The University of Utah is proud to announce the school's 2024 recipients, finalists, semi-finalists and alternates for nationally prestigious scholarships.
This year, the list includes the Critical Language Scholarship, Fulbright Scholarship, Goldwater Scholarship, Truman Scholarship, Rhodes Scholarship and many others. Many of these scholarships include an opportunity to study abroad, while others help students fill critical needs, including public service and leadership training, research development and language acquisition.
These results showcase the hard work U students have done to demonstrate exceptional scholarship, preparation and dedication to making the world a better place. This year's recipients represent multiple schools and colleges, including the College of Education, College of Humanities, College of Science, College of Social and Behavioral Science, David Eccles School of Business, John and Marcia Price College of Engineering and the Honors College.
Students with an asterisk (*) next to their name are Honors College students.
List of Scholarships
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) supports eight to 10 weeks of intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences for undergraduate and graduate students. Programs take place in countries where languages essential to America's national security and economic prosperity are spoken. The CLS is funded by the U.S. Department of State.
Recipients:
- Erin Hardy,* Russian (College of Humanities)
- Kailey Clay, Mandarin (College of Humanities)
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Spark supports eight-week virtual language programs in Arabic, Chinese and Russian for undergraduate and graduate students. The online classes are facilitated by native speakers at a CLS partner institution abroad. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State.
Alternate:
- Adam Cook,* Mandarin (College of Humanities)
The DAAD supports postgraduate study, research or learning German in Germany. The program is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.
Semi-finalist:
- Moses Samuelson-Lynn,* math and German (College of Science; College of Humanities)
DAAD Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE) supports summer research internships in Germany for undergraduate students. Students are matched with doctoral students and researchers at German institutions, who serve as their mentors. The program is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.
Recipients:
- Zoe Exelbert, data science (John and Marcia Price College of Engineering)
- Alexandra Glatz, chemistry (College of Science)
- Allie Richards, mechanical engineering (John and Marcia Price College of Engineering)
DAAD Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE) Professional offers summer research internships in Germany to master’s and Ph.D. students at companies and non-university research institutions with strong relations to industry. Funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.
Recipients:
- Samantha Nestel,* Biology (College of Science)
- Moses Samuelson-Lynn,* Math and German (College of Science; College of Humanities)
The Foreign Language and Area Studies Scholarship (FLAS) supports graduate and undergraduate students studying underrepresented languages during an academic year or a summer fellowship. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. At the University of Utah, FLAS is administered by International & Area Studies in the College of Humanities, although ONCS assists and supports students as needed. The FLAS-supported languages are listed after the student’s name below.
Summer 2023
Graduate:
- Jasmine Abang, Nahuatl
- Robert Coronado, Nahuatl
- Javier Hernandez, Nahuatl
- Nathan Hunsaker, Quechua
- Giacomo Liggera, Chinese
- Angel Najera, Nahuatl
- Risa Puleo, Nahuatl
- Rebecca Smith, Nahuatl
- Edwin Torres, Nahuatl
- Bailey Warren, Portuguese
Undergraduate:
- Adam Cook,* Arabic
- Anna Fairbanks, Japanese
- Isabella Grow, Korean
- Erin Hardy,* Persian
- Calvin Huggins,* Arabic
- Travis Martinez,* Portuguese
- Julie Moyano, Arabic
- Andy Nieto, Japanese
Academic Year 2023-24
Graduate:
- Jasmine Abang, Nahuatl
- Enzo Krensky-Hart, Chinese
- Nathan Hunsaker, Quechua
- Anna Hunt, Korean
- Garrett Jensen, Samoan
- Giacomo Liggera, Chinese
- Bailey Warren, Portuguese
- Anne Whitehouse, Korean
Undergraduate:
- Emma Blake, Korean
- Britta Catmull,* Chinese
- Cindy Diaz Rey, Quechua
- Isabella Grow, Korean
- Nate Hooper,* Portuguese
- Nena Ibanez, Portuguese
- Adam Jaskuloski, Vietnamese
- Abigail Johnston, Korean
- Isaac Kendell,* Russian
- Kate Kendall,* Japanese
- Nick Manwaring, Portuguese
- Julie Moyano, Arabic
- Hanna Pence, Russian
- Siena Popiel,* Chinese
- Jade Ramirez-Barraza, Arabic
- Casey Schrader, Russian
- Bryant Swindle, Portuguese
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program supports one year of graduate study, research, or an English Teaching Assistantship in over 140 countries for graduating college seniors, graduate students and young professionals from all academic disciplines. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State.
Recipients:
- Moses Samuelson-Lynn* (B.S. in Math, B.A. in German, spring 2024) will research “A New Set of Efficient Initial Variables for Cluster Algebras of Finite Mutation Type” at the Max Plank Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences in Leipzig, Germany (College of Science; College of Humanities)
- Alyssa Lee* (B.A. in Elementary Education, spring 2023) will serve as an English Teaching Assistant in Taiwan (College of Education)
- Zachery Thiede (B.A. in Latin and German, spring 2024) will serve as an English Teaching Assistant in Germany (College of Humanities)
- Catherine Warner* (B.S. in Math, spring 2019; Ph.D. in Math, spring 2025) will research “Semiduality Groups: An Analog of Duality Groups” at the University of Sannio in Benevento, Italy (College of Science)
Alternate:
- Lauren Lengel (B.S. in Information Systems and Accounting, spring 2024) aims to serve as an English Teaching Assistant in South Korea (David Eccles School of Business)
Semi-finalists:
- Arza Helm (B.S. in Economics and Political Science, B.A. in International Relations, spring 2024) applied to pursue a dual master’s degree program in international governance and diplomacy at the Paris School of International Affairs in France and Peking University in China (College of Social & Behavioral Science; College of Humanities)
- Soren Indergard (B.A. in History, spring 2024) applied to enter a master’s degree program at Cheng Kung University in Taiwan to study the history of Dutch and Chinese efforts to colonize Taiwan (College of Humanities)
- Marina Gerton* (B.S. in Biology and Chemistry, December 2023) applied to undertake a research project at the University of Costa Rica that focused on“The Habitat Use and Niche Partitioning of Economically Important Species in Santa Elena Bay” (College of Science)
- John Shackelford* (B.S. in Operations and Supply Chain Management, spring 2021) applied to serve as an English Teaching Assistant/Debate Coach in Taiwan (David Eccles School of Business)
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship supports postgraduate degree programs in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. The program is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Finalist:
- Dua Bint-E-Ahzar,* physics (College of Science)
The Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship supports U.S. undergraduate students for study or internships abroad. Applicants who are studying a critical need language while abroad can apply for a supplemental language award. This scholarship is funded by the U.S. Department of State.
Recipients:
- Bryan Muriel, business economics and analytics, will study in South Korea (David Eccles School of Business)
- Rejoice Potja, communication, will study in South Korea (College of Humanities)
Additional results pending for Spring 2024 Semester applicants.
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship supports one to two years of study for undergraduate sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering. This program is funded by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation in partnership with the Department of Defense National Defense Education Programs (NDEP). Read more about the U's 2024 recipients here.
Recipients:
- Nathan Patchen,* biology (College of Science)
- Muskan Walia,* math and philosophy of science (College of Science; College of Humanities)
The Knight-Hennessey Scholarship funds up to three years of post-graduate education at Stanford University and includes leadership training with a multidisciplinary cohort. Funded by Phil and Penny Knight and additional benefactors.
Recipient:
Andrea Daniela Jimenez Flores, who majored in communication, political science, and sociology, aims to pursue a juris doctorate at Stanford Law School (College of Humanities; College of Social and Behavioral Science)
Learn more about Jimenez Flores here.
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) provides up to three years of support for graduate students pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields at any university in the United States. This program is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation. At the University of Utah, NSF GRFP is administered by the Graduate School, although the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships provides assistance and support to students as needed.
Recipients:
- Noah Armstrong, biology (College of Science)
- Maxwell Austin, chemistry (College of Science)
- Bryan Banuelos Jara, chemistry (College of Science)
- Paul Cardon, materials research (John and Marcia Price College of Engineering)
- Shane Denherder, psychology (College of Social & Behavioral Science)
- Daniel Feldman, biomedical engineering (John and Marcia Price College of Engineering)
- Shelby Lynn Galinat,* materials research (John and Marcia Price College of Engineering)
- Ethan Robert Gallup, industrial engineering (John and Marcia Price College of Engineering)
- Nathan Hansen, computer engineering (John and Marcia Price College of Engineering)
- Michael Alessandro Keyser, electrical engineering (John and Marcia Price College of Engineering)
- Kisel Lusted,* geosciences (College of Science)
- Anisha Marion, psychology (College of Social & Behavioral Science)
- Margaret McCracken, psychology (College of Social & Behavioral Science)
- Carl Ty Mellor, bioengineering (John and Marcia Price College of Engineering)
- Kail Pruyn, mechanical engineering (John and Marcia Price College of Engineering)
- Nathan Searle, chemical engineering (John and Marcia Price College of Engineering)
- Tata Serebryany,* chemical engineering (John and Marcia Price College of Engineering)
- Ella Spurlock,* Chemistry (College of Science)
- Caden Stewart,* machine learning (John and Marcia Price College of Engineering)
- Brooklyn Vargas, biomedical engineering (John and Marcia Price College of Engineering)
- Sarah Jane Woods, psychology (College of Social & Behavioral Science)
- Dara Uriel Zwemer, psychology (College of Social & Behavioral Science)
Honorable mention:
- Jasper Bradford, physics and astronomy (College of Science)
- Matthew Gordon, economics (College of Social & Behavioral Science)
- Emma Hale, chemistry (College of Science)
- Min Htet Kyaw, chemistry (College of Science)
- Connor Mattson, robotics (John and Marcia Price College of Engineering)
- Shaun McKellar, electrical engineering (John and Marcia Price College of Engineering)
- Alicia Catherine Walker, life sciences (College of Science)
- Tobin Makaya Wainer,* physics and astronomy (College of Science)
The Rhodes Scholarship supports a two-year master’s degree or two one-year master’s degrees in any field at the University of Oxford. The program is funded by the Rhodes Trust. Learn more about Eliza Diggins and the Rhodes Scholarship here.
Finalist:
- Eliza Diggins,* physics and applied math (College of Science)
The Harry S. Truman Scholarship supports three years of postgraduate study at any U.S. university in any field leading to a career in public service. Funded by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. At the University of Utah, The Truman Scholarship is administered by the Hinckley Institute of Politics, and the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships provides assistance and support to students as needed.
Finalist:
- Aarushi Verma,* philosophy and business economics and analytics (College of Humanities; David Eccles School of Business)
Established in 2020 to centralize nationally competitive scholarship management on campus, the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships (ONCS) helps students navigate complex application processes. The office advises on scholarship eligibility, assists in developing materials, organizes endorsement commitments, arranges practice interviews, acts as a liaison between students and their recommenders and interfaces with scholarship programs worldwide. While ONCS is housed in the Honors College, we assist students from all campus areas.
ONCS and the students served benefit from the generosity of many entities and individuals. The office members thank administrators who fund and support them; faculty who cultivate talent in classrooms and labs, write letters of recommendation and serve on the endorsement committees; and staff members and community partners who help students understand the impact of their volunteer and leadership commitments.
ONCS staff members include Director Ginger Smoak, Associate Director Alison Shimko and Program Managers Jeff Badger, Susan Anderson and Anna Chuaqui. To learn more about ONCS, including upcoming scholarship opportunities and deadlines, see nationallycompetitivescholarships.utah.edu.