Columbia College celebrates the many accomplished students who received honors in the 2023–24 academic year. Congratulations to all on their impressive achievements!
Barry Scholarship
Two Columbia College alumni have been awarded the John and Daria Barry Scholarship, an annual academic prize bestowed upon those who display admirable dedication to an academic vocation and the pursuit of truth.
Gabrielle Epuran CC’24, who studied classics, will read the M.S.T. in Greek and Latin languages and literature at the University of Oxford. Karolina Nixon CC’23, who studied philosophy and economics, will read the B.Phil. in philosophy at Somerville College, University of Oxford.
Beinecke Scholarship
Asher Baron CC’25 has been awarded the Beinecke Scholarship, established in 1971 by The Sperry and Hutchinson Co. to provide graduate education for undergraduates who display exceptional promise within their field.
Baron, a sociology major with a concentration in public health from Evanston, Ill., is interested in understanding identity formation as an inherently social process in addition to the interplay among individuals, institutions and identity categories.
Goldwater Scholarship
Two Columbia College students and three Columbia Engineering students were awarded the Goldwater Scholarship, the preeminent undergraduate award in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.
Zachary Lihn CC’25, a mathematics major from Piscataway, N.J., plans to pursue a research career and obtain a Ph.D. in mathematics. Neha Mani CC’25, a biochemistry major with a concentration in linguistics from the Bronx, N.Y., will pursue an M.D./Ph.D. and combine her research with clinical practice.
Pablo Buitrago SEAS’25, a chemical engineering major and economics minor from Bogotá, Colombia, researches sustainable solutions to more efficient energy storage. Will Specht SEAS’25, a biomedical engineering major from Wellesley Hills, Mass., researches immunology and computational biology. Clara Victorio SEAS’25, a Houston native who studies chemical engineering and mathematics, works on projects focused on protein engineering and hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in chemical engineering.
Hays-Brandeis Traveling Fellowship
Sonia Rosa Kahn CC’23 has been named a 2024–25 Mortimer Hays-Brandeis Traveling Fellow. Kahn, who double-majored in visual art and art history, will travel to Riga, Latvia, this fall to shoot a documentary reflecting on the USSR’s occupation of Latvia using experimental analog methods alongside historical footage from local archives. This project will focus on cultural censorship and the subculture of avant-garde filmmaking.
The Mortimer Hays-Brandeis Traveling Fellowship provides support to graduating seniors and recent graduates in the visual and fine arts for travel and living expenses to pursue independent, yearlong projects outside the United States.
Knight-Hennessy Scholarships
Two alumni — one from Columbia College and one from Columbia Engineering — have been named 2024 Knight-Hennessy Scholars, recognized for their independence of thought, purposeful leadership and civic mindset. They will continue their studies at Stanford.
Coleman Sherry CC’21, a history major from Portland, Ore., will pursue a J.D. at Stanford Law and hopes to work in government or public interest environmental law. Feven Naba SEAS’24, a physics and biomedical engineering major from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will pursue a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering with a focus on microfluidic diagnostic devices at Stanford School of Engineering.
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships were awarded to 33 Columbia undergraduates and alumni. The fellowships recognize and support outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions.
Truman Scholarship
Two Columbia College students have been named 2024 Truman Scholars. Established by Congress in 1975, the Truman Scholarship upholds the legacy of President Harry S. Truman by supporting and inspiring the next generation of public service leaders.
Alex Taylor CC’25, a political science major from Baton Rouge, La., intends to pursue a J.D. with a concentration in progressive prosecution. Wena Teng CC’25, a double major in race and ethnicity studies and history from Queens, N.Y., will pursue a J.D./M.P.P. with a focus on creating multilateral policies that reconcile the gaps in labor law that have historically excluded protections for migrant workers.
Udall Scholarship
Dylan Baca CC’25, a citizen of the Navajo Nation and White Mountain Apache Tribe from Pinetop, Ariz., plans to study political science and American studies as a 2024–25 Udall Scholar.
Established by Congress in 1992, the Udall Foundation awards scholarships, fellowships and internships for study in fields related to the environment and to Native Americans and Alaska Natives in fields related to health care and Tribal public policy.
Columbia College and Columbia Engineering students interested in learning more about scholarships and fellowships are encouraged to connect with Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.