UND senior one of only 40 in the nation to receive prestigious scholarship to study in UK

GRAND FORKS – Sydney Menne, a senior at UND, has been awarded the Marshall Scholarship, the first UND student to receive the scholarship in its 69-year history. The award funds up to three years of graduate study for its recipients, at their university of choice in the United Kingdom.

Menne, who is double majoring in physics and mathematics, was one of 40 undergraduate recipients of the award, out of an application pool of 951. The scholarship was established by the British parliament in 1953, and named in honor of former U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall, whose work in developing the Marshall Plan was instrumental in rebuilding post-World War II Europe.

“I feel really lucky, of course, to have been selected to represent UND at this level, but I know I couldn’t have done it without all the support of faculty and others,” Menne said via a UND press release. “That’s really what’s been especially meaningful to me. I’ve been able to work with so many amazing people.”

UND administrators and faculty alike praised Menne’s abilities as a leader and scholar.

“Earning this scholarship is an extraordinary accomplishment for Sydney when you consider the remarkable group of people Marshall Scholars encompass and the impact they’ve had on the world,” said UND President Andrew Armacost. “She is truly an exceptional scholar and leader and so deserving of this honor and recognition. Her example demonstrates to others what can happen when you combine talent, hard work, and the strength of the academic programs at the University of North Dakota.”

Tim Young, a UND professor of physics and astrophysics who has worked with and instructed Menne, said her ambition is evident.

“Sydney has so many personal traits that combine to make her one powerhouse,” Young said. “She has academic discipline and ambitious drive. She’s naturally inquisitive and has a deep thirst for knowledge. Her determination is larger than meets the eye, and her kindness is shared to all. This makes her a superstar.”

Menne plans on spending her first year of graduate study pursuing a master’s of science in propulsion and engine systems engineering at the University of Southampton, then transitioning to either a master’s in environmental policy and management at the University of Bristol, or a master’s in climate change and environmental policy at the University of Leeds.