Two UBC students win prestigious Rhodes Scholarships

Winners for BC and Prairie regions to continue studies at Oxford

VANCOUVER SUN – December 9, 2009

Two University of British Columbia students have been awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, which will allow them to pursue postgraduate studies at Oxford University in England.

Kayli Johnson, an honours chemistry student, is the recipient of the Rhodes Scholarship for British Columbia, while Jaspreet Khangura, a fourth-year student in medicine, is the recipient for the Prairie Region.

Johnson plans to pursue studies at the Oxford Centre for Water Research through the School of Geography and the Environment in order to help inform policy makers about the global water crisis. She also has interest in global issues and has been a part of many volunteer initiatives, the university said, in a statement Friday.

Khangura, a student in her senior year of UBC’s Doctor of Medicine program, plans to pursue the MSc in Global Health at Oxford to prepare for a career in health care. She has also been involved in numerous volunteer projects raising money for children in developing countries, the university said.

The Rhodes Scholarships, established in 1902, were designed to bring outstanding students from across the world to study at Oxford University.