News

Four recent Pomona College alumni have spent the past year at the University of Cambridge pursuing graduate degrees, supported by scholarships that Pomona helped them obtain. They have been engaged in research as well as extracurricular life.

Each year, the Downing Scholarship funds two graduating seniors from Pomona to pursue a one-year master’s degree at Cambridge. Leo Alaghband ’24 and Zongqi Zhai ’24 have been selected to represent Pomona at Downing College this fall. 

The fellowship supports superlative students who are pursuing or planning to pursue full-time research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education.

Daniel Gao ’25, a molecular biology major, has been awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, given to sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming research leaders in science, engineering and mathematics.

Each year, Pomona recognizes a staff member for distinguished service or effort beyond what is required in their daily job. This year two staff members received the Distinguished Staff Award: Cynthia Madrigal and Joaquin Rios. 

The Udall Foundation has recognized Arianna Lawrence ’26 for sustained involvement and potential for environmental leadership by naming her one of 55 Udall Scholars for 2024. The recognition brings with it a $7,000 scholarship.

Three members of the Pomona College faculty, Biology Professor Rachel Levin, History Professor April Mayes and Physics Professor Thomas Moore were named in May to endowed professorships by vote of the College’s Board of Trustees. 

Sixteen recent Pomona alumni have been awarded Fulbright grants for the 2024-2025 cycle, matching last year’s number of awardees which made Pomona a top producer of Fulbright students. 

Htet Wai Yan ’24 was stationed in his native Myanmar during Pomona College’s remote 2020-21 school year. There, as a first-year student, he navigated a 13-hour time difference and a military coup to keep up with his studies.

Prof. Char Miller's areas of expertise include history and environmental analysis. In this third in a series with Pomona faculty about election issues, he shares the role the environment and climate change might play in the fall elections.