College senior Carl Pfendner found out over spring break that he will be studying at a distinguished university in Britain.
Pfendner, along with three other Penn students, has been awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, which grants selected students the opportunity to pursue graduate studies at the University of Cambridge in England for free.
Graduate students Daniel Di Censo, Philip Geheb, and Alastair Green also won the prestigious scholarship, but could not be reached for comment.
This year, 38 American students are being offered the scholarship.
Pfendner "is tremendously enthusiastic ... very industrious [and] always has a very positive outlook," Physics professor Hugh Williams said of the physics and classical studies major.
Initially excited about the scholarship, Pfendner is now facing a difficult decision about his academic future. He must choose between pursuing a master's degree in theology and religious studies at the British university or studying physics -- which his parents believe to be a more practical discipline -- at a different school.
Cambridge is an appealing option for Pfendner -- who is interested in the intersection between religion, science and philosophy -- because it provides an opportunity to cut across disciplines, unlike some universities at which "there is a lot of department tension," he said.
Pfendner is also excited about the possibility of studying in Europe. Although he spent last summer working at a research lab-oratory in Switzerland, Pfendner has never studied abroad.
While pursuing his master's, Pfendner hopes to gain a stronger idea about the field in which he would like to get a doctorate.
Afterward, he intends to retain his academic bent by becoming a professor while at the same time helping to develop a conversation about the role of science and religion in American society.
Pfendner says he hopes to contribute to the dialogue on science and religion, especially as issues such as the teaching of creationism in schools continue to generate public controversy.
In addition to the four students who received Gates scholarships, two other Penn students were chosen as Marshall scholarship recipients earlier this year.
"It has been a terrific year for Penn students winning prestigious international scholarships," College of Arts and Sciences Dean Dennis DeTurck said.
"We are always proud, but never surprised, when our students get this kind of recognition," DeTurck said.
