Dartmouth Welcomes Three Rhodes Scholars

Ridwan Hassen ’15 is one of Dartmouth’s Rhodes Scholars.

Two members of the class of 2015 and one member of the class of 2014 have been named Rhodes Scholars this year. Ridwan Hassen ’15, Colin Walmsley ’15, and Miriam Kilimo ’14 have joined Dartmouth’s now 78 member score of Rhodes Scholars.

Walmsley, a Dartmouth Rugby Team player, Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity brother, 99 Rock radio show host, and Brovertones a cappella group member, plans to continue researching anthropology in addition to documentary filmmaking at Oxford, as The Daily Dartmouth reported. He is an anthropology and government double major, and is writing a thesis in both departments. His anthropology thesis relates to his research about homeless LGBTQ youth, and his government one relates to states’ responses to secessionist movements. He is a native of Canada.

Kilimo, an anthropology major, serves as a Research, Writing and Information Technology (RWIT) Center tutor and as an undergraduate advisor. She additionally is a member of the Dartmouth African Students Association, Christian Union, Jabulani African Chorus, and the Casque and Gauntlet senior society. Kilimo, moreover, was a salutatorian of her class. She spent her fall in her hometown of Nairobi, Kenya researching the practice of female circumcision in Kenya as it relates to women’s identity and sexuality. She plans to return to Kenya as an academic anthropologist after pursuing a Ph.D. in anthropology after her time at Oxford.

Hassen, a computer science and neuroscience major from Georgia, is interested in continuing his academic pursuits in neuroscience and computational biology at Oxford, as The Daily Dartmouth reported. Hassen is one of five children of Ethiopian and Somalian refugees, and is the first American to be named a Rhodes Scholar since Gabrielle Emanuel ’10. On campus, Hassen serves as an undergraduate advisor and Collis Center manager. He is additionally involved with the First-Year Student Enrichment Program, is a member of the Dartmouth Endurance Racing Team, and has done autism research at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

Hassen, Kilimo, and Walmsley follow 2014’s two Dartmouth Rhodes Scholars: Joseph Singh ’14 and Jonathan Pedde ’14.