Brooks Lamb, a senior history major from Chapel Hill, TN, is a finalist for the 2017 Rhodes Scholarship, the oldest and most celebrated international fellowship award in the world.
The Rhodes Trust, established to honor the will and bequest of Cecil J. Rhodes, provides full financial support for Rhodes Scholars to pursue degrees at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom in partnership with the Second Century Founder, John McCall MacBain, and other generous benefactors. Each year, 32 young Americans are selected as Rhodes Scholars for their outstanding scholarly achievements, character, commitment to others and to the common good, and for their potential for leadership in whatever domains their careers may lead.
Dr. Judith Haas, co-director of postgraduate fellowships at Rhodes College, says about Lamb, “His professors speak glowingly of his intellectual curiosity, his impressive work ethic, and his commitment to connecting his scholarly interests with his desire to make the world a better place, while members of the campus community from all levels recognize Mr. Lamb as a campus leader, known for his humility and his ability to listen.”
A graduate of Forrest High School in Chapel Hill, TN, Lamb has developed a passion for farm and natural land conservation, leading to a summer internship with the Land Trust for Tennessee. Another internship with Overton Park Conservancy in Memphis provided him the opportunity to lead volunteers, develop new programs, and begin a book project that seeks to tell the park’s history through personal perspectives. On campus, Lamb participates in the Bonner Scholarship Program, serves as Honor Council president, and works as a research assistant for Dr. Tim Huebner.
In the spring of 2016, Lamb was named a winner of the Truman Scholarship, which provides him priority admission and supplemental financial aid at some premier graduate institutions, leadership training, career and graduate school counseling, and special internship opportunities within the federal government. After graduating from Rhodes, Lamb plans to pursue a J.D., concentrating on environmental law.