Two UA Students Receive Rhodes And Marshall Scholarships

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - University of Arkansas senior Anna Terry of Ft. Smith was awarded one of 32 Rhodes Scholarships for graduate study at Oxford University in England next year, while 2000 UA graduate Megan Ceronsky of Arden Hills, Minn. captured one of the 40 British Marshall Scholarships.

"That two of our students, Anna Terry and Megan Ceronsky, would win the Rhodes and the Marshall scholarships, respectively, in the same year will come as no surprise to those who have worked with them here at Arkansas," said Sidney Burris, university representative for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships and director of Fulbright honors program at the U of A. "They are certainly two of the most talented individuals that I have encountered at this University. It is certainly time that our students receive the national recognition that those within the state have long known that they deserved."

Randall Woods, dean of the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, agrees.

"I cannot imagine a more exciting way for the University of Arkansas to begin the new millennium than by laying claim to this country's two most prestigious and competitive post-graduate scholarships," he said. "Anna and Megan have propelled this University forward into the 21st century with an impressive show of poise, intelligence, and intellectual vision."

Terry, a Sturgis Fellow majoring in biochemistry, German, and European Studies, becomes the ninth UA recipient of the prestigious award and the first UA student since 1985.

"We could not be happier for Anna. We have known that she was special since 1996 when she arrived on campus with a stellar high school record and perfect ACT/SAT scores," UA Chancellor John A. White said. "But numbers don't begin to tell the Anna Terry story. I have never before attended a violin recital only to realize that the featured soloist was a biochemistry major! Last year Anna studied the impact of disease in medieval Germany, utilizing her fluency in German to study primary documents in archives in Munich. Oxford will soon be as proud of her as we are."

Ceronsky, nominated by chancellor White, will receive approximately $50,000 for study in England.

"Nominating Megan Ceronsky was a great pleasure," Chancellor White said. "She has a flawless academic record, and an energetic and enthusiastic approach to everything she does. She was awarded a Truman Scholarship her junior year because of her outstanding scholastic record, her writing abilities, her competence in interview situations, and her commitment to serving the public good, and she was also a Rhodes Finalist."

Terry, who has been awarded a Barry Goldwater Scholarship for outstanding achievement in science and who was recognized by the USA Today All-College Academic Team, praised the University for its role in her success.

"I had so much support during my entire career and especially for these scholarship competitions," Terry said. "Eight faculty members wrote extensive letters of recommendation for me and offered valuable advice. I attended weekly meetings with various faculty members to discuss a wide range of political topics and gained much needed practice in mock interviews and even a mock cocktail party held for this and other scholarships."

Terry said that every bit of preparation was more than worth it. She said the students she met at Little Rock for the state competition and at Atlanta for the final competition were very impressive. The questions covered a variety of topics and they came rapid succession, ranging from Thomas More to Thomas Jefferson from prions to contemporary German novelists.

Seven of the eight-committee members at Atlanta were Rhodes Scholars. Members included Bo Jones (President of the Washington Post), Billy Payne (Chair of the Atlanta Olympic Committee), Robert McCallum (attorney with Alton and Bird), Rebecca Gray (Director of the Center for Clinical Health Policy Research at Vanderbilt), Richard Joseph (Professor of Political Science at Emory), John Board (Professor of Electrical Engineering at Duke), Lynn Enterline (Professor of English at Vanderbilt), George Keys (law partner at Jordan, Keys, Jessamy, and Botts in Washington, D.C.)

The Rhodes Scholars were chosen on Sunday from 950 applicants who were endorsed by 327 colleges and universities in a nationwide competition. Rhodes Scholarships provide two or three years of study at the University of Oxford in England. The Rhodes Scholarships, oldest of the international study awards available to American students, were created in 1902 by the Will of Cecil Rhodes, British philanthropist and colonial pioneer.

Ceronsky came to the University of Arkansas in 1996, having been awarded the Sturgis Fellowship. She was an Honors Scholar, majoring in International Relations, and graduated last spring summa cum laude. She received a long list of awards both on the campus and in the national arena. Her junior year she was selected as a Truman Scholar, receiving $30,000 for graduate study for outstanding students interested in public service.

She plans to use the Marshall to study in the Human Sciences program at Oxford which was created to train students in both the natural and the social sciences. Courses range from behavioral ecology, human genetics and cognitive studies to developmental psychology, social anthropology and urban geography.

Ceronsky said she is thrilled at this hoped for but unexpected honor, and she also credits the university for her being chosen.

"I am extremely honored and excited to be awarded this scholarship," she said. "I have a great deal of respect for the ideals expressed by the Marshall Scholarship, and for the type of people they select. It is very humbling to join their company."

Ceronsky credits the university with the support she needed in achieving the great honor of being selected.

"By far the most significant part of the process, for me, is the incredible support I have received from professors and staff at the U of A," Ceronsky said. "They have always challenged me to push my limits as an individual and as a scholar. I consider myself lucky to have attended an institution that allowed me to work closely with such remarkable people. Their belief in my abilities is a greater honor than any scholarship."

According to chancellor White, The Truman Foundation was so impressed with Ceronsky they chose her to do the mock Truman interview at a faculty representative training conference (Marshall and Truman Scholarship Conference: Breaking the Code) held at the U of A last summer.

"She handled herself adeptly in front of 160 faculty members from across the country," Chancellor White said. "Applying for the Marshall Scholarship was the obvious next step for her. They could not have made a better choice."

Rhodes Scholars are chosen in a three-stage process. First, candidates must be endorsed by their college or university. Committees of Selection in each of the 50 states then nominate candidates who are interviewed by District Selection Committees in eight regions of the United States.

Applicants are chosen on the basis of the criteria set down in the Will of Cecil Rhodes. These criteria are high academic achievement, integrity of character, a spirit of unselfishness, respect for others, potential for leadership and physical vigor. These basic characteristics are directed at fulfilling Mr. Rhodes's hopes that the Rhodes Scholars would make an effective and positive contribution throughout the world. As he wrote, Rhodes Scholars should "esteem the performance of public duties as their highest aim."

Candidates may apply either in the state where they legally reside or where they have attended college for at least two years. Ninety-five applicants from 74 colleges and universities reached the final stage of the competition. The 32 winners represent 28 different endorsing institutions, the broadest range in the 98-year history of the U. S. Rhodes Scholarships.

The Marshall Scholarships were established in 1953 as a British gesture of thanks to the people of the United States for the assistance received after the Second World War under the Marshall Plan. Financed by the British Government, the Scholarships provide an opportunity for American students, who have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership potential, to continue their studies for two or three years at a British University. Twenty-eight universities and U.S. colleges are represented in this year's list of Scholars.

Long regarded as one of the highest undergraduate accolades, the Marshall Scholarships cover each scholar's tuition costs, books, travel and living expenses while in the United Kingdom. Over a thousand young Americans have been awarded a Marshall Scholarship since the program began in 1953.

Prominent former Marshall scholars include U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Stephen Breyer; U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt; New York Times foreign affairs columnist, Tom Friedman; and scientist/inventor, Ray Dolby.

Ceronsky is the fifth University of Arkansas student to receive the Marshall Scholarship, according to Suzanne McCray, Director of the Office of Post-Graduate Fellowships. Previous recipients include John Edie (History, 1960), Lisa Pruitt (Journalism, 1989), Charles King (History, 1990) and Warwick Sabin (Political Science, 1998. Charles King (Springdale) received a Ph.D. from Oxford where he was granted tenure. He returned to the United States to accept an endowed chair at Georgetown University.

-30-