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Three Indian American students make it as Rhodes Scholars

Arthur J Pais in New York

Three out of the 32 Rhodes Scholarship winners for this year are Indian Americans. The number is indeed significant when you consider that Indian American students constitute less than one per cent of all American college students. Last year there were two Indians.

The Rhodes Scholarship provides students with an opportunity to study at Oxford University for two years.

Neil Hattangadi -- a triple major in biomedical engineering, chemistry and economics -- is one of the brightest students at Duke, a top-ranking American university. He said he had applied for the scholarship because he believed his course work at the university left the impression that he is not a well-rounded individual.

"I have an interest that goes beyond my formal course work," said Hattangadi, who has maintained a 4.0 grade point average. "I didn't want to be boxed in as being solely a scientist. I have a genuine interest in the humanities."

Hattangadi said he would study management, economics and philosophy at Oxford, hoping that the combination of studies would help him better understand society. "I'm interested in improving the entire world, not just certain segments of it."

The other winners are from Harvard -- Akash K Kapur and Navin Narayan.

The Rhodes Scholarship was established in 1904 by the estate of Cecil Rhodes, the British empire builder. Rhodes envisioned bringing students from nine beneficiary countries to Oxford, his alma mater, to promote international understanding and peace.

Narayan, a pre-med social studies concentrator from Forth Worth, Texas, said he would focus on refugee studies and international relations and obtain a masters degree in development studies.

Kapur, a social anthropology concentrator who graduated from the college last year, also intends to pursue a masters degree in development studies, according to Rhodes officials. He is currently travelling across Eastern Europe. A prolific writer, he has been published in some of America's top magazines. The Atlantic ran a story by him on his travels across Kerala.

Students selected to receive the Rhodes must first obtain the university's endorsement. Selection committees in each state then nominate candidates to the district level where, after interviews, the final selection is made. Each district selects four recipients.

This year's scholars were chosen from 909 applicants from 310 institutions throughout the United States.

Selection for the Rhodes, America's oldest international study award, is based on high academic achievement, integrity of character, a spirit of unselfishness, respect for others and leadership potential, said Elliot F Gerson, the American secretary of the Rhodes Scholarship trust.

Narayan, who said he was speechless when he found out he won the Rhodes, agreed that the interview process was tough.

"There were some off the wall questions," said Narayan, who is chair of the National Advisory Committee of the American Red Cross. "For my final round interview, I was asked to describe how my Red Cross service skills could help youth gain interest in fine art and opera."

Alvin B Tillery, assistant senior tutor in Adams House, said he was "more than ecstatic" for Narayan and had nothing but praise for his accomplishment.

"I've known Navin since he was a second year student, and I have known that he would be an excellent candidate," Tillery said. "He is a very talented young man, his community service efforts have been Herculean and he is one of the sincerest students I've met in my life."

Harvard's cumulative Rhodes total is now 293. Yale and Princeton claim 194 and 181 recipients, respectively, Gerson said.

He said it is not surprising that multiple candidates come from selective national institutions.

Gerson said national private institutions might have an advantage over public institutions because of the broader geographic make-up of their student populations.

"The college one goes to is of no relevance; we choose the four strongest [candidates] in each of eight regions," Gerson said. "Traditionally the most highly selective universities have done disproportionately well."

According to Gerson, this year's recipients are from the broadest representation of schools in recent history; five institutions had their first scholars named.

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