UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Six Penn State students and recent alumni were nominated for the 2026 Rhodes and Marshall scholarships, two of the most prestigious and competitive awards available to U.S. students.
The Rhodes Scholarship supports students in pursuing graduate study at the University of Oxford. As one of the oldest and highly competitive awards of its type, it recognizes students motivated to change and address global challenges. The Marshall Scholarship, founded in 1953, supports American students offering one to three years of graduate study in the United Kingdom. This gives them the opportunity to study in any field at a university of their choice in the U.K.
The following Penn State students and recent alumni have been recognized as nominees for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships:
- Aidan Perner, biology major, Eberly College of Science; military studies minor, Army Reserve Officers Training Corps
- Emma Chaplin, environmental resource management major, international agriculture minor, College of Agricultural Sciences; Schreyer Honors College
- Keya Ahrestani, alumna psychology major, women’s studies, Spanish, and global and international studies minors, College of the Liberal Arts; health policy and administration, child maltreatment and advocacy studies minors, College of Health and Human Development
- Palmer Moore, finance major, management information systems and international business minors, Smeal College of Business; biology minor, Eberly College of Science; Schreyer Honors College
- Megan Von Abo, biotechnology major, Eberly College of Science; Schreyer Honors College
- Veneta Djambova, economics and psychology majors, College of the Liberal Arts; Schreyer Honors College
The nomination process
Students must be nominated by the University to apply for the Rhodes or Marshall scholarships. Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring (URFM) guides students in determining which awards best match their goals, supports potential nominees with their application materials and prepares them for interviews with the help of the Penn State U.K. Awards Nomination Committee.
Nominees will submit their materials to the national review committees, and finalists will be invited to interview in November.
URFM seeks students with outstanding academic excellence, leadership, courage and a commitment to making change. The nominees for the Rhodes and Marshall awards have already met these distinguished expectations, showing their hard work and accomplishments. Beyond the nomination itself, prior applicants say the skills developed from the rigorous process, such as the essay, resume and interview prep develop valuable growth. For all applicants, whether or not they receive the award, the process provides knowledge and preparation for future academic and personal goals.
Students interested in pursuing Rhodes and Marshall should meet with an adviser in URFM to discuss the process.
Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring is part of Penn State Undergraduate Education.