Two UMD Science Majors Win Prestigious Churchill Scholarships

Two seniors at the University of Maryland have been awarded 2018 Winston Churchill Scholarships, which offers full funding to pursue one-year master’s degrees at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

The scholarship—valued at $50,000 to $60,000—covers all educational fees and provides living and travel allowances. Nationally, 15 students in the sciences, engineering or mathematics receive Churchill Scholarships annually. Since its inception in 1963, only two UMD students previously received the award, and this is the first time two were selected in the same year. Both UMD students are enrolled in the university’s College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS).

Christopher Bambic—a physics and astronomy dual-degree student, who is a Stamps Banneker/Key Scholarand a member of the University Honors program within the Honors College—will pursue a Master of Philosophy degree in astronomy. He plans to study the connection between microscale plasma physics and macroscale astrophysical phenomena.

Yousuf Khan—a biological sciences major specializing in cell biology and genetics, who is a Banneker/Key Scholarand a member of the Integrated Life Sciences program within the Honors College—will pursue a Master of Philosophy degree in pathology. He plans to study programmed ribosomal frameshifting in eukaryotic organisms. This mechanism allows organisms to pack a larger amount of genetic information into a relatively short sequence of RNA.

Following their time in Cambridge, both Bambic and Khan plan to pursue doctoral degrees in the United States and ultimately pursue academic careers.

“We are extremely proud of Christopher and Yousuf, who have both managed to combine excellent academic records with outstanding research achievements,” said Gerald Wilkinson, interim dean of CMNS. “They are superb representatives of the college. Their success in such a prestigious competition is testimony to their abilities and the education they have received at the University of Maryland.”

For more information on Bambic and Khan, please visit https://go.umd.edu/fhu.