Meet the 2026 Rhodes Scholars Committed to Social Change

Sun Nov 16 2025 19:06:25 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Thirty-two American students, including those from prestigious schools, have been awarded the 2026 Rhodes Scholarship to pursue graduate studies at the University of Oxford, with a focus on sustainability and social justice.

This year's cohort of Rhodes Scholars includes diverse talents from military academies and renowned universities. From sustainable engineering initiatives to bioengineering and linguistics, these scholars are committed to using their education for advancing housing, health outcomes, and prison reentry programs.

Thirty-two American students have been named Rhodes Scholars for 2026, with a strong emphasis on initiatives that promote sustainability and social equity.

Among the awardees are five students from U.S. military academies and notable individuals from Ivy League institutions such as Yale, Harvard, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Alice L. Hall, hailing from Philadelphia and a student body president at MIT, has engaged with a women’s collective in Ghana to develop sustainability tools and plans to further her studies in engineering.

Another remarkable scholar, Sydney E. Barta from Arlington, Virginia, is a Paralympian at Stanford University. Alongside her studies in bioengineering, she is a member of the university's acapella group and intends to focus on musculoskeletal sciences.

Also included is Anirvin Puttur, a senior at the Air Force Academy from Gilbert, Arizona. He is an instructor pilot and boasts proficiency in four languages while studying aeronautical engineering and applied mathematics.

The Rhodes Scholarship, named after the controversial figure Cecil John Rhodes, was founded in 1903 and has over 8,000 alumni who have made significant strides in various fields, including governance, education, and social justice.