In a significant announcement this past Sunday, 32 American students were awarded the prestigious 2026 Rhodes Scholarship. This cohort includes five students from U.S. military academies and three each from top universities such as Yale, Harvard, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
These scholars have dedicated their studies to important areas including housing solutions, health disparities, environmental sustainability, and programs facilitating prison reentry. Among them is Alice L. Hall, a student from Philadelphia studying engineering at MIT while also competing as a varsity basketball player and serving as student body president. Hall has previously partnered with a women’s collective in Ghana to develop sustainability tools.
Another notable recipient, Sydney E. Barta from Arlington, Virginia, is a Paralympian at Stanford University and heavily involved in bioengineering. Barta is also part of the university’s a cappella group “Counterpoint” and aims to delve into musculoskeletal sciences.
Anirvin Puttur, a senior at the U.S. Air Force Academy from Gilbert, Arizona, excels in aeronautical engineering and applied mathematics while serving as an instructor pilot and flight commander. Proficient in four languages, Puttur demonstrates a passion for linguistics alongside his academic pursuits.
As part of their scholarship, the winners will pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford, an institution that annually awards over 100 scholarships globally for graduate study opportunities.
The Rhodes Scholarship, founded in 1903 by the British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes, boasts a rich history with more than 8,000 alumni who have made substantial contributions in various fields, including government, the arts, education, and social justice.
