inc., a non-profit organization that he started in 2014 to develop resources for undocumented students applying to college. He is also the director of the Harvard Philips Brooks House Association Chinatown Citizenship Program which provides naturalization assistance to the Boston community. He has written opinion pieces on immigration for the New York Times and the Harvard Crimson and has appeared on MSNBC to discuss DACA legislation. He is the Managing Editor of the Harvard Undergraduate Research Journal and a research assistant at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT where he helps elucidate the mechanisms of T-cell exhaustion. Ultimately, Jin seeks to build a career as an advocate for immigrant communities, and to provoke our governments to take immigrants’ rights and health seriously. Jin plans to do masters degrees in Migration Studies and Global Health Science and Epidemiology.
DISTRICT 4
Pennsylvania
Brittany N. Ellis, Beaver Falls, is a Harvard senior concentrating in Social Anthropology and Archaeology. A reporter, and now News Executive at the Harvard Crimson, and President of the Radcliffe Union of Students, she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa as a junior and has a perfect GPA. Brittany has spent the last two summers in Jordan on archaeological digs. Her campus journalism exposed problems with the Harvard Athletic Department that contributed to a system-wide assessment of varsity athletic culture. Brittany manages Harvard’s largest intramural crew program and is captain and coxswain of her crew. Brittany intends to do the M.Phil. in Visual, Material, and Museum Studies, and extend that work to a D.Phil. in Anthropology.
Pennsylvania
Anea B. Moore, Philadelphia, is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania concentrating in law and minoring in Africana Studies. A Truman Scholar, Anea is committed to the needs of low-income families, reflected in a variety of important roles in Philadelphia public schools, for City Council members, and at her university. She is co-president of a non-profit that serves first-generation, low-income (FGLI) college students and co-chaired the largest FGLI student conference in the world. Her sociology research has focused on issues related to gentrification, race, class, and family engagement and well-being. At Oxford, Anea intends to do masters degrees in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and in Comparative International Education.
DISTRICT 5
Maryland/DC
Lia Petrose, Laurel, Maryland, graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2017 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and Economics with a minor in Chemistry. A Truman Scholar, she has a vision of improving how data is used to facilitate health care delivery. Lia wrote three first-authored papers in leading medical journals and is currently a research assistant for Dr. Heidi Williams at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As an undergraduate, she was elected to the executive board of the student government and served as the student member of the Board of Trustees Committee on Academic Affairs. She was born and raised until adolescence in Ethiopia. Lia will read for a B.A. in Computer Science and Philosophy at Oxford.
Maryland/DC
Katharine H. Reed, Arnold, Maryland, is a senior at Princeton University where she is pursuing an A.B. in History with certificates in Latin American Studies and Spanish. Kate’s has maintained a GPA of 4.0 (with 9 A+s) and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa as a junior. Kate’s research focuses on the relationship between the U.S. and Latin America, and how the nations’ shared history shapes the present. For her work as a historian, she is a two-time recipient of Princeton University’s Shapiro Prize for Academic Excellence. Kate serves as the President of the Princeton University Language Project, which offers free Spanish/French translations to the Princeton Public Library and Princeton Public Schools. At Oxford, Kate will do the M.Phil. in Development Studies.
DISTRICT 6
North Carolina
Ariel Kantor, Chapel Hill, is a senior at Duke University where he is pursuing a B.Sc. in biotechnology. Ariel is committed to using science to advance basic research and advocate for patients battling rare diseases. For three years, he has worked under the guidance of Charles Gersbach to develop new applications for CRISPR to facilitate epigenome editing. His cross-disciplinary research focuses on the ethical, social, and legal implications of genome sciences and genomic medicine. Throughout his undergraduate career, he has been heavily involved in Special Olympics, serving as the head coach for intramural basketball. At Oxford, Ariel will read for a D.Phil. in Molecular Biology.
South Carolina
John Hoffmeyer, Florence, is a senior at Princeton University where he majors in Comparative Literature and minors in Chinese Language and Culture as well as Piano Performance. John’s research and major papers are interdisciplinary in their approach, analyzing the interplay between music and literature. A distinguished musician, he earned a Silver medal at the 2015 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and participated in the Young Artist Residency at the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. As the President and Co-Founder of the Princeton Chamber Music Society, he has worked to extend access to Princeton’s music faculty to communities beyond campus. At Oxford, John will do the M.St. in Modern Languages.
DISTRICT 7
Alabama
James W. Brahm, Huntsville, is a senior at the United States Air Force Academy where he majors in Computer Science and minors in Chinese as well as Nuclear Weapons and Strategy. A Truman Scholar, James does research at the intersection of cybersecurity and computer science, and has a computer-science related patent pending with the U.S. Patent Office. He commands the Wing Information Services Team, which is responsible for ensuring IT support to over 4,000 cadets. Throughout his undergraduate career, he has worked extensively in cybersecurity, including as an intern at the National Security Agency where he engineered reusable software to support U.S. intelligence efforts. James is an Eagle Scout and enjoys freefall parachuting. At Oxford, James will pursue an M.Sc. in Computer Science.
Mississippi
Mikaela Jazlyn Brisack, Oxford, is a senior at the University of Mississippi, majoring in Public Policy, Journalism, and English. Jaz is a Truman Scholar, a member of the Ole Miss Debate Team, and an opinion columnist for the Daily Mississipian. She has a perfect GPA. Very active politically, she has managed a state house campaign, been an organizer with the UAW, serves as president of the College Democrats, and is a volunteer clinic escort at Mississippi’s last abortion clinic. She has also protested alongside Native Americans in the Dakotas against a proposed pipeline across their land. She was home-schooled before college. Jaz will do masters degrees at Oxford in Public Policy and in Women’s Studies.
DISTRICT 8
Texas
Kristina M. Correa, Robstown, is a senior at Stanford where she majors in biology and minors in computer science. She is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and was raised by a single mother. She has never received a grade below an A across her demanding undergraduate and graduate courses. She has done extensive research in four different laboratories, and her senior thesis relates to cellular glycans and cancer. Kristina has been an active volunteer working with children whose parents have cancer and as a tutor for low-income and/or minority students. She plans a career in computational immunology and is
committed to Latino empowerment in the sciences. At Oxford, Kristina intends to do masters degrees in Integrated Immunology and Computer Science.
Texas
Kushal T. Kadakia, Houston, is a senior at Duke University with a double major in public policy and biology with a minor in global health. He is a Truman Scholar, has a perfect academic record, and was a Rothermere summer scholar at Oxford. He earned five A+ grades in independent research projects across four different departments. As a student leader, Kushal has been chairman of the Honor Council, student body vice president, a voting member of the Duke Board of Trustees, and led the successful charge to make the Duke campus smoke-free. He is also an accomplished and much-published writer on health policy topics, and worked in the office of the North Carolina Governor on Medicaid transformation. Kushal will do the M.Phil. in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy at Oxford.
DISTRICT 9
Indiana
Jennifer Huang, Granger, graduated in 2017 from Indiana University with a perfect 4.0 GPA, majoring in Mathematics and Social and Cultural Analysis. As an undergraduate, she conducted cross-disciplinary research including an ethnography of Iceland’s renewable energy industry and a computational text analysis of Poetry Magazine’s archives. Jennifer co-authored a paper in a leading science journal PNAS, and wrote stories that received IU’s top undergraduate fiction award. After graduating, she has redirected her focus toward community-based political and policy work. She is currently working both as the civic engagement program coordinator at the Institute of Politics at The University of Chicago and as a policy associate in the Office of South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Jennifer will read for an M.Sc. in Social Science of the Internet and MPP in Public Policy.
Kentucky
Hadeel Abdallah, Lexington, is a senior at the University of Kentucky where she majors in Political Science as well as Arabic and Islamic Studies. Hadeel is the first Rhodes Scholar from the University of Kentucky since 1955. A Truman Scholar, Hadeel is a committed activist who has advanced educational opportunities for immigrant and refugee women in communities across the globe. Hadeel founded and directs the Bilal Scholarship Endowment, which
provides scholarships to underrepresented students across Kentucky. At Oxford, she will read for an M.Sc. in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies and an M.Sc. in Global Governance and Diplomacy.
DISTRICT 10
Illinois
Kristiana L. Yao, Naperville, graduated summa cum laude from the University of Miami in 2018. During her undergraduate studies, Kristiana earned a B.S. in Public Health and B.B.A. in Business Administration, concentrating in Health Management, and maintained a perfect GPA. She is currently a Dunn Fellow at the State of Illinois where she advances policy in health, human services, and public safety. She has held several federal policy internships focusing on health care equity, including stints at The White House (Domestic Policy Council) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. A Truman Scholar, she has focused her research on devising better systems for health care delivery. Kristiana will pursue an M.Sc. in Comparative Social Policy at Oxford.
Ohio
Laila Ujayli, Dublin, graduated from Ohio State University in May of 2018 where she majored in International Relations and English. Having spent much of her childhood in Syria and Saudi Arabia, her academic trajectory has been heavily shaped by her roots toward deeper understanding of international politics and solutions to resolve international conflicts, as well as by her love of literature. Laila’s undergraduate thesis examined Hamid Tanpinar’s novel A Mind at Peace, where she compared and contrasted distinctive models of social change reflected in four primary story characters’ social life. She is currently a Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellow at Win Without War in Washington, DC, where she advocates for conflict stabilization policies that prioritize development and diplomacy. At Oxford, Laila will pursue masters degrees in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies and World Literatures.
DISTRICT 11
Minnesota
Riley S. Tillitt, Eden Prairie, is a senior at Yale University where he is double majoring in History, and Ethics, Politics and Economics. Riley is interested in reforming U.S. criminal
justice and drug policies and has engaged in deep public service related to criminal justice. He served as a member of the board of directors of Students for Sensible Drug Policy in Washington, DC, and as the president of the Yale chapter. He was also the President of the Yale Model Congress and Director-General of the Yale Model United Nations China. He served as a policy advisor for Governor-elect Ned Lamont, focusing on drug policy. At Oxford, Riley will read for an MPP in Public Policy and an M.Sc. in Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Wisconsin
Rhea C. Stark, Milwaukee, graduated from Brown University in 2018 with a B.A. in Archaeology and the Ancient World and Middle East Studies. She graduated with a perfect academic record. Through her work as an archaeologist and researcher, Rhea uncovers buried histories by elevating the narratives of everyday people, particularly women and people of color. She pays particular attention to Islamic heritage, challenging the fallacies and biases that often motivate popular perceptions of the Middle East. She also counseled high school students as a certified sexual health educator at the Met Public High School. At Oxford, Rhea intends to do the M.Phil. in Islamic Art and Archaeology.
DISTRICT 12
Iowa
Austin T. Hughes, San Antonio, Texas, is a senior at the University of Iowa triple majoring in English (Creative Writing), Theatre Arts, and Japanese Language and Literature. Austin was elected to Phi Beta Kappa as a junior. A Beinecke scholar, he has won numerous awards for his poetry and creative writing at both the university and national level. As Co-President of The English Society, Austin maintained a network of educators, writers, and authors to showcase student literature to campus and beyond. He is a cellist, a cross-country runner, and has written Twilight fanfiction. At Oxford, Austin will read for an M.Phil. in Japanese Studies.
Tennessee
Grant H. Rigney, Normandy, is a senior at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where he is studying Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Grant is the editor-in-chief of Pursuit, UT’s journal of undergraduate research, and has conducted research at the UT Medical Center on toxicity of PET-CT imaging agents. He volunteers at a local homeless clinic and founded the
Homeless Prevention University and Community Alliance at UT. Grant’s career aspirations involve providing leadership and policy advocacy in support of the “safety net” hospitals as a practitioner, researcher, and administrative leader. He is a licensed private pilot, a Certified Nurse’s Assistant, triathlete, and internationally recognized bluegrass musician on the fiddle and mandolin. He will pursue masters degrees in Global Health Science and Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation.
DISTRICT 13
Colorado
Serene K. Singh, Colorado Springs, is a senior at the University of Colorado Boulder, with majors in Political Science and Journalism, and a minor in Leadership Studies. A Truman Scholar, she is Chief Justice of the Student Government Supreme Court, Founder and Chair of the National Sikh Youth Program, founder of a nonprofit to empower at-risk women, co-chair of the Colorado Youth Advisory Council, and President of the University’s Indian Student Association. Her thesis is on media representation of Sikhs. She is currently an intern for the Obama Foundation where she works with Michelle Obama and created the Global Girls Ambassador Program. At Oxford, Serene plans to do masters degrees in Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation.
Utah
Claire R. Wang, North Salt Lake, is a Duke senior majoring in Environmental Science and Policy. She is a Truman Scholar and a Udall Scholar, and has a perfect GPA. She is President of the Duke Climate Coalition, was appointed by Duke’s President to advise on campus sustainability and climate policy, and has led numerous environmental policy campaigns. Claire also has worked at the Rocky Mountain Institute, and for Earthjustice, the Sierra Club and Greenpeace. She aspires to a career as a climate change policy advocate and to work at a global level to develop clean energy alternatives to replace fossil fuels. Claire will do masters degrees at Oxford in Environmental Change and Management, and Global Governance and Diplomacy.
DISTRICT 14
Idaho
Rachel Elena Gallina, Lake Orion, Michigan, graduated from Boise State University with a BA in Economics and Political Science. She maintained a perfect GPA. Raised as the child of aid workers in Kosovo, Elena is an Outreach Specialist at CEED-Albania, a project to spur development in the poorest regions of Albania. Elena’s work and research has focused on combating gender-based violence in refugee camps and conflict zones. She believes in shifting power from institutions to the women directly impacted by the instability created by forced migration to more effectively address gender inequity. Elena is an avid runner and soap maker. At Oxford, Elena will read for an MBA and an M.Sc. in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies.
Oregon
Katherine M. Kowal, Louisville, Colorado, graduated in 2017 from Lewis and Clark College, summa cum laude, in Physics and Political Science where she received the Rena J. Ratte Award, the College’s highest academic honor. Katie was elected to Phi Beta Kappa as a junior. She is a Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the Institute for Defense Analyses where she consults on space weather and space nuclear power. Her focus is strengthening society’s capacity to prepare for extreme weather and to develop a better understanding of the connection between extreme weather and climate change. She was a captain of Lewis and Clark’s varsity track and field team. At Oxford, Katie will read for a D.Phil. in Geography and Environment.
DISTRICT 15
Arizona
Rayan Alsemeiry, Mesa, is a senior at Yale University pursuing a B.A. Global Affairs with a minor in Human Rights and Economics. Rayan was the only undergraduate recognized by the Jefferson Awards Association and the Yale Alumni Association for “innovative, outstanding, and sustained contributions in service to the greater good.” In the arena of public service, Rayan has held internships at The World Bank, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Human Rights Watch. On campus, he pursued reforms towards greater inclusion and support of first-generation, low-income college students. Presently, he serves as a policy researcher to former Secretary of State John Kerry. Rayan and his family immigrated from Saudi Arabia in
early 2001 and endured profound economic instability and homelessness during his childhood. Against the odds, he excelled academically and graduated from a 4,000-person public school before arriving at Yale, with a desire to understand how government can best address poverty and social exclusion for its most vulnerable communities. At Oxford, he will pursue an M.Phil. in International Relations.
Arizona
Leah Crowder, Tucson, graduated from the University of Arizona in 2018 with a B.A in Middle Eastern and North African Studies. Throughout her undergraduate career, she maintained a perfect GPA. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in the same program. Leah is researching how to end cyclical violence and move towards peace in areas divided by deep cultural and political differences. She has utilized big data to ascertain a causal relationship between militarized curfews and civilian casualties. Starting in her teenage years, she has worked on the ground in Turkey to advance a variety of peacekeeping efforts. Most recently, she interned at Art Anywhere Association, in Mardin, Turkey, to plan child protection activities in remote villages affected by regional violence. At Oxford, Leah will pursue a D.Phil. in International Relations.
DISTRICT 16
California - South
Vidal M. Arroyo, Rancho Santa Margarita, is a senior at Chapman University where he is pursuing a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a minor in Computational Science and Integrated Educational Studies. He is Chapman University’s first Rhodes Scholar. Vidal has maintained a perfect GPA. He has researched the link between cancer and obesity as well as outcome disparities in survivors in childhood cancers. His studies have also focused on the use artificial intelligence to strengthen and personalize cancer treatments. As the Founder and President of Chapman STEMtors, he has worked to expose at-risk youth to careers in science. At Oxford, Vidal will read for a D.Phil. in Engineering Science.
California - South
Madison L. Tung, Santa Monica, is a senior at the United States Air Force Academy where she is majoring in Mathematics and Humanities and minoring in Chinese. A Truman Scholar, Maddy researches the use of artificial intelligence and other mathematical techniques
to develop tools for decision makers. Ultimately, she believes in the power of artificial intelligence to improve people’s lives. She is a six-time All-American, national champion in Women’s Wrestling, and holds a Black Belt in Hapkido (Korean martial art). Her hobbies include ice climbing and Jiu-Jitsu. At Oxford, Maddy will read for masters degrees in Computer Science and in Global Governance and Diplomacy.
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Great to see so many women on there! 
