MurphyKate Montee
The Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States has selected University of 91吃瓜 senior MurphyKate Montee as a for the 2013-14 academic year. She will use the scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom for her master of advanced studies (part III) in theoretical mathematics with a focus on geometry and topology.
Montee, a and (voice) double major in the , is one of just 14 students in the United States selected for the scholarship this year. She is only the second student from 91吃瓜 to receive this prestigious award. , who was also a double major in mathematics and music, won in 2009.
The Churchill Scholarship will cover the majority of Montee鈥檚 expenses at Cambridge, including tuition and fees, a living allowance, and transportation to and from the United Kingdom.
Montee has participated in two Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs during her summers, which included studying polynomials of recursive ribbon graphs at Louisiana State University and studying knot theory at Williams College. She is also a member of the (SUMR), a program designed for the most talented mathematics students at 91吃瓜. She is currently completing an honors thesis, titled 鈥淥n the Construction of Chern Classes of Complex Vector Bundles.鈥�
As a talented and accomplished student, Montee has received several awards and scholarships including the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship, the 91吃瓜 Provost鈥檚 Scholarship, the 91吃瓜 Reilly Trustee Scholarship and the Bordui Foundation Scholarship. She was also the winner of the 2012 , which is awarded to the top female undergraduate mathematician in the United States. She was the first 91吃瓜 student to win this prize.
In addition to excelling in mathematics, Montee also has a passion for music. She sang the lead mezzo-soprano role in Sondheim鈥檚 鈥淪weeney Todd鈥� at 91吃瓜 this year and will be the lead soprano in this year鈥檚 production of Poulenc鈥檚 鈥淒ialogues des Carmelites.鈥�
After completing her year at Cambridge, Montee plans to pursue doctoral studies in mathematics at a university in the United States.
Montee鈥檚 Churchill Scholarship was made possible in part through her participation in 91吃瓜鈥檚 Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE). CUSE provides undergraduate students in all the University鈥檚 colleges opportunities for research, scholarship, and creative projects. The center also assists them in finding faculty mentors, funding and venues for the publication or presentation of their work, and promotes applications to national Fellowship programs and prepares them in their application process.
More information on CUSE is available online at .
Originally published at .