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Senior wins one of 42 Gates Cambridge Scholarships
Melissa Mitchell, News Editor
(217) 333-5491; melissa@illinois.edu
3/3/2003
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. —
A senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is among
the recipients of this year’s prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
Christopher
Michael, of Manchester, Mo., is one of 42 U.S. students chosen from
500 applicants to receive the merit-based scholarship funded by an endowment
from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation of Seattle. The awards, valued
at approximately $32,000 each, cover the full cost of studies at Cambridge
University in England, as well as some travel and living expenses, for
a period of one to four years.
Administered by the Gates Cambridge Trust since 2001, the scholarship
program is open to students outside the United Kingdom. Awards are given
to students who demonstrate outstanding academic merit and leadership,
and are committed to serving their communities. By October 2003, about
250 Gates Cambridge Scholars from more than 50 countries are expected
to be at Cambridge pursuing advanced degrees.
Michael, who is completing a five-year undergraduate-degree program
at Illinois in physics, materials
science and engineering – in just four years – plans
to enter Cambridge in October to pursue a one-year master’s degree
program in microelectronics engineering and semiconductor physics. He
hopes to study microelectronic circuit fabrication and design for use
in interfacing with neural networks, with a goal of improving the effectiveness
of neural implants.
In addition to earning a perfect grade-point average while participating
in the Campus Honors Program,
Michael has been active on research teams on and off campus since his
freshman year. He also has worked as an undergraduate teaching assistant
in physics.
Michael’s extracurricular interests include competitive running
and community service, most notably through his affiliation with the
Boy Scouts of America as an Eagle Scout.
