The 2025 cohort of U.S. Rhodes Scholars has been selected. They will attend Oxford University next … [+]
The newest cohort of Rhodes Scholars from the United States was announced Saturday by Dr. Ramona L. Doyle, American Secretary of the Rhodes Trust.
This year’s 32 Rhodes Scholars will go to Oxford University in England in October 2025 to pursue graduate studies. They will be joined there by dozens of international scholars representing other counties. Several of those international scholars also attended American colleges and universities but are not U.S. citizens; they applied through their home country.
Shortly before Thanksgiving each year, the Rhodes Trust announces its newest set of Rhodes Scholars from the United States. The award, considered to be the most prestigious international scholarship for American college graduates, was established in 1903 through the final will and bequest of Cecil John Rhodes. The first class of scholars began its Oxford studies in 1904.
Almost 3,000 students began the application process this year. Of that group, 865 were ultimately endorsed by 243 different colleges and universities. Selection committees in 16 U.S. districts then invited 238 finalists to appear before them for interviews. All the districts interviewed 14 or more finalists.
The year’s class includes students from 20 different colleges and universities, including the first ever Rhodes Scholar from Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia and the first ever Scholar elected from Pepperdine University in California.
Harvard University led the list, with five U.S. Rhodes recipients. Four scholars were selected from the U.S. Military Academy this year, the most from West Point since 1959. Stanford University also had four U.S. scholars, followed by Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with two each.
The value of a Rhodes Scholarship depends on the academic field and the degree (bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral) a student chooses. The award includes payment of all Oxford tuition and fees, a stipend to cover necessary expenses while in residence in Oxford and during vacations, as well as transportation to and from England.
The total value of the Rhodes Scholarship averages about $75,000 per year and can reach up to as much as $250,000 for scholars who remain at Oxford for four years in certain departments.
The selection follows a two-stage process. First, candidates submit an application packet, which must include an endorsement by their home college or university. Then, the 16 selection committees interview those judged to be the strongest candidates and make the final choices.
The selection criteria emphasize:
- academic excellence;
- the energy to use one’s talents to the fullest;
- attributes such as truth, courage, kindness, and devotion to duty;
- and the moral force of character and instincts to lead.
In a release, Dr. Doyle said that a Rhodes Scholar should have “great ambition for social impact, and an uncommon ability to work with others to achieve one’s goals. They should be committed to make a strong difference for good in the world, be concerned for the welfare of others, and be acutely conscious of inequities.”
She added, “although the Trust strives for the most inclusive application pool possible through outreach and other efforts, consideration of balance or diversity are not factors in selection at either the national or district level in the U.S. A Rhodes Scholar should show great promise of leadership and character as well as an exceptionally strong commitment to service.”
Initially, scholarships were, consistent with Rhodes’ will, made only to male students, a restriction that remained in place until 1976. Since then, 675 American women have won a Rhodes scholarship
The scholarship has also come under fire because of Rhodes’ white supremacist views and the historical absence of Black recipients, an exclusion that did not begin to change until the latter half of the 1900s.
The 2025 Scholars
The complete list of Rhodes Scholars from the U.S. can be found here. As is typical, the 2025 class is a diverse group in terms of backgrounds, interests and activities. It includes amateur boxers; interns at the White House, ABC news, the United Nations, the Department of Energy, and the state department; an EMT; community volunteers; a bluegrass musician; a novelist; a powerlifter; a skydiver and the founders of various start-ups.
This class of U.S .Rhodes Scholars will pursue studies across the social sciences, humanities, and biological and physical sciences. For example:
Lena R. Ashooh designed and pursued Harvard’s first major in animal studies. A former 4H club member, she will study for her B.Phil. in political theory at Oxford.
Gabriella M. Sorrentino, is a senior at the United States Military Academy and a member of West Point’s boxing team. A philosophy and American history major, her research is highlighted in the forthcoming book, Henry O. Flipper, West Point’s First Black Graduate: An Annotated Autobiography. At Oxford, Sorrentino plans to pursue an M.Sc. in migration studies followed by a Master’s in public policy.
Aneesh C. Muppidi is a senior at Harvard University majoring in computer science and neuroscience. He served as the President of the Harvard Computational Neuroscience Undergraduate Society. At Oxford, he will pursue an M.Sc. in advanced computer science and a Master’s in public policy.
David C. Oluigbo is a senior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he majors in artificial intelligence and decision making. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and conducts research on applying artificial intelligence to complex medical problems and systemic healthcare challenges. At Oxford, he will pursue an M.Sc. in applied digital health followed by an M.Sc. in modelling for global health.
Angelin T. Mathew, a senior at Yale University, is a double major in humanities and molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. Her medical research, for which she has won international awards, focuses on palliative care and cancer treatment. She also launched a lip-care startup focused on the needs of chemotherapy patients. At Oxford, she will pursue an M.St. in the study of religions and an M.Sc. in medical anthropology.
Meredith G. M. Lehman is a senior at Eastern Mennonite University where she majors in biology and political science. Her research on drug delivery systems for anticancer drugs has been funded by the National Science Foundation. Meredith is president of the student government association at her university. She plans to complete an M.Phil. in international relations.
Katherine G. Ameku is a mathematics major at Coe College where her academic work has focused on computational material science, X-ray spectroscopy, and the numismatics of Japanese-American internment camps. Katherine also serves as the President of Coe College’s Physics Club and became the youngest elected official in the state of Missouri, serving on two Democratic committees. At Oxford, she will pursue a B.A. in philosophy, politics, and economics.
With the selections announced Saturday, 3674 Americans have now won Rhodes Scholarships, representing 329 colleges and universities. More than 2,000 American Rhodes Scholars are living in all parts of the U.S. and abroad.