Chicago Area Local News

CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) ― Three students with Chicago area ties -- Stephanie Bell, Russell Perkins and Daniel Shih -- are among the 32 American men and women named Saturday as 2009 Rhodes Scholars, considered one of the world's most prestigious academic honors, the Sun-Times reports.

First awarded in 1904, a Rhodes scholarship provides for all expenses for two or three years of study -- and in some instances four years -- at the University of Oxford in England. Depending on the area of study chosen by each student and the number of years at Oxford, a Rhodes scholarship is valued at between $50,000 and $175,000.

Famous past Rhodes Scholars include former President Bill Clinton, Supreme Court Justice David Souter and novelist Naomi Wolf.

Stephanie Bell from West Des Moines, Iowa, graduated in 2008 from the University of Chicago, where she was an anthropology and gender studies major.

She first became interested in anthropology while on a U. of C. human rights internship in South Africa, where she worked for an HIV/AIDS advocacy organization called the Treatment Action Campaign.

"I'd love to have the opportunity to work again in South Africa, but if I stay in the United States after leaving Oxford, I would like to focus on education or global human rights work," Bell said.

She will pursue advanced work in development studies at Oxford.

Russell Perkins, a native of Evanston, graduated with honors from Wesleyan University in Connecticut in May. He founded the Center for Prison Education, which offers Wesleyan courses in nearby prisons and provides research and volunteer activities for Wesleyan students.

"I've had some exciting scholarly discussions with prisoners," said Perkins, adding that "most of them have had no meaningful education, but they have time for it now that they are in prison."

Perkins plans to study philosophy at Oxford.

Daniel Shih, who resides in Aurora, is a senior political science major at Stanford University in California. His honors thesis is about Chinese-Venezuelan political and economic relations.

Shih also was a field director in Albuquerque, N.M., for the Barack Obama presidential campaign, and a field organizer for the candidate in five other states.

"I recognized that our country was in crisis, and I wanted to get involved and do something," said Shih of his decision to work for the Obama campaign.

Shih also founded a campaign to improve working conditions in factories producing Stanford University-branded apparel.

Shih plans to study international relations at Oxford.

The 32 students named 2009 Rhodes Scholars were selected from among 216 finalists.

The scholars are chosen in a two-stage process. First, candidates must be endorsed by their college or university. More than 1,500 students each year seek their institution's endorsement. This year, 805 were endorsed by 326 different colleges and universities.

Selection committees in each of the 16 U.S. districts invite the strongest applicants to appear for an in-person interview.

The criteria used to select the scholars include high academic achievement, integrity of character, spirit of unselfishness, respect for others, potential for leadership and physical vigor -- all of which were specified by British philanthropist and African colonial pioneer Cecil Rhodes, who made arrangements for the establishment of the scholarships in his will.

Lewis Lazare, Chicago Sun-Times, via the Sun-Times Media Wire

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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