Directory

Originally from Belarus, I have spent the last four years studying Mechanical Engineering at The University of Warwick, UK. During my undergraduate studies I have become increasingly fascinated by the significance and complexity of Fluid Dynamics and conducted an extensive year-long experimental research, which has inspired me to pursue a PhD in this subject. In my doctoral studies I will be addressing the topic of double-diffusive convection. This fundamental phenomenon has a wide range of applications in various engineering and natural processes and holds particular importance in environmental studies, such as geology and oceanography. My objective is to use the latest developments in numerical modelling and experimental techniques to complement relevant existing findings with accurate comprehensive data, enhancing our understanding the phenomenon. In doing that, I am hoping to contribute towards the development of our understanding of the global environmental processes and assist in tackling the challenges associated with climate change. With an ambition of being at the forefront of academic research I am eager to collaborate with the world’s best minds at Cambridge University whilst building a professional global network of future leaders committed to improving the lives of others.

Previous Education

University of Warwick

Originating from Pretoria, South Africa, I entered a career in human rights law with the hope that I contribute to rebuilding my country following the rights violations that characterised apartheid. My education from the University of Pretoria and New York University led me to clerk at the Constitutional Court of South Africa, work on litigation before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and provide assistance to members of constitutional drafting assemblies in the Middle East following the Arab Spring. It is however academia that is my main interest. My research to date has focused on the extent to which human rights impose obligations on non-state actors, and whether doing so can create a more equitable and just society. At Cambridge, I will further my understanding on this topic by focusing on one particular type of non-state actor, political parties. I am humbled at the opportunity to join a global network of leading minds committed to creating a better society.

As I was born in Nepal but raised between Nepal, Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh and Indonesia, I constantly grapple with the question: what defines identity and citizenship in regional, transnational and global contexts? Using my cross-cultural lens and my interdisciplinary experiences as a double major in International Studies and Strategic Communications and minor in Religious Studies, I plan to pursue an MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies at Cambridge to explore identity and intersectionality in context of South Asia. My proposed study explores how social media helped or hindered nuanced discussion on nationalism and identity in response to the 2015 unofficial border blockade between Nepal and India. By highlighting the ways in which social media driven narratives can influence how nationalism is embodied, my research would attempt to unpack the process by which complex phenomenon can turn into ‘broad-brush’ approaches to strategically influence particular stakeholders involved in the conflicts. The global rise in digital politics raises the need to develop necessary literature to understand its role in influencing public perception and framing dominant narratives around social issues.

Previous Education

Elon University

Cooperation is important for the evolution of many species, allowing them to persist in otherwise hostile environmental conditions. As an undergraduate at Princeton, I cultivated an interest in the evolution of cooperative behavior through my research on three avian species. During my PhD in Zoology as a Gates Cambridge Scholar, I hope to uncover the impacts of cooperation on biodiversity using burying beetles as a model study system. Not only do burying beetles provide essential ecosystem services such as returning bioavailable nutrients to the soil, but they can also help us understand how social behavior might influence biodiversity on a genetic and phenotypic scale. By studying wild beetle populations in Cambridge, I also hope to learn about drivers of local adaptation in a fragmented habitat, which can inform us about factors that allow species to adapt to human-induced environmental change. I believe that the biodiversity crisis is one of the most important challenges facing humanity today; my work will contribute to meaningful solutions to preserve the well-being of humans and the ecosystems in which we live. I am honored to be joining a community of scholars committed to improving the lives of beings around the world.

Previous Education

Princeton University Ecology & Evolutionary Biology 2022

Before my masters in Cambridge, I studied Egyptology and Art History at Leiden University, The Netherlands. My main interests as an art historian include 18th-century British architecture, the influence of Egypt on design, and the relationship between art and identity creation. During my PhD, I will study the depiction of architecture, especially country houses, in so-called topographical drawings and prints in 18th-century Britain. These works revealed an almost hidden part of the country to the middle class. In doing so, they contributed to the construction of a national taste and identity in a time where Britain was strongly polarised because of industrialisation and urbanisation. My long-term goal is to make a difference in the protection of architectural heritage, and I strongly believe that saving heritage starts with getting people more enthusiastic about it. My PhD will contribute to making country houses more popular and accessible and help us to protect these places that are not only places of memory but also of connection, both with our past and with each other. Next to my studies, I am active as classical percussionist and soprano, and look forward to sharing my passion for art and music with the Gates community.

Previous Education

University of Cambridge History of Art & Architecture 2024
Rijksuniversiteit Leiden (Leiden Univ) Art, Architecture and Interior 2023
Rijksuniversiteit Leiden (Leiden Univ) History of Art 2022

Growing up along the rural coastline of North Florida, my community was shaped by exchanges between science, government, and aviation. When hurricanes approached, instruments aboard federal satellites and aircraft enabled life-saving forecasts. During clear skies, the health of our springs and fishing industry generated intense discussions at the state and local levels.

At Florida State University, I majored in political science and psychology to study civic institutions and the minds influencing them. As a student, I interned in the White House, the Florida legislature, and twice for NASA. Meanwhile, I spent summers as a boat captain in the Wakulla Springs wildlife sanctuary, before serving its parent agency as a Florida Gubernatorial Fellow. Prior to graduation, I defended a psychology thesis and received my university’s top undergraduate honor for political science.

As a Gates Cambridge Scholar, I researched space, defense, and environmental policies while analyzing treaties for the UK's Royal Society. I now serve as a Research Fellow at UC Berkeley, where I develop strategies that employ aviation to address key energy challenges.

Previous Education

Florida State University Bachelor of Science Psychology & Political Science 2018
Tallahassee Community College Associate of Arts Psychology 2015

I grew up in Bangor, Maine, and studied history and foreign policy at Harvard. During college, my research examined postwar U.S. national security strategies and how Western governments navigated great power realignments. With a deep sense of duty and a recognition that I could not truly grasp international security dynamics unless I experienced them firsthand, I joined the US Navy as an intelligence officer. During my time on active duty, I advised senior leaders aboard an aircraft carrier and at the Pentagon, liaised with allies, and analyzed America's threats and competitors.These experiences not only underscored the importance and challenge of balancing military capability with diplomatic engagement, but also the need for history, strategic theory, and policy to work in tandem. At Cambridge, I plan to explore how historical models of nuclear diplomacy can guide modern approaches to strategic competition, particularly how countries can strike a stable coexistence amid great tension.As a Gates-Cambridge Scholar, I look forward to engaging with international perspectives while crafting strategic solutions guided by hindsight, insight, and foresight, and a commitment to peace.

Previous Education

Harvard University History and Government

I grew up in Newtown, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Indian immigrants to the United States and a student in the local public school system. As an undergraduate at Harvard, I studied the intersections between Arabic, French, and English literary traditions and have spent much of my time focused on cross-cultural dialogue and education through my work at the Pluralism Project, the Philips Brooks House Association, and CONTACT peer counseling. Through the Arts, Creativity, Education, and Culture (ACEC) track of the MPhil in Education at Cambridge, I am excited to explore how the arts and creative thinking can teach students to engage across differences. After Cambridge, I plan to return to the United States and work towards becoming a secondary school English teacher through the Boston Teacher Residency program. Ultimately, I hope to translate my experiences as a student and teacher into a career in education policy, focusing on how educators can engage with cultural diversity.

A tragic personal event informed my interest in medicine from the tender age of six. My choice of the University of Maiduguri in North East of Nigeria for my undergraduate medical education was a deliberate attempt to gain exposure to some of the most underserved populations in the region, a situation which the Boko Haram violence has worsened. It is noteworthy that Nigeria contributes 19% of global under-five deaths despite accounting for only 2.4% of the world’s population. This experience fuelled my interest in poor, rural underserved populations and informed my decision to specialise in paediatrics. Paediatricians are well-positioned to identify public health issues that adversely affect well-being and are committed to the prevention and early identification of diseases and injuries. This integration of clinical medicine with public health principles is key to attaining genuinely population-oriented multi-level disease prevention. My research interest is in infectious diseases, particularly pediatric lung infections and how these affect the life course, and access to safe and quality healthcare. I am utterly grateful for the opportunity to expand my area of influence beyond the walls of a hospital or clinic.

Previous Education

Ahmadu Bello University Disaster Risk Mgt & Devt Study 2022
University of Maiduguri Medicine and Surgery 2015

My passion for technology began as a junior at Christian Academy of Louisville. All 10 of us in the AP Computer Science class could take a unique path to the solution and still l not have exhausted all the options. This limitless world of possibilities inspired a young boy who wanted to make some binary contributions. Looking to pursue this drive while also continuing my family’s nine generations of contiguous military service, I looked towards the US Naval Academy for my undergraduate foundation. On major selection day, I rallied to the calling, and I joined the first ever group of Cyber Operations majors. This interdisciplinary degree offers a technical foundation in traditional computer science courses, while appreciating the importance of additional considerations within the domain by including policy and human factors classes. I plan to further develop my holistic exploration into this emerging cyber domain by studying for an MPhil in Technology Policy in the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge. This education will provide the critical international aperture and public-private sector knowledge necessary to best fulfill my naval career as an Information Warfare Officer actuating US cyber directives. I am humbled to join the Gates Scholarship community and work with globally focused, deeply passionate scholars in a united passion to elevate the state of humanity across all domains and disciplines.

Previous Education

United States Naval Academy

Born and raised in Morocco, I developed early on an interest for politics and international relations, especially as the Arab spring unfold in neighbouring countries. In order to gain a deeper understanding of how development issues can threaten regional and global security, I majored in International Studies at Al Akhawayn University to study and research the development-security nexus. After a semester spent at Binghamton University and an internship at the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, I particularly developed interest for biopolitics and the interrelation between health and security, which has been the main focus of my undergraduate capstone research. During the course of my Mphil in International Relations and Politics at the University of Cambridge, I seek to further deepen our understanding of how failing to provide for the right to health in complex civil war humanitarian emergencies in the MENA region constitutes an emerging security threat. I want my academic research to embody my engagement towards global development and equity, which I have developed while serving the social missions of clubs such as Rotaract and volunteering to tutor refugee children in Morocco. Besides, I also enjoy reading, traveling, and writing fiction. I am honoured to join the Gates Cambridge community, and look forward engaging in an as stimulating as inspirational journey towards improving others’ lives.

Previous Education

SUNY Binghamton
Al Akhawayn University

Growing up in Tallahassee, Florida, I asked way too many questions. In college, I realized curiosity could be a career. I learned about the practice of journalism at the Yale Daily News and CNN. My love of journalism also shaped my academic pursuits and I began focusing my independent research on the successes and failures of American journalism. In 2015, I graduated from Yale with a double BA in History and Global Affairs (Security Studies). After college, I worked as a production assistant at CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 and freelanced in Japan before going to Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship to study Modern Middle Eastern Studies. After receiving my MPhil, I worked as an editor at Foreign Affairs magazine in New York. At Cambridge, my PhD focuses on the narrative politics of the Iran Nuclear Deal. More broadly, I am interested in tensions between the political and technical dimensions of diplomacy and how stories about other states emerge and develop in the American public sphere.

Previous Education

Yale University
University of Oxford

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I witnessed the health discrepancies of my family living in urban Illinois and rural Wisconsin. Combined with my maternal lineage and my experience with a genetic cancer syndrome, I was inspired to improve health equity across diverse populations. This led to my undergraduate studies in psychological and brain sciences and music at Washington University in St. Louis, where I learned the importance of finding consilience between diverse fields of study. I applied these philosophies in spearheading community education and public health interventions and conducting research in both the basic sciences and psychology. Drawing upon these experiences, I am excited to continue my studies at Cambridge alongside my fellow Gates-Cambridge scholars, where we are united in our pursuit of leaving meaningful impacts on our communities and the world. As a Population Health Sciences student at Cambridge, I look forward to gaining the expertise to both mean well and do well in my aspirations to improve health equity through research and tailored interventions in medical and community health education.

Previous Education

Washington University Psychological/Brain Sciences

Growing up in bucolic Connecticut, I am the girl who saved ants from being squished on the playground, the girl who sat still for hours waiting for a dragonfly to land on my nose. My fate was sealed from an early age: I am an insect lover. As an undergraduate at Pomona College, I studied the impacts of habitat fragmentation, urbanization, and fire on pollinator assemblages. In a time of intense land use change, I am interested in how targeted habitat modifications can help conserve insect diversity. For example, planting native wildflowers next to monocrop agricultural fields enhances bee habitat, increases bee abundances, and may also improve crop yields. I am passionate about igniting sustainable action through education. I am committed to mentoring the next generation to preserve insect biodiversity. With my PhD in Zoology, I hope to become a professor. In the long-term, I aspire to work with global organizations such as the United Nations to champion agricultural mitigation efforts that may be adopted worldwide, allowing pollinators and humans to more harmoniously coexist. I am honored to be selected as a Gates Cambridge Scholar, joining an extraordinary community of learners committed to promoting positive change worldwide.

Previous Education

Pomona College Biology 2022

**Preeti will commence her PhD study in 2023.

Previous Education

Oxford University Criminology 2022
Harvard University Law 2019
National Law University Odisha Law 2014

Dr Anjali Bhardwaj-Datta obtained her PhD in History from University of Cambridge, where her thesis was awarded Ellen MacArthur Prize in Economic History. Currently, she is an Isaac Newton-Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the Centre of South Asian Studies, Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Cambridge, where she is working on her book manuscript, and a new project on women's informalities and patterns of urban change in Modern South Asia.

Visiting India each summer as I grew up in Maryland, I not only developed a deep appreciation for the beauty of Sanskrit and the rhythm of the Tabla, but also a keen interest in the issue of access to healthcare technology in resource-limited settings. As an undergraduate at Harvard studying Applied Mathematics/Economics with a secondary in Global Health & Health Policy, I founded UniDx, an organization focused on the early-stage diagnosis of infectious diseases using microfluidics-based technology. I traveled to both Peru and India to conduct clinical studies on the low-cost device for individuals with malaria. While there, I found that pure technological solutions were simply not enough to remedy pressing global health problems; rather, a more integrated approach addressing the relevant social, political, and economic barriers was required. Through an MPhil in Technology Policy at Judge Business School, I hope to learn how to better launch technologies in developing countries with a strong understanding of the countries’ local contexts. While at Cambridge, I am particularly excited to interact with faculty who research access to care, as well as be in a community of scholars who will challenge my beliefs and allow me to rethink my perspectives on healthcare. I am so grateful to be joining the Gates Cambridge community, and very eager to be surrounded by a group of intellectuals who are committed to improving the lives of others through scholarship and community engagement.

Previous Education

Harvard University