Scholar names Q-Z
Ebony Spikes
US University: Louisiana State University
Ebony Spikes, an Honors
Student in Biochemistry at Louisiana State University aspires to play a major
role in the health policies of the nation. Having conducted research "equal to
that of a graduate student", she has been invited to conduct research at some
of the nation's leading institutions - Harvard, John Hopkins, Yale, Columbia,
etc, and has also been named a 2001 Barry M Goldwater Scholar. Additionally,
Ebony shows an extreme dedication, stemming from strong religious convictions,
to assisting those with serious medical and emotional needs from all
socioeconomic classes. Her first hand interaction with mindsets that lead to
other adverse health problems has made her increasingly concerned with
understanding the connection between the mind and body. To gain a better
understanding of this issue, she will read for a Bachelor of Arts in
Psychology-Philosophy-Physiology.
Yong Suh
US University: State University of West Georgia
Yong is a 20-year-old college graduate and winner of more than 20 merit
scholarships including the National Merit Scholarship, Goldwater
Scholarship, and MSTP Scholarship (MD/PhD). He is currently
researching the genetics of Type II diabetes in the lab of Dr Francis
Collins, Director of the Human Genome Project at NIH. In his free time Yong
enjoys sailing, tennis, skiing and fishing, he also holds a 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
Yong's Marshall award will take him to the University of Oxford
where he will study for a MSc by research in Pharmacology (specifically neuropharmacology).
Jack Tannous
US University: University of Texas
Jack Tannous, from Houston, attends the University of Texas at Austin where
he majors in Philosophy, Arabic, Middle Eastern Studies, and History.
Fascinated with languages and cultures, he is fluent in Spanish and Arabic
and has studied French, Tajiki and Hebrew. He is especially enthralled with
the Middle East and spent time in Turkey and Egypt last summer. He hopes to
read for an MPhil in Eastern Christian Studies at Oxford and then pursue a
PhD in history, focusing on the fate of Middle Eastern Christian communities
under Islamic rule.
Carrie Theisen
US University: University of Pittsburgh
As a year-long
exchange student in Germany, Carrie became interested in issues concerning
thought and language. At the University of Pittsburgh, she pursues these
interests from the different perspectives of four full majors in Linguistics,
Cognitive Psychology, Philosophy and German. Carrie plans on a PhD in
Cognitive Science and will attend the University of Edinburgh to study one
more component of that: Artificial Intelligence.
Charles Trickey
US University: United States Air Force Academy
Charles is
from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is currently in his final year as a cadet
at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, where he majors in
Aeronautical Engineering. He is an Instructor Pilot and is ranked
first in overall merit order for the Class of 2002, based on academic,
military and athletic performance. Upon graduation he will become a
2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force and plans to continue his pilot
training after studying Aerospace Dynamics at Cranfield University
in England. On his return, he will fly high performance aircraft for
the US Air Force. Charles is a member of Tau Beta Pi (the second oldest
Honor Society and the only engineering society to represent the entire
profession) and Sigma Gamma Tau, the National Aerospace Honor Society.
Marisa Van Saanan
US University: Wellesley College
Marisa Van Saanen is interested in the causes
and
character of economic poverty in the developing
world and in rich, industrial countries, and the various
mechanisms in place for alleviating that poverty.
Through work as a researcher and professor and then
a policy maker in the US federal government, Marisa
plans to promote and participate in the eradication
of economic poverty within our lifetimes through
coalition building amongst governments,
non-governmental organisations and advocacy groups,
and the private sector. Marisa graduated from
Wellesley College with a double major in Peace and
Justice Studies and Political Science. She was
President of College Government and is now the
youngest member of the College's Board of Trustees.
She is a Truman Scholar and is currently researching
the efficacy of faith-based social movements in
addressing poverty in India and Sri Lanka.
Claudia Veritas
US University: Wellesley College
A native of Goffstown, New Hampshire, Claudia Veritas attended high
school at Phillips Exeter Academy and matriculated at Saint Anselm College.
She transferred to Wellesley College where she majors in Political Science.
She is Captain of the Varsity Lacrosse team and was named Conference Player
of the Year two years in a row. After completing her studies at Oxford
Claudia plans to become a Child Advocate and is "devoted to improving
children's lives on a global scale".
Krishanti Vignarajah
US University: Yale University
In four years at Yale, Krishanti
Vignarajah completed a Masters degree in Political Science and a BS in
Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, graduating magna cum laude
and Phi Beta Kappa. Born in Sri Lanka, Krishanti is especially interested in
development policy and international affairs, and created a health volunteer
organization-Yale HOPES (Healthcare Opportunities Providing Experience and
Service)-connecting undergraduates with service opportunities in New Haven.
As captain of Yale's junior varsity tennis team, she also helped found First
Serve, a free tennis clinic for inner city youth. Krishanti was vice-president
of the Yale Debate and Mock Trial Associations and executive editor of the Yale
Journal of Ethics. During her summers, she volunteered and conducted research
in Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Mexico-and is currently working with
an NGO in rural India.
Kenneth Wainwright
US University: United States Military Academy
Kenneth Wainwright, Jr,
attends USMA West Point and has won a number
of awards for academic excellence. His hometown is Burbank, CA. He
wants to do an MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oxford,
and foresees a military career specialising in the Middle East and
including eventually teaching at West Point. With proven leadership
experience at West Point, where he ranked in the top five of the
Academy's more then 1,000 cadets in 2002, he is a versatile person
whose interests include music, learning Arabic and mentoring
disadvantaged boy scouts. His GPA of 4.05 is described by the Dean of
the Academic Board at West Point as "near-perfect". In summer 2001,
he travelled to Uganda to help build a medical clinic, and, on his
return, spearheaded a drive to collect textbooks to send there.
