Five Nominated As Rhodes, Marshall Scholars

Five outstanding undergraduates at Texas A&M have been nominated for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships, the two most prestigious and highly-coveted academic scholarships available to United States students.

Rhodes Scholarships are tenable for two to three years of graduate study at Oxford University; the Marshall Scholarship is tenable for two years of study at any university in the United Kingdom. Students must be graduating seniors or recent graduates and be nominated by the university. Hundreds of students from across the United States apply each year; of the approximately 1,000 students who applied in 2008, only 32 applicants are selected for the Rhodes, whereas only 40 of the approximately 1,100 who applied for the Marshall were selected as scholars.

The nominees will hear of their selection as finalists in the next one to two weeks. Finalists will then participate in regional or district interviews in Houston in November. The announcement of scholars will be announced by the foundations shortly thereafter.

Anna Lee Allcorn ‘10, of Olton, Texas, has been nominated for the Rhodes Scholarship. She will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness, having completed her undergraduate studies in only two years. A highly active student leader, Allcorn is co-chair of the College of Agriculture & Life Science’s Freshman Leadership Experience and a member of AggieREPS. Having owned and operated her own cattle operation since the age of 13, Allcorn envisions a career in international development and will study Economics for Development at Oxford University if selected as a Rhodes Scholar.

Nominated for the Marshall Scholarship, Mark Deimund ‘10 is a chemical engineering major from Oklahoma City. The president of Texas A&M’s American Institute of Chemical Engineers chapter, his recent research on biomass processing has garnered him a patent, and his current research involves systems biology in liver cells. He is also an avid strength trainer and enjoys classical literature. If selected as a Marshall Scholar, Deimund will study Advanced Chemical Engineering at Cambridge University. He will also be applying for the Winston Churchill Foundation Scholarship and the Gates-Cambridge Scholarship.

Ella Doerge ‘10, a genetics major from Clive, Iowa, is applying for both the Marshall and Rhodes Scholarships. A member of the Texas A&M Women’s Swimming & Diving team, she is a First Team Academic All-Big XII selection and ranks in the Texas A&M all-time top 10 times in five different events. This past summer, she qualified for the US National Championships and World Championship Trials. An Honors Programs University Scholar, Doerge was also the Phi Kappa Phi Outstanding Junior from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and she is the co-founder of WorldMed, a student organization that organizes international medical missions. Her long term interests are to attend medical school and study prenatal genetics. If selected as a Rhodes or Marshall Scholar, Doerge will study for a Master of Science in Clinical Embryology at Oxford University.

Paige Ibanez ‘10, of The Woodlands, Texas, is a double-major in English and history with a minor in Russian. The co-founder of the Texas A&M chapter of International Justice Mission, she is also president of her sorority, Delta Gamma. As a University Undergraduate Research Fellow, she traveled to Moscow to conduct research on Soviet-era drama, and she is currently researching presidential rhetoric as a Center for the Study of the Presidency Presidential Fellow. In the next phase of her educational career, she hopes to study the interplay of art and culture, and she plans to study art history at the Courtald Institute of Art and International Relations at Oxford University or the London School of Economics.

Karthik Venkatraj ‘10, of College Station, is applying for both the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships. An international studies major, Venkatraj is a member of the Corps of Cadets, having served as Corps Liaison Officer and Public Relations Sergeant. He is a member of Army ROTC and the Army National Guard and will commission as a second lieutenant in the US Army National Guard Corps of Engineers. He was the student director of the Hurricane Ike relief effort on campus, a former Student Body President candidate, and currently serves as the student representative on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He has studied Arabic in Morocco as an NSEP David L. Boren Scholar, and he was selected as a Truman Scholarship finalist. He will study Comparative Social Policy at Oxford University and Public Policy at Bristol University. Venkatraj is also applying for the George Mitchell Scholarship for study in Ireland.

Texas A&M University has produced seven Rhodes Scholars and four Marshall Scholars, the most recent being Rhodes Scholar Nick Anthis ‘05 in 2005 and Marshall Scholar Faye Hays ‘07 in 2007. In the 2009 competition, biochemistry major Matthew Hickey ’09 was a finalist for the Marshall, and in the 2008 competition, math major Andrew Matteson ’08 was a finalist for the Rhodes.

The Rhodes Scholarships, the oldest international fellowships, were initiated after the death of Cecil Rhodes in 1902, and bring outstanding students from many countries around the world to the University of Oxford. The primary qualification for a successful candidate is intellectual distinction, although the selection committees also seek excellence in qualities of mind and in qualities of person which, in combination, offer the promise of effective service to the world in the decades ahead. Through the years, Rhodes Scholars have pursued studies in all of the varied fields available at the University of Oxford, where they are elected for two years of study, with the possibility of renewal for a third year. Notable Rhodes Scholars include former US President Bill Clinton, NBA Hall-of-Fame inductee and Senator Bill Bradley, and Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee Kris Kristofferson.

The Marshall Scholarships began in 1953 as a gesture of thanks from the British Government for the US assistance in rebuilding Europe after World War II. Former Marshall Scholars include Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and New York Times Foreign Affairs columnist Thomas Friedman. According to the Marshall Scholarship Foundation, as future leaders, Marshall Scholars are “expected to strengthen the enduring relationship between the British and American peoples, their governments and their institutions. Marshall Scholars are talented, independent and wide-ranging, and their time as Scholars enhances their intellectual and personal growth. Their direct engagement with Britain through its best academic programmes contributes to their ultimate personal success.”

Because of the fierce competition for these scholarships, the preliminary process to be selected as an official University nominee is quite rigorous. Currently enrolled students and recent graduates should apply for selection in April, with the official deadline for the scholarships being in early October. To be awarded the University’s nomination, a student must show strong scholarly potential, demonstrated through their academic record and letters of recommendation from faculty, leadership ability, demonstrated through their involvement in student and civic organizations, and excellent speaking and analytical skills, as demonstrated in a series of interviews.

Once approved, prospective nominees can expect to spend months developing their applications as they work closely under the advice and guidance of faculty and academic advisors. The official announcement of university endorsement is made only after the nominees submit their finalized application to the scholarship foundations.