Penn State senior selected as Marshall Scholarship finalist

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State senior Vancie Peacock recently was selected as finalist for a 2024 Marshall Scholarship. Peacock, of Memphis, Tennessee, is a biological engineering major, College of Engineering and College of Agricultural Sciences, and a Schreyer Scholar. 

The Marshall Scholarship is considered among the most competitive U.K. scholarships for U.S. students. Students must be recommended by their university, and each year roughly 1,000 high-achieving students are considered by the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission and fewer than 50 are ultimately selected to study at the graduate level in the U.K. Peacock worked closely with Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring during the application process. She will complete one final interview for the scholarship on Nov. 13. 

Peacock described being named a Marshall finalist as "empowering," and that it is inspiring her to continue seeking leadership opportunities that would allow her to share knowledge, be an advocate and inspire others. 

“It solidifies my desire to have a life full of learning and growing, and to help the world move forward our food revolution,” she said. 

If she earned a Marshall Scholarship, Peacock said it would give her an opportunity to study carbon management and food security at the University of Edinburgh to strengthen global food and climate resiliency by becoming a leader and enhancing the relationship between the U.S. and U.K.  

“Most of all, I think meeting the other Marshall scholars would be inspiring and introduce me to diverse perspectives and ideas,” Peacock said. 

Peacock previously received a 2023 Udall Scholarship, which is awarded to U.S. college students for their demonstration of leadership, public service and commitment to Native American issues or the environment. 

“My experience as a Udall Scholar was incredible, and I have since been encouraging other students to apply for the opportunity!” she said. “During the orientation in Tucson, it was inspiring to be surrounded by students who were passionate about environmental sustainability and justice.” 

Peacock explained that each student was extremely versed about a niche aspect of sustainability and that it was fun to educate each other about their passions and advocacy. She said she is still regularly conversing with others from her Udall cohort is “constantly inspired by their drive and the work they do.” 
 

Since her first year at Penn State, Peacock has worked as an undergraduate researcher for the Vasco Bioeco Lab in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, College of Agricultural Sciences. She conducted an independent research project in her first year using life-cycle modeling to assess the impact of an emerging waste-to-energy technology used on dairy farms. She later worked on a collaborative interdisciplinary project with the goal of designing and building a biofilter to oxidize low concentrations of methane in small agricultural spaces, which is also the focus of her honors thesis.  

“These experiences have familiarized me with emerging climate mitigation solutions in my field and given me soft skills such as adaptability, critical thinking, teamwork and time management,” she said. “The ability to create a life-cycle model, a cradle-to-grave approach of assessing the environmental impact of a system will be instrumental for developing practical climate mitigation solutions in my future career.” 

Peacock has earned four grants for a total of $15,000 to fund research and presented 10 times at symposiums, regional conferences and a national conference. She earned the Gerard A. Hauser award during the Penn State 2021 Undergraduate Exhibition and first place in the Engineering category of the 2023 Exhibition.  

While studying abroad in Thailand, Peacock said she saw firsthand how transitioning from slash-and-burn opium monoculture to regenerative agriculture can decrease violence, increase gender equality and promote economic growth. She explained that unstainable agricultural practices often coincide with social inequities and wealth gaps and that she is passionate about how climate mitigation can synergistically address environmental, social and economic dimensions of agriculture.  

“I believe effective solutions must not only directly increase food accessibility and climate resiliency, but they must be economically feasible for all, protect natural resources and intentionally build an equitable society,” Peacock said. 

As a first-year student, she joined the Student Farm and Sustainable Food Systems program and completed a full-time summer internship at the Student Farm where she worked with a team of students to manage all aspects of growing and using sustainable agriculture methods. In her second year at Penn State, Peacock served as the Student Farm Club’s field production director and managed the rooftop garden growing space, hosted volunteer days and spearheaded a fresh food donation program to Lion’s Pantry. Peacock is now executive director of the Student Farm Club.  

This semester, she is teaching a three-credit course through Students Teaching Students, “Exploring Sustainability in Local Food Systems.”  

Applying for the Marshall Scholarship 

The Marshall Scholarship began in the early 1950s when the U.K. Foreign Office desired to deepen ties to the U.S. through a scholarship program to benefit American students. It is named for the Marshall Plan, which — through an act of Congress — supplied $12 billion in aid for postwar recovery in the late 1940s and early 1950s throughout western Europe. Seven hundred students applied in the first year for one of the 12 slots.   

Peacock worked alongside URFM staff to refine her application, including Tineka Lebrun, URFM director, and Natalie Bennie, URFM graduate assistant; and members of this year’s U.K. Committee, including Nick Hartman, startup solutions architecture leader at Amazon Web Services and former Marshall Scholar. She also acknowledged the mentorship of staff at the Penn State Sustainable Food Systems Network: Leslie Pillen, Darin Ripp and Marta Plumhoff, saying the program and their influence “has absolutely changed the course of my life and career.” She added that Juliana Vasco-Correa, assistant professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Penn State, “taught me everything I know about how to conduct research and share my findings,” and took a chance on her as a first-year student. 

She also acknowledged the support of her family, saying her parents taught her to dream big and challenge the norm and gave her the freedom to explore. She said they allowed her to become a vegetarian at age four when it wasn’t common in Tennessee at the time, and her dietary choice has continued into adulthood. She said she was also grateful for the support and friendship of her sister, and her desire to be a good role model for her brother “is the reason I do what I do.” Peacock said her friends have been extremely supportive and have helped to make for a positive college experience. 

Similar to other competitive scholarships and fellowships, students must be recommended by their university to apply for the Marshall Scholarship. At Penn State, Undergraduate Research and Fellowship Mentoring (URFM) works with students to determine which scholarships they are most competitive for and helps to refine applications and prepare for interviewing. The Marshall Scholarship requires students to hold a GPA of at least 3.7 and further assessment is based on academic merit, leadership potential and ambassadorial potential. 

Penn State alumna A’dryanna Jenkins was selected as a Marshall Scholar for 2021. 

Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring is part of the Penn State Office of Undergraduate Education, the academic administrative unit that provides leadership and coordination for University-wide programs and initiatives in support of undergraduate teaching and learning at Penn State. Learn more about Undergraduate Education at undergrad.psu.edu.