Williams Graduate Wins Marshall Fellowship
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"It was cold and rainy outside. I was sitting at my desk," said Aroop Mukharji when he received the call on his cell phone. "I have this silly tropical island ring tone that started blasting through the office."
Flustered, he answered. The caller informed Mukharji that he had won a Marshall Scholarship. "My immediate vocal reaction was garbled gibberish and disbelief. He must have mistaken me for another Aroop Mukharji."
Mukharji graduated in June from Williams. He will study in his first year of the scholarship at the London School of Economics for a master's degree in international relations and the second year at King's College London for a master's in international conflict studies.
He is the son of Drs. Jyoti Mukharji and Jhulan Mukharji of Prairie Village, Kan.
Named for Secretary of State George C. Marshall, the Marshall Scholarship Programme began in 1953 as a gesture of gratitude to the people of the United States for the assistance that the UK received after World War II under the Marshall Plan. The scholarships continue as a way to deepen and strengthen the transatlantic relationship through education and cultural exchange.
British Ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald described the 2010 recipients as representing "the finest and brightest young American minds across a dazzling educational waterfront."
Mukharji hopes to prepare for a career in global politics and international law.
"Whether through state service or work for an international institution like the U.N.," he said, "I'm eager to explore various options that address international politics, conflict resolution, and decision-making."
At Williams. he majored in mathematics and political science. He was actively involved in athletics, academic tutoring, research, and student governance. A member of the Gargoyle Society, an academic honorary society, Mukharji was voted "Mr. Williams" in his sophomore year and elected class speaker at graduation. He also spent his time singing in the Williams Octet and in songwriting.
He is currently a junior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, D.C. where he aids senior experts on their foreign policy research.
