Five individuals associated with the University of Toronto have been named Rhodes Scholars for the 2024 cohort, marking the first time in over 75 years that four U of T students and one medical resident have been awarded this prestigious scholarship.
The recipients, Sapolnach Prompiengchai, Tierrai Tull, Leighton Schreyer, Adam Martínez, and Anne Xuan-Lan Nguyen, all come from diverse academic backgrounds and are set to pursue their studies at Oxford University with the support of the Rhodes Scholarship, which recognizes outstanding young individuals capable of making a significant positive impact on the world.
Sapolnach Prompiengchai, a fourth-year neuroscience student at U of T Scarborough, hails from Thailand and is one of the Rhodes Global Scholars for the year. He is the first Thai recipient of the Global Rhodes scholarship, which encompasses candidates from regions not covered by the 25 Rhodes constituencies. His research focuses on interdisciplinary mental health studies, and he aims to become a multidisciplinary scientist to address mental health issues comprehensively.
Tierrai Tull, a fourth-year political science student in the Faculty of Arts & Science, is an international student representing the Rhodes constituency of Bermuda. Her studies have concentrated on gender issues in the Caribbean, including research on topics like health and wellness industry appropriation and the case for reparations based on John Locke’s labor theory. Tull has had a global academic experience, studying in five countries, and is eager to explore the social sciences and women’s studies at Oxford.
Leighton Schreyer, from the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was among the 11 Rhodes Scholars selected from Canada. Their work combines medicine with storytelling and is centered on medical anthropology and narrative medicine. Schreyer’s goal is to bridge the gap between the biological aspects of disease and the patient’s personal experience of illness, using narrative to facilitate this connection.
Adam Martínez, also named a Rhodes Scholar from Canada, is majoring in engineering physics and conducts research on new materials that can address complex challenges, including biomedicine and sustainability. His research explores catalytic materials that can transform captured carbon dioxide into essential products like methanol and ethanol. At Oxford, he intends to continue his research using AI and quantum computing to accelerate the process of discovering novel materials and solutions.
Anne Xuan-Lan Nguyen, a resident in ophthalmology and vision sciences at U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, received her Rhodes Scholarship through McGill University, her alma mater.
U of T President Meric Gertler expressed his delight at seeing so many exceptional students and learners from the University of Toronto becoming Rhodes Scholars, and he looks forward to witnessing their future accomplishments and contributions to society.
These five individuals, with their diverse academic interests and backgrounds, will undoubtedly make significant contributions to their respective fields and to society as a whole through their Rhodes Scholarships.