The Provost’s Council on Student Honors has selected three top scholars to represent the university in competition for the prestigious Rhodes and Marshall scholarships. The LSA students hail from such diverse disciplines as history, mathematics and computer science, and economics.
“The University of Michigan is extremely proud of Gabe Moss, Spencer Smith and Nicholas Triantafillou, this year’s nominees,” said Lester Monts, senior vice provost for academic affairs. “In addition to having near-perfect academic records, these students have proven themselves as leaders outside of the classroom. Their intellectual curiosity and remarkable discipline will certainly bring them success regardless of where they go after leaving the university.”
The Rhodes Scholarships allow outstanding students from many countries to study at the University of Oxford. Marshall Scholarships finance Americans who wish to study for a degree in the United Kingdom.
Provost Phil Hanlon will host a reception for Moss, Smith and Triantafillou at 6 p.m. Oct. 22 in the Michigan Room of the Michigan League. All students interested in these scholarships are welcome to attend.
Moss, who plans to graduate in December with a Bachelor of Arts with the highest distinction in history, is nominated for Marshall and Rhodes scholarships. His senior honors thesis, “All the King’s Men: Second-Tier Politicians in the Fall of the Roman Republic,” received high honors and the James A. Knight Prize. Moss is a member of The Friars a cappella ensemble, the U-M Men’s Glee Club and served as a writer for the campus satirical newspaper Michigan Every Three Weekly. He has worked as a primary instructor, and a teaching assistant, as well as a peer adviser and program assistant in the LSA Honors Program. His plan of study is to earn a Master of Philosophy in ancient history at Oxford.
Smith of Washington, D.C., who graduated with a Bachelor of Science with highest distinction in April 2011, is nominated for Marshall and Rhodes scholarships. He earned degrees in economics (with highest honors) and mathematics. Spencer currently is a research economist on the President’s Council of Economic Advisors (CEA). While at U-M he received many honors and awards, including the Jonathan Ferrando Prize in Economics for best undergraduate thesis. He interned for the Department of the Treasury Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and participated in many community service programs. He hopes to study economics at Oxford University.
Triantafillou of Saginaw, who plans to graduate in May 2013 with a Bachelor of Science with concentrations in honors mathematics and computer science, is nominated for the Marshall Scholarship. He has received numerous awards and honors, and has been published twice. He also has delivered six mathematics-related talks across North America. He had research positions with Williams College, the National Security Agency and East Tennessee State University, and has helped teach several classes at U-M. He is actively involved with math organizations and this year served as an assistant coach for the Michigan team for American Regional Mathematics League. If awarded the Marshall scholarship, he would enroll in the University of Cambridge’s famous Master of Advanced Study in Mathematics followed by a Master of Philosophy in scientific computing.
