Meir Barth among seventy-seven scholars from thirty countries to receive the award
AMHERST, Mass. – Meir Y. Barth, of Newton, Mass., a 2018 graduate of Commonwealth Honors College at the Amherst, is one of seventy-seven scholars from thirty countries selected to receive a Gates Cambridge Scholarship that funds one year of graduate study at the University of Cambridge in England. He is the second UMass Amherst student to receive the award.
As an undergraduate at UMass Amherst, Barth constructed an individualized program around the study of social philosophy and communication theory. This individualized concentration drew on courses in several fields, including communications, philosophy, disability studies, sociology, education/educational philosophy, psychology, and linguistics/psycholinguistics.
In 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a donation to the University of Cambridge of $210 million to establish the Gates Cambridge Trust. This benefaction creates in perpetuity an international scholarship program to enable outstanding graduate students from outside the United Kingdom to study at the University of Cambridge. The trustees are required to award scholarships on the basis of a person’s intellectual ability, leadership capacity and desire to use their knowledge to contribute to society throughout the world by providing service to their communities and applying their talents and knowledge to improve the lives of others.
In his Gates Cambridge bio, Barth writes, “My Ph.D. research will explore innovative methodologies to identify and leverage diverse human abilities - informed, I hope, by insights from this extraordinary circle that I am honored to join. Ultimately, I seek to become an academic activist and agent of change in the structures and organizations that impact the development of all human potential.”
“The Scholars-elect fully meet the aspiration of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s generous and historic gift to the University of Cambridge. This year's selection process has taken place against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic which more than ever shows the vital need to bring together from around the world the most brilliant minds from the most diverse backgrounds to work on global challenges,” said Barry Everitt, Provost of the Gates Cambridge Trust.
"This year's cohort, like its predecessors, is an impressive group of individuals who have already made their mark in their academic studies and demonstrated strong leadership qualities,” Everitt continues. “We are particularly delighted that we were able to offer awards to a large number of Ph.D. scholars. We are certain that our 2020 Gates Cambridge cohort will flourish in the vibrant, international community at Cambridge and go on to make a significant impact in their fields and the wider global community.”