The Rhodes Trust has announced the selection of 32 U.S. students who will make up the 2020 class of Rhodes Scholars. This is one of the most diverse classes in the history of the Rhodes Scholarship.
Some of the 2020 scholars are Hera Jay Brown, the first transgender woman to receive the honor from the University of Tennessee; Daine A. Van de Wall from the U.S. Military Academy; and Arielle Hudson, a second-generation student from the University of Mississippi.
These scholars will study at Oxford University in England with all expenses paid for at least two years. They will conduct research on various topics from different fields. These include the escape reflex in zebrafish, the impact of nuclear testing in the Southwestern U.S. and the use of cryptocurrency to improve the conditions of people in a Syrian refugee camp.
The Rhodes Scholarship was established in 1902 from the will of British businessman and Oxford alumni Cecil John Rhodes. Some of the previous scholars include former U.S. President Bill Clinton, author Naomi Wolf and astronomer Edwin Hubble.
