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Byrne Awarded Rhodes Scholarship

Ragon Institute undergraduate Elizabeth Hockfield Byrne is one of 32 American men and women chosen as Rhodes Scholars this year.

 

The Rhodes Scholarship, created in 1903 by the will of British philanthropist Cecil Rhodes, is the oldest and most prestigious international graduate scholarship program in the world.  Each year, a class of 83 students from around the world are selected based on outstanding intellect, character, leadership, and commitment to service.   The scholarships cover all costs for two or three years of study at Oxford University.

 

Rhodes Scholarships attract hundreds of top students every year.  This year’s winners were selected from 857 applicants endorsed by 327 different colleges and universities.  Elizabeth is one of six Harvard students selected.

 

Elizabeth is currently an undergraduate student in the lab of Dr. Douglas Kwon.

 

Said Dr. Kwon, “Without a doubt Elizabeth is an academic super star, but beyond that, she is enormously compassionate and truly believes in the ability of science to improve people’s lives. When we traveled to South Africa together earlier this year, I saw first hand how personal the HIV epidemic is to her. She is incredibly empathetic and feels a real sense of urgency when it comes to trying to combat HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. She is one of the most promising students I have worked with and I look forward to seeing all the wonderful contributions she will make in her very bright future.”

 

Read interviews with Elizabeth and other Harvard awardees at the Boston Globe.  And t o see a complete list of the 2014 Rhodes Scholars and read the winners’ bios, visit the Rhodes Scholars  homepage.