Churchill Scholarship
University of Rochester graduating seniors and recent graduates are eligible for this award, which offers a year of graduate study in STEM fields at the University of Cambridge.
The Churchill Scholarship fully funds selected US citizens to pursue a year of master’s degree study in eligible STEM programs at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
Established at the behest of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1959, the scholarship is typically awarded to fewer than 20 graduating US college students annually and promotes Churchill’s vision of US–UK scientific exchange to ensure future prosperity and security on both sides of the Atlantic.
Learn more about the Churchill Scholarship and other fellowship, scholarship, and award opportunities available to Rochester students.
Recent Churchill Scholar
Congratulations to our most recent University of Rochester recipient of the Churchill Scholarship!
Derek Chien ’25
Areas of study: Chemistry (BA) and bioethics (BA)
Details: 2025–26 Scholar
The Reno, Nevada, native will undertake a master’s of philosophy (MPhil) in biotechnology at the University of Cambridge, another step toward his goal of becoming a physician-scientist. Chien will take courses across engineering, mathematics, and business while simultaneously carrying out a research project that involves studying brain organoid models of Huntington’s disease using advanced microscopy techniques.
“I’m extremely excited not just for the opportunity to study cutting-edge approaches to bioscience at one of the world’s premier locations, but also for the opportunity to form lifelong partnerships with phenomenal peers from wildly different backgrounds,” he says. “This is especially true of the Churchill Scholars, who were handpicked from across 82 institutions as some of the world’s future leaders in STEM and science policy. It’s humbling to see how accomplished all of them are, and I’m beyond grateful to connect with them in a way that couldn’t be more professionally and personally enriching. Studying at Cambridge alongside them will magnify my ability to do good in the world and improve human health as an aspiring physician-scientist.”
A Rochester Early Medical Scholar (REMS), Chien was active in numerous student organizations and research programs at Rochester. He served as president of the UR Buddhist Students’ Association and on the executive board of the Asian American Student Union (now Asian Student Union). In addition, he was part of the inaugural group of the Beckman Scholars Program and was involved with four different research teams on campus, ranging from computational chemistry to clinical neuro-oncology. Chien also earned a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, which is awarded to high-achieving science students, as a sophomore; was named a Grand Challenges Scholar; and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa as a junior.
Prior to his undergraduate studies, Chien attended the Davidson Academy of Nevada, a public school for gifted students located on the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) campus, and took college courses concurrently with high school classes for three years. He was also involved in several scientific extracurricular activities, such as pursuing an independent project in a synthetic organic chemistry lab at UNR. The lab’s welcoming environment and the ability to make or discover something no one ever had before, he says, is what triggered his love for research and his decision to continue his scientific pursuits in college.
When a Rochester admissions officer visited his school, Chien researched the University and was intrigued by the REMS program and the interdisciplinary opportunities available. “Among all the combined medical degree programs in the country, it has probably the best combination of undergraduate and medical school programs, with both being first-rate. Most places have a tradeoff, so I felt that the REMS program was a hidden gem in allowing students to take advantage of excellent education across both campuses,” he says.
Chien was also attracted by the Medical Center’s reputation as the origin of the biopsychosocial model, which recognizes that physical, psychological, and social factors interact in a holistic fashion to influence a person’s well-being.
“It’s a very profound approach to medicine, and one that most schools are only beginning to replicate in their medical education,” he says. “It has really informed me in the way I’ve approached medicine from a scientific and humanistic perspective. Undoubtedly, I will be a better physician and a better scientist just from having been exposed to the biopsychosocial model. It will imbue my future practice, research studies, and clinical trials with a person-centered mission: to not just treat, but also heal.”
Belinda Redden, Rochester’s director of fellowships, expects the Churchill experience to be “transformative” for Chien but says there is much more to the scholar than his numerous awards.
“Derek has an uncommon drive to excel in all that he undertakes,” she says. “Equally remarkable is his ethos of humility, service, and compassion, which undergirds his ambition to marshal his talents to alleviate suffering.”
Chien had been conflicted about whether to pursue becoming a doctor or a scientist. At Rochester, he discovered he could be both.
“Back home, all the doctors I met only saw patients and did no research. I was uneasy, because while I wanted to work in a clinical capacity, I wasn’t ready to give up my passion for inquiry and discovery. But coming to Rochester, I was able to meet physician-scientists to see what this career path was like,” he says. “A lot of my mentors were physician-scientists, and I realized it was a perfect way to blend my interests in medicine and science.”
Past Churchill Scholars and Finalists
Steven Torrisi ’16
Area of study: Physics (BS) and math (BA)
Details: 2016 Finalist
Randy Mehlenbacher ’10
Area of study: Chemistry (BS) and physics (BS)
Details: 2010 Finalist
Kristin M. Beck ’09
Area of study: Physics (BS) and Math (BA)
Minor: Music
Details: 2009 Scholar
Andrew N. Niles ’09
Area of study: Math (BA)
Minor: Economics
Details: 2008 Scholar
Kathryn E. Knowles ’08
Area of study: Chemistry (BS) and math (BA)
Details: 2008 Finalist
Robert F. Penna ’07
Area of study: Physics (BS) and math (BA)
Details: 2007 Scholar
Alexandra L. Larson ’03, ’04 (T5)
Area of study: Ecology and evolutionary biology (BS) and geological sciences (BA)
Details: 2004 Finalist