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A spirit that is not afraid

Auburn senior, recent graduate named finalists for prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Mina Narayanan, senior in software engineering, and Josiah Brown, 2017 Auburn graduate, have been named finalists for the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship. If chosen as one of the 40 scholarship recipients, they will have the opportunity to pursue a post-graduate education at the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.

Ninety applicants were selected for an interview process from an applicant pool of almost 1,000. Narayanan and Brown will interview for the scholarship in Washington D.C. on Friday, Jan. 25 and Saturday, Jan. 26.

Narayanan’s research is aimed toward creating an automated system that could identify ill-natured authors hidden behind more than one social media account. She has previously been named as a Goldwater Scholarship honorable mention and selected as the Outstanding Software Engineering Student.

Narayanan is an ambassador for the Cupola Engineering Society in the College of Engineering an IRS-certified SaveFirst Alabama tax assistance voltuneer as well as a student volunteer for Engineers Without Borders. She plans to obtain a master’s degree in politics and international relations.

Brown is an AmeriCorps architectural fellow, overseeing construction and assisting in the design of a community center in Lakeside, Montana.

Brown was Auburn’s first recipient of the Aydelott Travel Award and Prize, travelling to Spain, Sri Lanka, Chile and Germany, where he participated in low-income housing design and construction. He studied interior architecture at Instanbul Technical University in Turkey and studied affordable housing and utopian societies at Unitec Institute of Technology in New Zealand.

“It was a pleasure working with Mina and Josiah throughout the lengthy application process,” said Paul Harris, professor and chair of Auburn’s Department of Political Science. “They share a vision for life, what they intend to accomplish and how they want to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Our Auburn Family can take a great deal of pride in the young scholar-leaders they have become.”

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated $210 million to the University of Cambridge to establish the Gates Cambridge Scholarship in 2000. The scholarship targets students outside of the United Kingdom with leadership potential, strong intellectual ability and a commitment to improve the lives of others. Scholars can pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.


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