Three UF students selected for regional interviews for prestigious scholarships to United Kingdom

November 2, 2005

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Three of the University of Florida’s nominees for Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships have been invited to interview at the district level. Interviews are being held Nov. 8 for the Marshall and Nov. 18-19 for the Rhodes.

Those finalists are: Josh Gellers, a senior double-majoring in political science and geography (Marshall); Sarah Lowe, a senior double-majoring in Spanish and political science (Rhodes); and Justin Zumsteg, a senior double-majoring in physics and astronomy (Rhodes). All of the nominees are seeking graduate degrees in the United Kingdom from these scholarship opportunities. Specifically, Gellers intends to seek a M.A. in space, place, and politics at the University of Wales; Lowe plans to earn a Master of Philosophy in international relations at Oxford; and Zumsteg intends to earn a Master of Philosophy in medical anthropology at Oxford.

According to awards adviser Barbara Barletta, being selected for the interview is an honor in itself as the process is extremely competitive. To be nominated from the University of Florida, applicants must provide a proposal of a program of study, several letters of recommendation, and be selected by the UF nominations committee after a lengthy interview.

The oldest international fellowship, the Rhodes Scholarship brings outstanding students from around the world to the University of Oxford. The Marshall Scholarship provides two years of study at any university in the United Kingdom, and students must propose a specific academic program at a particular university. In 1999, Newman Nahas won a Rhodes Scholarship from the University of Florida.