The Otto Graf and Jack Meiland Scholarships honor the late Professors Otto Graf, who served as director of the Honors Program for eighteen years, and Jack Meiland, who championed interdisciplinarity in the Honors curriculum. They are given to rising seniors - students whose educational careers and aspirations embody our engaged liberal arts pedagogical philosophy. In application essays and interviews, applicants are asked to reflect upon the depth of their specialization in their honors major, the breadth of intellectual curiosity displayed in their elective courses, the demonstrated leadership potential and commitment to improving the lives of others in their co-curricular activities. Many of our Graf and Meiland Scholars go on to become nominees for top national awards such as the Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford.

 

ISABELLA BLANTON, Otto Graf Scholar

Isabella Blanton from Flushing, MI is a double major in History and Honors Classical Archaeology. Her thesis research is on hero tombs in the Anatolia region of Asia Minor, and on the role of women in Greco-Roman societies. She works at U-M’s Kelsey Museum of Archeology and has studied at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. She intends to pursue a PhD in classical archaeology.

 

LUKA BYRNE, Otto Graf Scholar

Luka Byrne from Bethesda, MD is majoring in Honors Economics with minors in Statistics and Chinese. He has worked as a research intern with the Federal Reserve and is writing an honors thesis on the economic impact of remittances (money transfers to their home country) of migrant workers from Nigeria. He is currently studying abroad in Singapore. Luka intends to pursue graduate work in law or economic policy.

 

EVAN HALL, Otto Graf Scholar

Evan Hall from Clarkston, MI is majoring in Biology, Health, and Society and completing an Honors in the Engaged Liberal Arts project on HIV/AIDS education. Evan intends to pursue an MD-PhD in medicine and public health. Evan has been nominated for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships to study in the UK before medical school.

 

HENRY FLEISCHMANN, Jack Meiland Scholar

 

Henry Fleischmann from Chelsea, MI is a double major in Honors Mathematics and Honors Computer Science. Henry has worked on algorithms for electoral redistricting in Michigan. He intends to pursue an academic career in computational social science. Henry has been nominated for the Rhodes, Marshall, and Churchill Scholarships to study in the UK next year.