College senior Alexander Jacobs has been awarded a 2009 Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
The History major from New York City will begin a master's program in history, philosophy and sociology of science, technology and medicine at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom this October.
Jacobs is the 16th Penn student to win the award since the scholarship was established in 2001.
He faced fierce competition to become one of 37 U.S. students awarded the scholarship this year out of a field of 752 applicants.
At Cambridge, Jacobs said he hopes to carry out research on the relationship between science and the popular press in 19th-century France, as well as take courses in intellectual history, literature and journalism.
"I am really interested in how intellectual and scientific ideas filter down to the general public," Jacobs said. "In the future I would definitely consider a Ph.D. in the history of science, or perhaps a career in journalism."
In addition to his academic successes, Jacobs already has a strong foundation in journalism, having worked as an editor and features writer for 34th Street, and most recently as a reporter and fact-checker for The New York Observer.
Jacobs' advice for students considering applying for the award in the future is to find something you are passionate about and stick with it.
"It took me a while at Penn to find out what my true interests were," he said. "But now that I have, I'm hugely honored to have the chance to explore them further at Cambridge."
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