Dear Members of the UMBC Community,
We are delighted to announce that Naomi Mburu, a member of the class of 2018, has been awarded the Rhodes Scholarship. Naomi is a Meyerhoff Scholar (M26) and is pursuing a major in chemical engineering and a minor in physics. She is one of thirty-two students selected from 866 applicants from across the nation to receive the Rhodes Scholarship this year. Naomi is the first UMBC student in the history of the campus to receive this prestigious honor. Upon graduation, Naomi will pursue a Ph.D. in engineering science at the University of Oxford.
Naomi’s achievement is truly a UMBC community success story. Naomi’s parents Joseph and Joyce Mburu, a UMBC employee in the financial services department, have been dedicated to her success throughout her academic years. We would also like to acknowledge all in the UMBC community who supported Naomi on her path towards the Rhodes, from faculty in biological sciences who supported Naomi’s research when she was a student at Mount Hebron High School, to the departments in the College of Engineering and Information Technology that have helped Naomi excel. UMBC faculty and staff in both the Honors College and the Meyerhoff Scholars Program have also played an important role in Naomi’s success during her collegiate career, including guidance through the rigorous Rhodes application process.
Additional information about Naomi’s involvement in research and leadership in many organizations is highlighted in The Baltimore Sun. Please join us in congratulating Naomi on her tremendous accomplishment.
President Freeman Hrabowski and Provost Philip Rous
