Britain Awards Marshall Winners

Four Harvard students have been awarded Marshall Scholarships by the British government, the Harvard Fellowships Office said yesterday.

Ronald C. Chen '95, Bert I. Huang '96, Frank A. Pasquale '96 and Samuel J. Rascoff '96 were selected from Harvard's 37 nominees for the scholarships, according to Acting Director of Fellowships Paul A. Bohlmann.

Marshall scholars are awarded full tuition and a living stipend for two years of study at any British university. According to Bohlmann, the "official guesstimate" values the scholarship at between $50,000 and $60,000.

"Harvard has an average of about five a year for the Marshall," Bohlmann said. Last year, five Harvard students were among the honorees.

"The highest in the past 11 years was in the '90-'91 school year, when we had eight," Bohlmann said.

The Marshall application process includes a required personal statement, a description of one's course of study a transcript, two letters of recommendation as well as an interview.

The new Marshall scholars were uniformly ecstatic about their awards.

"This is an incredible honor," said Huang, a Currier House resident who was notified last Tuesday. "I just got very, very lucky."

"My main academic interest is economics, and my thesis is going to be about community institutions and economic effects," Huang said.

Huang said he has served as student chair of the Institute of Politics, in addition to organizing a conference for Asian-American students for three consecutive summers.

"I want to be a professor of economics engaged in politics and policy-making, ideally working with issues of poverty in communities," Huang said.

He said he plans to get a M.Phil. in economics at Oxford.

As many as 40 Marshall scholars are chosen each year. To be eligible, applicants must be under 25.

The program was founded in 1953 to honor George Marshall, the author of the Marshall Plan, which helped rebuild Europe after World War II.

"I am elated to have been chosen a Marshall Scholar, to belong to this eminent society of young scholars," said Rascoff, a Lowell House resident and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations concentrator.

"I have focused on the medieval Arabic world as a student at Harvard," said Rascoff, who intends to get a masters in Oriental Studies. "As a graduate student at Oxford, I look forward to turning my attention to the modern Middle East."

Rascoff, a junior varsity squash player and a Crimson editor, said he plans to be a diplomat.

"I applied for this to gain an opportunity to study at one of the premier universities in the United Kingdom," he said.

Chen, a former Quincy House resident, is currently working for the President's Council of Economic Advisors in Washington, according to Bohlmann

The program was founded in 1953 to honor George Marshall, the author of the Marshall Plan, which helped rebuild Europe after World War II.

"I am elated to have been chosen a Marshall Scholar, to belong to this eminent society of young scholars," said Rascoff, a Lowell House resident and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations concentrator.

"I have focused on the medieval Arabic world as a student at Harvard," said Rascoff, who intends to get a masters in Oriental Studies. "As a graduate student at Oxford, I look forward to turning my attention to the modern Middle East."

Rascoff, a junior varsity squash player and a Crimson editor, said he plans to be a diplomat.

"I applied for this to gain an opportunity to study at one of the premier universities in the United Kingdom," he said.

Chen, a former Quincy House resident, is currently working for the President's Council of Economic Advisors in Washington, according to Bohlmann