Congratulations to this year’s fellows!
Each spring Columbia College awards four postgraduate scholarships to graduating seniors who have demonstrated extraordinary academic achievement, positive contributions to the wider Columbia community, and demonstrated exceptional promise in their potential to thrive in the postgraduate plans they propose. These fellowships include the Euretta J. Kellett Fellowship, awarded annually since 1932, and provides awardees with funding for one or two years of study in any field at either Cambridge or Oxford; the Harry J. Carman Scholarship which provides financial support for graduate study, for any degree, in any field, in any location; and the Henry Evans Traveling Fellowship, which supports purposeful travel in the year after graduation for new alumni to pursue imaginative projects beyond New York City. Meet this year's fellows!
Annie Cheng, CC’24, Euretta J. Kellett Fellow
Annie earned a major in English and comparative literature while at Columbia College. At Cambridge, she will pursue an MPhil in Digital Humanities, where she hopes to enrich her literary-archival research with digital methodology. Annie is fascinated by non-traditional “ephemeral” texts—everything from periodicals, diaries, field notes, receipts, and pill boxes—especially in the realm of early to 19th century American literary production. Her senior thesis explored the construction of alternative nationhood in the Opal literary journal, a monthly periodical produced in the 1850s by patients of the New York State Lunatic Asylum. Beyond her literary studies, Annie served as managing editor of The Eye, the Columbia Daily Spectator’s long-form magazine, where she spearheaded several archival-based investigative reporting initiatives for both digital and print. She also worked with the Financial Times and Columbia’s Department of English & Comparative Literature to streamline digital media strategy. In the future, Annie hopes to foreground the politics of the archive, push toward public-facing humanities work, and expand literacy in all senses of the word.
Gabriel Fernandez, CC’24, Euretta J. Kellett Fellow
Born and raised in New York City, Gabriel graduated with a major in mathematics and a concentration in computer science. This fall, he will pursue a Master of Advanced Study in Pure Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. Here, Gabriel plans to conduct more research in number theory and to broaden his horizons by learning more about other disciplines within mathematics. Gabriel credits his experiences at Columbia, both in and out of the classroom, for showing him the incredible potential for research to advance social change. At Columbia, Gabriel participated in research with the Department of Mathematics, studying transcendental number theory. He has also conducted research outside of the realm of pure mathematics while working on projects with the Department of Statistics and the Data Science Institute. Previously, Gabriel participated in research projects at NASA’s Climate Change Research Initiative and the Brooklyn College Department of Paleontology. His mathematical research interests, though constantly evolving, currently lie in number theory and topology and, after his time in the United Kingdom, Gabriel aspires to obtain a PhD in mathematics and pursue a career in academic research. In the future, Gabriel hopes to continue researching pure mathematics and to continue to carry the spirit of public service into his career by participating in socially impactful research projects.
Zsolt Marka, CC’24, Euretta J. Kellett Fellow
A native New Yorker, Zsolt majored in environmental chemistry and pursued a special concentration in earth science. While at Columbia, he was a research assistant in the Cornish Laboratory and enjoyed working as a teaching assistant too. Zsolt has been a Hungarian scout for over 15 years and, in addition to his work within the New York Troop, he is an active member of the Hungarian-American community in the region. In particular, for the past seven years, Zsolt has volunteered for the Plastic CUP Initiative, removing and recycling waste from rivers in Hungary. These experiences with riverine pollution, and his coursework in environmental chemistry at Columbia spurred his interest in pursuing graduate studies in geochemistry to gain a deeper understanding of our complex natural environments. Next year at Cambridge University, Zsolt will pursue an MPhil in Earth Sciences, where he plans to make use of isotope systems to track the evolution of geochemical processes and contribute to groundbreaking research in developing new methods for pollution mitigation.
Tenley Roberson, CC’24, Euretta J. Kellett Fellow
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Tenley will pursue a Masters in Archaeology with a focus in social archaeology and Native American archaeology at the University of Oxford in the fall. She graduated with a degree in history, where she focused on Ancient Mediterranean and Native American history. She will attend Stanford Law School in 2025, and plans to eventually work as a legal defender of Native American rights, culture, and lands. As a member of the Cherokee Nation, Tenley aspires to promote the return of Native American artifacts and human remains from educational institutions in the U.S. and internationally. While at Columbia, she interned with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, where she developed an educational program to encourage local students to learn about current and past Native American women leaders. Beyond Columbia, Tenley also interned with the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs last summer, where she worked on bills relating to water rights, federal boardings schools, and Indian Health Services.
Dale Mcenany, CC'24, Harry J. Carman Fellow
As a Carman Fellow and sociology major, Dale Mcenany, CC’24, will pursue an MPhil in Race, Ethnicity, and Conflict at Trinity College Dublin, in Ireland this fall. His interest in this field was deepened at Columbia College through his research as a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, where he investigated the interwoven themes of nationalism, identity, and borders around the world. After completing an MPhil in Ireland, Dale plans to continue his focus on border studies with a PhD upon return to the U.S. Through his research, he aims to uncover and explore connections between his own experiences and those of other regions by conducting research on how border dynamics shape identity, nationalism, and geopolitics. Ultimately, Dale hopes to make meaningful contributions to the broader political discourse on borders, imbuing it with the compassion and nuance it urgently requires.
Priya Chainani, CC’24, Henry Evans Traveling Fellow
Priya is from Long Island, New York and graduated with a degree in medical humanities. In her sophomore year, she joined Symposium as a teaching fellow, an opportunity which allowed her to teach a literary workshop in Jaipur, India for two weeks using the Bhagavad Gita, Confucius's Analects, and Vergil's Aeneid with the theme of “human goals” and “what is the good life?”. Two years later, she credits this experience for inspiring her Evans project, where she will return to India this summer to teach Aeschylus's Agamemnon, Life of the Buddha, and Mencius on the theme of “homecoming/displacement”. At Columbia, Priya served as President of the Class of 2024 on the Columbia College Student Council for the last two years and in her senior year she served as the co-President of Symposium. These leadership roles allowed her to engage with various parts of the student body. Whether through establishing new traditions like “Dec Day” which celebrates sophomores declaring their majors or building community within Columbia’s campus and beyond, Priya enjoys bringing people together and is excited to pursue academia in her future career.
Gabrielle Epuran, CC’24, Henry Evans Traveling Fellow
Originally from Cleveland, OH, Gabrielle pursued a classics major while at Columbia. As an Evans fellow, she will spend the summer in Selianitika, Greece, where she will join other creatives in an artistic, collaborative community, aiming to further hone her writing skills. As a writer, Gabrielle credits both Columbia and New York City for introducing her to inspiring, unique, creative academic and social experiences, which she hopes to reflect upon and pull into her fictional and cinematic writings, this summer and into the future. Following her time in Greece, Gabrielle will attend the University of Oxford as a Barry Scholar this fall, where she will pursue an MSt in Greek and Latin, which she hopes will contribute to further shaping her academic preparation for a future doctoral degree, alongside continuing to inspire her fictional novels and creative writing.
Victoria Esquibies, CC’24, Henry Evans Traveling Fellow
At Columbia, Victoria studied both Neuroscience and Latin American & Caribbean Studies. A Rocky Hill, CT native, Victoria credits her family’s heritage for inspiring her coursework at Columbia, which allowed her to delve deeper into Indigenous Latin American history and languages. As a student in the Indigenous and Diasporic Language Consortium of NYC, Victoria took Quechua Indigenous language courses at NYU, which ultimately shaped her Henry Evans Fellowship project. Her project will focus on understanding the resilience and cultural recovery practices of Indigenous Quechua women affected by the internal armed conflict in Peru. On campus, Victoria was involved with scientific research at Columbia’s medical campus and at the Columbia Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute. Long-dedicated to multidisciplinary learning, Victoria’s interest in understanding the intersection between health and immigration as well as her advocacy work for immigrant and refugee populations in New York drives her to pursue a career in medicine, where she hopes to make medical care more accessible for vulnerable populations.
Columbia students interested in learning more about the Euretta J. Kellett Fellowship, Harry J. Carman Scholarship, Henry Evans Traveling Fellowship, and/or other fellowship programs are encouraged to connect with advisors at Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
