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Distinguished Fellowships Celebrates Successful Year of Student Achievement

Chancellor Barnhart and distinguished fellowship winners

Chancellor Barnhart and distinguished fellowship winners

On May 2, Chancellor Cindy Barnhart hosted a breakfast reception to honor MIT’s distinguished fellowship winners. During this past academic year, 25 student scholars were awarded nationally and internationally competitive fellowships. The students were mentored and supported by the Presidential Committee on Distinguished Fellowships, chaired by Professors Rebecca Saxe and Will Broadhead, and by the staff of the Distinguished Fellowships Office in CAPD: Kim Benard, assistant dean; Julia Mongo, Fulbright Program advisor; Ian Murray, program assistant.

In addition to individual award recipients for the Rhodes, Gates Cambridge, Churchill, and Knight-Hennessy scholarships, MIT had multiple student winners for many other prestigious fellowships. Five students– the most from any American institution of higher education– won Marshall Fellowships, which fund graduate education at any university in the UK. Two students were named Schwarzman Scholars and will participate in leadership training at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Two MIT alumnae and three doctoral students received Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships, which fund graduate education for immigrants and children of immigrants. And, in a record-setting year, 14 undergraduate and graduate students were recently awarded Fulbright fellowships to pursue research and teaching opportunities in countries around the world; 11 students have decided to accept their awards.

However, the success of these students—and all those who apply for these highly competitive fellowships—does not lie in the final results alone. Students who participate in the distinguished fellowships process report that they gain important professional development skills in self-reflection, communication, confidence, and articulation of their personal goals, values, and accomplishments.

While the national deadlines for these fellowships are in the fall, the advising and internal endorsement process begins in the spring. If you know of students who might be interested in learning more, please have them contact fellowships@mit.edu.

Julia Mongo, Career Advising & Professional Development