Notre Dame senior wins Marshall award
By SHEILA FLYNN
News Writer
When British Ambassador Sir Christopher Meyer read the list of prestigious Marshall scholarships on Dec. 2, 2000, Notre Dame senior David Swinarski was proud, surprised and excited to learn that he earned a two year scholarship to Oxford.
The Marshall scholarships were established after World War II in 1953 as a British gesture of thanks for the aid extended to Europe by the United States as part of the Marshall plan. They are awarded to American students who have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership potential, and enable these scholars to continue their studies for two years at any British University, all expenses paid.
Swinarski gave most of the credit for his scholarship to the Notre Dame community and the opportunities he has had as a student.
"I could not have assembled the application I submitted if not for the many opportunities I have had at Notre Dame," he said. "Many of the core experiences which have been essential dimensions of my life as an undergraduate are not available in exactly the same way at other institutions."
During his three and a half years at Notre Dame, Swinarski has been active in community service and sang in the Notre Dame folk choir.
Swinarski said he chose to attend Oxford because its "mathematics department is one of the best in the world. On the whole, Oxford is one of the best universities in the world, which is important to me because I have interests outside the sciences, namely literature, music, and liberation theology. Oxford colleges are even stronger social units than dorms at Notre Dame, combining academics with residential life and sports and music etc. I hope to live in one of the older colleges and connect with a group of people I would never have met if I stayed in America."
After completing a master's degree program in mathematics at Oxford, Swinarski plans on pursuing a doctorate in math and, ultimately, to teach and conduct research at the university level.
"It'll be a fun two years," he said. "I'll get my feet wet in the waters of mathematical research, and then I'll return to the U.S. to finish my Ph.D."
All News Stories for Wednesday, January 24, 2001
