UK Senior Named Gates Cambridge Scholar

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 23, 2010) − Lesley Mann, a University of Kentucky agricultural biotechnology senior, has been awarded one of only 29 prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarships presented nationally to students hoping to pursue graduate studies at the University of Cambridge in England. This is the third national scholarship honor bestowed upon Mann, who is a previous recipient of both the Beckman Fellowship and the Goldwater Scholarship.

"I was thrilled to be named a Gates scholar this year primarily because of the opportunities it will provide for me as a student at one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world," says Mann. "My success in this competition is further proof that UK students have the opportunities on campus and support from faculty and staff to reach any personal goals. It is fantastic to see the University of Kentucky listed with Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford and the like."

Mann, the daughter of Bobbi and Charlie Mann of Calhoun, Ky., will use the scholarship to Cambridge to study for a master's degree in bioscience enterprise.

Mann will join the 28 other U.S. Gates Cambridge Scholars who will take up their places at one of the world’s most ancient universities this fall, as the international graduate-study scholarship program celebrates its 10th anniversary. These scholars, from 20 states and 24 colleges and universities, were whittled down from an initial field of around 800 applicants from across the nation and a list of 104 finalists, after interviews in Annapolis by four panels of academics and others from Cambridge and several U.S. universities. Mann is one of only seven students representing a public university.

Provost (CEO) of the Gates Cambridge Trust Gordon Johnson said: "We are delighted with the new batch of American Gates Scholars selected in Annapolis. Not only will these talented young people engage fully with the university and colleges while in Cambridge, but they are likely to become leaders in their fields and use the educational opportunities they have had to address important and pressing problems facing societies around the world. We very much look forward to welcoming them to Cambridge as part of the 10th class of Gates Scholars."

"I was excited to hear that Lesley Mann has been named a Gates Cambridge Scholar," said UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. "Lesley, who is also a winner of two other prestigious national scholarships, is a student in which the entire Commonwealth should be proud. A native of McLean County, Lesley continues to demonstrate that Kentucky kids can compete with the best and brightest in the world. I wish her the very best as she moves forward in her educational journey."

A 2006 McLean County High School graduate, Mann has been very involved in undergraduate research since she arrived at UK. She has been studying agriculturally important plant-fungal symbiosis in the UK Department of Plant Pathology. The symbiont she is working with is responsible for imparting drought resistance and insecticidal properties to the grass.

Mann was so happy with her experience in undergraduate research at UK that she has worked as an advocate for others interested in doing research at the university.

 "My work on the seed transmission process of this fungus inspired me to get more students involved in active research through my work as president of SPUR (Society for the Promotion of Undergraduate Research), an undergraduate research society focusing on getting students involved in research and on to publication and conference presentations," says Mann.

Mann, a member of the Honors Program, has also enjoyed being a tutor for biochemistry and elementary reading. She spends her free time traveling, reading, being outdoors and honing her culinary skills. 

After completing her studies at Cambridge, Mann plans to pursue a doctoral degree in molecular biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before beginning a career as an eco-entrepreneur.

To hear Mann talk more about her time at UK, check out an audio clip from Carl Nathe's "UK At the Half" interview with her at: www.zshare.net/audio/73822799188684b4/.
 

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship program was set up in 2000 and funded by a $210 million donation to the University of Cambridge by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It enables academically outstanding students from outside the United Kingdom who have a strong interest in social leadership and responsibility to pursue graduate study at Cambridge. Between 2001 and 2009 there have been 911 Gates Scholars from 91 countries. The aim is to set up an international network of scholars who will have a transformative effect on society.

This year’s Gates Cambridge Scholars will study across a huge variety of disciplines, from oncology, bioscience and plant sciences to African studies, classics and education. They will be joined by a further 50 Gates Scholars from other parts of the world who will be selected at a further round of interviews to be held in late March 2010.

In the scholarship program’s 10 years, Mann is the second student from UK to be awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship.