Oxford Bound: 5 Indian Americans Join the Ranks of Rhodes Scholars Class of 2023

Five Indian Americans are among 32 Rhodes Scholars who will commence their graduate studies at Oxford in October next year across the breadth of the social sciences, humanities, and biological and physical sciences. They were selected from a pool of 840 applicants who were nominated by their colleges and universities. The Rhodes Trust says that the contributions of these “inspiring leaders” to public welfare will ‘expand exponentially,” both nationally and globally, “over the course of their careers in varied sectors and disciplines.” Elliot F. Gerson, American Secretary of the Rhodes Trust said the scholars “inspire us already with their accomplishments, but even more by their values-based leadership and selfless ambitions to improve their communities and the world.”

Indian American scholars include: 

Shreyas Hallur of Phoenix, Arizona, is a senior at Duke University with majors in Statistics and in Public Policy. Already recognized nationally as an advocate for individuals with autism, Hallur has interned at the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and has done research at Harvard Medical School and Duke. He is co-president of the Duke Disability Alliance and co-director of Disability Policy for the Duke Student Government. He was elected as a junior to Phi Beta Kappa and has supported Arizona’s Medicaid efforts for over two years. He plans to do the M.Sc. in Medical

Atharv Gupta of Fairfax, Virginia, is a senior at Georgetown University, where he is majoring in Science, Technology, and International Affairs. His work engages the intersection of international development and digital technologies. He has interned in the State Department’s Office of West African Affairs and plays lead trumpet in the Georgetown University Jazz Ensemble. He also writes, edits, and publishes a weekly newsletter on film, television, and media. At Oxford, Gupta intends to do the MSc in Social Science of the Internet.

Veer Sangha of Columbia, Missouri is a senior at Yale College with majors in Computer Science, Statistics and Data Science. He has excelled across multiple disciplines in his motivation to explore how artificial intelligence can revolutionize health care. He has four peer-reviewed journal articles, including a first-author publication in Nature Communications, and a patent relating to hidden cardiovascular disease. He has also been active in the delivery of public health services, including hypertension screening. He will pursue a D.Phil. in Health Data Science at Oxford.

Amisha Kambath of San Ramon, California, is a senior at Harvard College where she majors in Social Studies. A Truman Scholar, she is passionate about criminal justice reform. She was President of the Harvard College Project for Justice, co-chair of the Policy Program at the Harvard Institute of Politics and interned at the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. Amisha heads the Program in Engaged Scholarship at the Harvard Kennedy School. She intends to do the M.St. in English (English and American Studies).

Jupneet K. Singh of Somis, California, is a senior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she majors in Chemistry. Her academic work has examined the biochemistry of human innate immunity and microbial pathogenesis. A cadet lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force ROTC program, Jupneet plans a career as a military surgeon. She has founded multiple programs to support young people, including pediatric patients, children affected by domestic violence, and underserved youth tennis players. While at Oxford, Singh will pursue an M.Sc. in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation.