Columbia College celebrates the many prestigious honors that students received in the 2021-2022 academic year. Congratulations to all student recipients on your impressive achievements!
Goldwater Scholars
Four College students and one Columbia Engineering student were awarded the Goldwater Scholarship, the preeminent undergraduate award in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. This year’s recipients are Arjun Kudinoor CC’23, a physics and mathematics major from Colorado Springs, researching experimental high energy particle physics and mathematical gauge theory; Ethan Feng CC’23, a chemistry and philosophy major from Los Altos, Calif., whose research is focused on biophysical chemistry and nanoscience; Steven Wang CC’23, a biology major from Shanghai, researching cancer bioinformatics and cancer bacterial therapy; Sarah Xi CC’23, from Philadelphia, a chemistry major with a special concentration in women’s and gender studies, doing research in chemical biology; and Chujun “Julia” Zhao SEAS’23, a biomedical engineering major and computer science minor from Shanghai studying computational genomics research on cancer.
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellows
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships were awarded to 26 Columbians, including 14 alumni and undergraduates from the College. The fellowships recognize and support outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions.
Critical Language Scholars
Four College students were selected for Critical Language Scholarships, a program of the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs that provides summer intensive language instruction and cultural enrichment experiences. The awardees include Gilda DelBianco CC’25, from Long Island, who will study Korean at Chonnam National University in Gwangju, South Korea; Nicolas Lama CC’24, from West Palm Beach, Fla., studying economics, political science and East Asian Studies, who will study Chinese at the Changchun Humanities and Sciences College; Charles Smith CC’22, from New York City, who will graduate from the College this fall, following a summer in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where he will study Russian and post-Soviet culture; and William Yuen Yee CC’22, who will spend the summer in Indonesia exploring ways to strengthen the U.S.-Indonesia relationship.
Three other undergraduates were selected for scholarships: Anthony Costanzo GS’23, Audrey Kost GS’23 and Ysabella Titi GS’23.
Truman Scholar
Cameron Adkins CC’23 has been named a 2022 Truman Scholar. Established by Congress in 1975, the Truman Scholarship upholds the legacy of President Harry S. Truman by supporting and inspiring the next generation of public service leaders. Adkins, a political science and psychology major from Logan, W.Va., aims to give back to the greater Appalachia region by supporting, building and advocating for workforce development programs that would benefit the region’s underprivileged communities.
Fifty-eight Truman Scholarships were awarded this year, selected from 705 candidates nominated by 275 colleges and universities. Columbia is recognized as one of six institutions with multiple named scholars; James H. Elliott II GS’23 was also a recipient.
David Bohnett Public Service Fellow
Tony Bodulovic CC’22 has been awarded the David Bohnett Public Service Fellowship. Established by the David Bohnett Foundation, the fellowship provides the opportunity to engage in the challenges of governing at the city level. Bodulovic, a political science major from Rochester, N.Y., will pursue an M.P.A. in public and nonprofit management and policy at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. He has a particular interest in addressing issues related to housing, inequality, race and poverty.
Beinecke Scholar
Jonathan Tanaka CC’23 has been awarded the Beinecke Scholarship, established in 1971 by The Sperry and Hutchinson Co. to provide graduate education for undergraduates who display exceptional promise within their field. Tanaka, who is from Nicholasville, Ken., is majoring in philosophy, with a special concentration in mathematics. He is recognized for his commitment to philosophy and for exceptional promise in making original intellectual contributions to the field through his future scholarship. Tanaka has a particular interest in formal philosophy, formal logic and metamathematics.
Michel David-Weill Scholar
William Yuen Yee CC’22 was awarded the 2022 Michel David-Weill Scholarship, presented annually to one American who exemplifies the scholarship’s core values of academic excellence, leadership and a commitment to multiculturalism. Yee, a double major in political science and East Asian studies from Porter Ranch, Calif., will pursue a master’s in international governance and diplomacy at the Paris School of International Affairs.
Columbia College students interested in learning more about scholarships and fellowships above are encouraged to connect with Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.