Four exceptional Indian-American students have been chosen as part of the Rhodes Scholars Class of 2024 at the University of Oxford.
Selected from a competitive pool of 840 applicants from 70 countries, Mrinalini S Wadhwa, Suhaas Bhat, Nayantara K Arora, and Aishani Aatresh are among the 32 scholars who will embark on their graduate studies in October 2024.
- Mrinalini S Wadhwa: Hailing from New York City and currently a senior at Columbia University majoring in History and Mathematics, Wadhwa co-founded a program offering a three-year English curriculum for low-income Indian students in New Delhi. At Oxford, she will pursue an M Phil in Modern European History.
- Suhaas Bhat: From Wisconsin, Bhat is a senior at Harvard University majoring in Social Studies and Physics. He co-founded an organization at Harvard that provides peer-facilitated group psychotherapy to students. Bhat will pursue an M Sc in Mathematical Modeling and Scientific Computing, as well as an M Sc in International Health and Tropical Medicine.
- Nayantara K Arora: Arora, from Portland, is a senior at the University of Oregon, Clark Honors College, majoring in Neuroscience with minors in Global Health and Chemistry. Involved in research on global health biomarkers in Tunisia and the relationship between the vasculature and Alzheimer’s disease, Arora will pursue an M Sc in Modelling for Global Health and M Sc in International Health and Tropical Medicine at Oxford.
- Aishani Aatresh: Aatresh, from California, is a senior at Harvard College majoring in complex biosocial systems. During the global pandemic, she worked with the New York City health and hospital system emergency response and then undertook studies to understand the dynamics of Covid-19 with the global Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Aatresh plans to complete an M Phil degree in Nature, Society, and Environmental Governance at Oxford.
The Rhodes Scholarship, awarded by the University of Oxford since 1903, is a prestigious fully funded graduate fellowship. This year’s class of 32 students is marked by a strong presence from Harvard University, with nine of its graduates receiving the award. The scholarship covers two or more years of study at Oxford, with an average value of about $75,000 per year, potentially reaching up to $250,000 for scholars who remain at the university for four years in certain departments.
(With Agency Inputs)
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