A number of students and alumni received outside scholarships and fellowships this past academic year.
Barry Scholarship
Madeline Wiseman CC’26 has been awarded the John & Daria Barry Scholarship, which supports graduate study at the University of Oxford. She studied biology at the College and conducted research on the brain at NYU. She will read for the M.Sc. in physiology, anatomy and genetics at St Cross College.
Examination Fellowship
Mrinalini Sisodia Wadhwa CC’24 has been named an Examination Fellow at All Souls College at Oxford, which provides seven years of full funding for graduate students in the humanities or social sciences. Wadhwa is an M.Phil. candidate studying intellectual history and researching the history of India.
Goldwater Scholarship
Three students have been awarded 2026 Goldwater Scholarships. The program supports students in STEM and encourages them to pursue research careers.
Tanmay Gupta CC’27 is studying physics and mathematics and is interested in nuclear energy research. Matthew Lee CC’27 is majoring in biochemistry and researches fruit fly genetics as a Rabi Scholar. Felix Liu CC’27 studies physics and mathematics and plans to pursue graduate study in condensed matter physics.
Hertz Fellowship
Matthew Werneken CC’25, SEAS’25 is a recipient of the 2026 Hertz Fellowship, which provides financial and professional support for promising STEM graduate students. He is studying at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian and is researching new ways to study galaxies from the ground and in space. Werneken majored in astrophysics and mechanical engineering as an undergraduate and was co-president of the Columbia Space Initiative.
James C. Gaither Junior Fellowship
For the first time, both Columbia students nominated for the James C. Gaither Junior Fellowship have been named as fellows. The cohort will work with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C., alongside senior researchers to find solutions to global issues.
Andrew Weaver CC’26 studied political science and Mandarin Chinese at the College and has an interest in foreign policy development. Theodore Zaritsky CC’26 majored in economics and political science and is committed to a career in public service.
Knight-Hennessy Scholarships
Two alumni have received a 2026 Knight-Hennessy Scholarship, which provides leadership development and financial support to pursue graduate study at Stanford. Julia Alexsandra Galiza Soares CC’23 studied neuroscience at the College and has conducted research for new treatments for personality and mood disorders. She is pursuing an M.D. at the Stanford School of Medicine.
Yingke Wang CC’23 majored in computer science and visual arts at the College and is working toward a Ph.D. in computer science at Stanford. She is interested in developing accessible robotic systems for individuals with physical disabilities and for creative tasks.
Mortimer Hays-Brandeis Traveling Fellowship
Watson Frank CC’25 has been named a 2026-27 Mortimer Hays-Brandeis Traveling Fellow. A visual arts and creative writing major, they worked at printshops and assisted New York City artists during their time at the College. The fellowship supports graduating seniors or recent graduates in the visual and fine arts who are pursuing field-related projects outside of the United States; Frank will study traditional willow coffin weaving in the United Kingdom.
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships were awarded to 48 alumni from Columbia undergraduate schools (including 20 from the College). The fellowships support outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based degrees at accredited U.S. institutions.
Roosevelt Institute Forge Fellowship
Two students have been named Forge Fellows at the Roosevelt Institute; the program supports first-years and sophomores as they develop policy and leadership skills.
Amir Mason CC’29 intends to major in urban studies and political science and is interested in connecting grassroots passion with high-level policy. Chaeeun Yoo CC’29 plans to study history and English and hopes to learn more about policy-making through an equitable and inclusive lens.
Truman Scholarship
Two students have been named 2026 Truman Scholars. Established by Congress in 1975, the scholarship upholds the legacy of President Harry S. Truman by supporting and inspiring the next generation of public service leaders.
Ananya Bhatia CC’27 is majoring in urban studies and political science and is interested in justice system reform, AI regulation and national security policy. Elizabeth Frost CC’27 is majoring in urban studies and Germanic literature and cultural history; she plans to pursue a J.D. with a focus on cultural heritage preservation.
Yenching Scholarship
Ahmad Arman Al-bin Sakir Husein CC’22 has been named a Yenching Scholar at Peking University in Beijing. The scholarship supports an interdisciplinary master’s in China studies at the university. Husein studied economics and history at the College and earned an M.Sc. from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.