Local Portland Student Receives Prestigious Scholarship

NEEDHAM, MA (04/12/2013)(readMedia)-- It's that time of year when the recipients of prestigious scholarships and fellowships are announced, and once again the students and alumni of Olin College of Engineering are well represented among the lists of winners. Recipient

Ilana Walder-Biesanz, a graduating senior from Portland, Ore., has won a Gates Cambridge Scholarship for study at the University of Cambridge, England. Competition is intense for the scholarship, which was established in 2001 through a $210 million grant to the University of Cambridge from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Walder-Biesanz will pursue a master's degree in European literature and culture, with a focus on the early modern period.

Brendan T. Quinlivan, a junior and mechanical engineering major from Rutland, Mass., has been named a 2013 Goldwater Scholar. The Goldwater Scholarship Program was established by Congress to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers in these fields. Quinlivan plans to earn a doctorate and teach at university level, where he intends to improve engineering education practices and conduct research in wearable robotics.

Olin senior Seungwhan (Shane) Moon won a Samsung Scholarship that covers tuition and living expenses-up to $50,000 per year-for five years of graduate study. The scholarship supports the growth and development of gifted Korean students who have the capacity to become global leaders. Shane will pursue a doctorate in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University.

Seven Olin alumni have won National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships. The program recognizes outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees in fields within NSF's mission. The program provides three years of support for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant achievements in science and engineering research.

The Olin winners are:

Timothy D. Smith '10

Casey I. Canfield '10

Yiyang Li '11

Chen Wang '11

Jason Poon '12

Nikolas Martelaro '12

Ashley Ann Lloyd '12

"We are very proud of the Olin students and alumni who have won these impressive scholarships and fellowships," said Olin President Richard K. Miller. "Olin prides itself on producing innovators who wish to make a positive difference in the world, and recognition from respected organizations such as these is proof that our educational model is working. I congratulate all the winners and wish them much success and fulfillment in their careers."