UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State undergraduate Emma Chaplin has been named a finalist for a 2026 Rhodes Scholarship, one of the most selective postgraduate awards for U.S. students.
The Rhodes Scholarship funds two years of graduate studies for its scholars at the University of Oxford in the U.K. Scholars also participate in retreats, workshops, conferences and discussions, as well as social events at Rhodes House in central Oxford. The application and preparation process was facilitated by Penn State Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring with significant support from faculty and staff, as well as alumni who comprised this year’s U.K. committee.
Chaplin, of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, is a Schreyer Scholar majoring in Environmental Resource Management and minoring in international agriculture in the college of Agricultural Sciences. Chaplin has charted a course through sustainability, joining efforts from pom-pom recycling on campus to delving into the state capitol’s emissions.
“Being named a finalist has reaffirmed my passion for protecting the planet and the water systems we rely on,” Chaplin said. “This application process forced me to reflect on my life and time at Penn State and consider what truly drives me”
Since 2023, Chaplin has chaired the Student Sustainability Advisory Council, which works with advisers from the Office of Physical Plant, Finance and Business and Student Affairs offices to provide consultation and advice on sustainability at Penn State. In a separate role, she serves as a waste reduction intern with the Office of Physical Plant where she programmed the Recycling Coach app, managed the campus-wide battery recycler program and inventory, coordinated the Tailgate Ambassador Program through Sustain Penn State and helped to execute the pom-pom recycling program.
As part of the Local Climate Action Program, Chaplin is helping to create a community-wide greenhouse gas inventory for Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The role also calls for drafting and presenting policy ideas to the Harrisburg City Council and providing policy consulting work on greenhouse gas emission reduction initiatives.
While an intern with the Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center, she worked to maintain riparian buffers, tested water weekly, led conservation workshops and authored the Coldwater Conservation Plan for Huntingdon County Conservation District.
Chaplin has twice traveled abroad for educational opportunities. In 2023, she participated in course-based study abroad in Nyeri, Kenya, where she worked on solarizing fields, cover crops, companion planting and the development of a no-till program. In January 2024, she was among a group that traveled to Antarctica to participate in a research expedition focused on seabird population decline.
She is the current president of the Coaly Society, the College of Agriculture Sciences’ leadership honors society, a role she’s held since 2024. Also in 2024, Chaplin was selected as one of 15 undergraduates nationwide for the USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture program.
If selected for a Rhodes Scholarship, Chaplin said she would pursue a master of philosophy in water science, policy and management.
“I’m extremely honored to represent Penn State as a Rhodes finalist,” Chaplin said. “This University has given me so much support and so many opportunities, and I feel this is an opportunity to share how special the Penn State community is.”
Chaplin was mentored this summer by Lara Fowler, professor of teaching, Penn State Dickinson Law; and director of outreach and engagement, Center for Energy Law and Policy.
"In working with her this summer, Emma impressed me with her focus, curiosity and willingness to deeply explore this fellowship opportunity," Fowler said. "Her ability to think about the systems that lead to water quality impacts, and the need for holistic solutions that range from local to global, is extraordinary. And finally, her leadership ability is fantastic — her ability to listen, work with a range of stakeholders and figure out how to move things forward, would serve her well no matter what she does next."
“I would also like to say thank you to everyone who supported me throughout my time in undergrad and throughout this process,” Chaplin said. “Penn State has some of the most incredible faculty members and advisors; being named a finalist is a credit to their talent and support.”
Chaplin will participate in finalist interviews on Nov. 14 and 15.
Applying for the Rhodes Scholarship
Undergraduates and recent alumni apply for Penn State’s nomination for the Rhodes Scholarship through Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring (URFM). Those who receive a nomination then work with the URFM team and an assigned mentor from the U.K. Awards Nominating Committee to prepare their applications for the national competition.
This year’s U.K. awards committee at Penn State consisted of:
- Josephine Wee, assistant professor of food science
- Song Tan, Verne M. Willaman Professor of Molecular Biology
- Jacob Bourjaily, associate professor of physics
- Nick Hartman, startup solutions architecture leader at Amazon Web Services, alumnus, class of 2003
- Rich Stoller, associate dean, Schreyer Honors College
- Melissa Johnson, associate vice provost and dean, Undergraduate Education
- Tineka Lebrun, director, Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring
URFM will offer events throughout the spring semester for those interested in applying to the Rhodes Scholarship and other competitive fellowship opportunities that allow students to study around the world.
URFM is part of Penn State Undergraduate Education.