Kelcie Ralph
US University: University of Alaska - Anchorage
Kelcie
Ralph of the University of Alaska Anchorage will graduate in May 2009
with a degree in economics. Kelcie served as a Resident Advisor, a
member of the Chancellor's Council for Sustainability and a Senator in
the Union of Students. Her research background includes economic
valuation studies at the Institute of Social and Economic Research,
Carbon Baseline studies for the University and the Municipality of
Anchorage and an experimental investigation of inequality and property
rights at the UAA Experimental Economics Lab. She enjoys backcountry
skiing, climbing and backpacking. Kelcie will pursue a MSc in City
Design and Social Science at the London School of Economics.
Sheela Ramesh
US University: Carnegie Mellon University
Sheela
Ramesh will graduate from Carnegie Mellon with a BFA in Vocal
Performance and a BS in Psychology. Sheela has performed in university
and professional operas, while studying with music legends Mildred
Miller-Posvar and Robert Page. Sheela is also an avid pianist and has
studied Indian classical music/dance extensively. Additionally, she
undertook psychological research in four laboratories at Carnegie
Mellon and Yale, and is completing her Honors Thesis in cognitive
development. As a Marshall Scholar, Sheela will pursue vocal/operatic
studies. She hopes to apply her diverse influences toward creating
operas that are engaging to non-traditional audiences.
David Reshef
US University: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
David
studied computer science and biology at MIT. He grew up in Israel and
Kenya and has continued to show his interest in international health
through his work in communities in India, Zambia, and Peru. At MIT, he
co-founded the Global Poverty Initiative, an organization that aims to
inform and engage students about global poverty and health issues, and
was a varsity baseball and track and field athlete. Additionally, he
created a software application to analyze and track the spread of
disease, which is currently being used by the CDC, the Clinton
Foundation, and the Harvard University School of Public Health. David
hopes to work at the interface between computer science and
epidemiology, applying cutting edge computational techniques to study
the emergence and progression of infectious diseases. David will be
pursuing a DPhil in statistics at Oxford University.
Daniel Roberts
US University: Duke University
Dan
will graduate from Duke University with a double major in Physics and
Electrical & Computer Engineering. A Goldwater Scholar and Duke
Faculty Scholar, Dan conducted research under Professor Smith in the
emerging field of transformation optics, in which coordinate
transformations are used to create unconventional electromagnetic
devices such as invisibility cloaks. Dan is also a serial entrepreneur,
with two start-ups to his credit. Recently, he co-founded SkillsTM.com.
At the University of Cambridge, Dan will pursue a Certificate of
Advanced Study in Mathematics. In his second year, Dan will conduct
research at Imperial College, London, under Sir John Pendry.
Nathaniel Sharpe
US University: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Nate
Sharpe, of Canton, Massachusetts, will graduate from MIT in June 2009
with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He plans to pursue an MPhil in
Engineering for Sustainable Development at Cambridge University, and is
excited about making the world a better place through engineering. At
MIT he was a pole vaulter on the varsity track team and captained both
the indoor and outdoor track teams as a senior. He is a world renowned
juggler and performer, having won medals and awards at various
international festivals and competitions.
John Sheffield
US University: Harvard University
John
Sheffield, of Fayetteville, NC, will graduate from Harvard University
in Social Studies. His research focuses on violence and public security
in the developing world. As an advocate with the Argentine League for
the Rights of Man, he published several reports documenting police
brutality and public accountability mechanisms in Argentina's
shantytowns. John spent seven months in the urban slums of Buenos
Aires, Argentina and Medellín, Colombia for a senior thesis and related
publications on police violence in Latin American cities. He is also
co-authoring a statistical method for improving causal inferences on
time-series data, with applications to empirical research in
international relations. John will read for masters' degrees in Applied
Statistics and Politics at Oxford.
Michael Shih
US University: Princeton University
Michael
Shih, a Houston resident, will graduate from Princeton University's
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in June 2009.
His interest in policymaking has led him to intern with the House
Oversight Committee and New Jersey's Department of Children and
Families. On campus, he teaches academic writing and launched a program
that recruits undergraduates to serve as English tutors for adults in
the community. He is also an experienced debater and has ranked among
America's top ten teams for two consecutive years. In the UK, Michael
will study International Relations at Cambridge and Modern Chinese
Studies at Oxford.
Douglas Stanford
US University: Stanford University
In
June, Douglas will graduate with physics and mathematics degrees from
Stanford. He is obsessed with physics, particularly the intersection of
string theory and cosmology, which he will continue to study during his
time at Cambridge's Part III, and subsequent research. A current
resident of Anacortes, Washington, Douglas spent five of his
pre-college years sailing around the world with his family. Aside from
physics, Douglas enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, piano and low-quality
chess.
