Penn State Student Wins Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Feb. 19, 2003
University Park, Pa. – Heather Agnew, a senior at Penn State University has won the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship to study in the United Kingdom.

Ms. Agnew won a full scholarship, which will cover all expenses and a stipend for up to four years of study at Cambridge University. A full scholarship is valued at approximately $150,000.

The Gates scholarship is designed to support students of exceptional academic achievement and scholarly promise.

Gates Cambridge Scholars are expected to bring vision and commitment to improving the lives of citizens throughout the world, and to become leaders in addressing global problems related to learning, technology, health and social equity.

Ms. Agnew will graduate from Penn State in August 2003 with simultaneous Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, with honors in Chemistry. She is a member of the Schreyer Honors College.

Her current research supervisor at Penn State University is Mary Beth Williams in the department of chemistry. At Cambridge, her area of research will be conducted with Dr. Trevor Rayment, scanning probe microscopy to study molecular recognition.

Ms. Agnew is a 1999 graduate of Emmaus High School, Emmaus, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of James and Colleen Agnew, Jr., Wescosville, Pennsylvania. She has two younger sisters, Jennifer, a freshman at case Western Reserve and Kristin, a student at Lower Macungie Middle School.

Her grandparents are John and Joan Antonition, Germansville, Pennsylvania and Ellen Agnew, Forty Fort, Pennsylvania.

Photo available upon request.

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Contact: Undergraduate Fellowship Office, 814.863.8199