Northeastern Leaders Nominated for Distinguished UK Scholarships

This year, Northeastern nominated a talented and ambitious slate of candidates for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships, awards that support study in the UK for those distinguished by their academic accomplishments, records of leadership, and drive to serve.  These students represent the highest ambitions of Northeastern and we are very proud to share their stories with you. Read below to learn more.

Sophie Pyrah COS’26, Biochemistry
Mentors:Leigh Plant, Kirin Gada, Lori Ferrins, Yetunde Oyesakin, Jude Mathews
Nominations: Rhodes Scholarship, Marshall Scholarship
Home: Washington
Sophie Pyrah is studying Biochemistry and pursing a minor in Behavioral Neuroscience. Her research journey began at the Plant Lab, where she investigated post-translational modifications of the Kir2.1 ion channel. Specifically, the effects of SUMOylation by Ucb9 for the purpose of identifying druggable targets for hypoxia and ischemia. She was awarded a PEAK Fellowship before transitioning to the Lab for Neglected Tropical Disease Drug Discovery, where she synthesized small-molecule inhibitors of Trypanosoma proliferation. She created a library of compounds in order to identify better drug candidates for Human African Trypanosomiasis infections by optimizing metal catalysis conditions. Currently, she is completing her coop at UCB Biosciences on the Medicinal Chemistry team where she works on the development and optimization of macrocyclic peptides. Sophie has enjoyed developing a holistic approach to molecular design – from analyzing structural protein data and structure-activity relationships to proposing synthetic modifications that optimize potency and selectivity. Beyond her research, Sophie tutors organic chemistry and is working with Professor Jude Mathews to design and integrate a research project into the undergraduate Organic Chemistry III Lab, providing students with hands-on experience in synthesis strategies, molecular modeling, and drug design. Sophie aims to pursue a research DPhil in Chemistry; her scientific drive is centered on utilizing synthetic chemistry in the design of molecular tools that probe and modulate disease mechanisms for therapeutic development, specifically of neurodegenerative diseases. When she’s not in the lab, she enjoys baking cakes and perfecting her recipes.

Firinne Rolfe CSSH’25, Sociology
Mentors: Joseph Wilhelm, Isabel Martinez, Linda Blum, Diana Gibson, Nina Sylvanus, Taylor Criz
Nominations: Rhodes Scholarship
Home: Canada
Bio: Firinne Rolfe graduated from Northeastern in May 2025 with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Political Science. Over her four years, Firinne was a key member of the Northeastern varsity rowing team. She led her team as a captain during her junior year and was part of the varsity eight that helped win the conference championship each of her four years. This past summer she represented Canada at the Junior Pan American games, medaling in the women’s four and eight. Under the mentorship of Dr. Isabel Martinez, she worked as a research assistant looking at the capacity of immigration legal service organizations in Massachusetts. In addition she researched and wrote a guide for pro bono lawyers on trauma informed youth centered lawyering for Safe Passage Project, a non profit  in New York City that provides legal services for immigrant and refugee youth facing deportation. Firinne is an avid political campaigner and has volunteered in multiple successful progressive  provincial and municipal campaigns in her home of Victoria, British Columbia. She loves connecting with voters at the door and has also run social media accounts for candidates. In her free time, Firinne can be found reading, listening to political podcasts and going on hiking trips. Firinne wants to bring her immigrant advocacy to the Canadian context and aims to work for an immigration NGO.

Madeline Roma CSSH’26, International Affairs & Criminal Justice
Mentors: Nikos Passas, Christine Doucette, Jacob Stowell, Felix Rodiguez, Malcolm Purinton
Nominations: Rhodes Scholarship, Marshall Scholarship
Home: Massachusetts
Bio: Madeline Roma’s background as a military brat ignited her passion for national security and diplomacy. An International Affairs & Criminal Justice major with a minor in Spanish, she has deepened her expertise through graduate-level coursework in the Resilience Studies program. Madeline completed her first co-op as a crime analyst at the Boston Regional Intelligence Center, where she evaluated domestic terrorism patterns and provided insight into local gang activity. She pursued a second co-op at the Kostas Research Institute for Homeland Security and later worked in Washington, D.C., as a consultant at Control Risks. Her professional experience is complemented by extensive international study. In Spring 2024, Madeline participated in the Old and New Middle East: Egypt and Turkey Dialogue, exploring shifting regional power centers and democratic erosion. She travelled to Israel in May 2025 to speak with activists advocating for a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This Spring, Madeline will study at the University of Oxford as a Gilman Scholar sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Madeline also volunteers with the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation supporting active shooter and bomb prevention exercises. With aspirations for a Master’s in International Security and Global Governance, she hopes to pursue a career in public service, emphasizing the importance of social ties in community resilience. Madeline is a member of Fiction Addiction Book Club and is an avid skier. She greatly values the continued support of her beloved grandparents and younger brother, Matthew.

Armaan Sarao CAMD’26, Media Screen Studies & English
Mentors: Ellen Fontana, Nathan Blake, Heidi Kevoe-Feldman, Amy Tonkonogy, Andrew Krupa, Patrick Mullen
Nominations: Rhodes Scholarship
Home: Singapore
Bio: Armaan prides himself on being an advocate for the arts, aspiring to start up his own film production company that focuses on sharing stories from marginalized communities across the globe. Understanding how media can be used as a social tool to solve conflicts through compassionate storytelling is a paramount question he seeks to explore at Oxford. Over the last three years, Armaan has been involved in several leadership positions, including being President of NUTV, Northeastern’s only media production club, Director of Campus Services with the Student Government, and a Student Senator representing CAMD. All of these experiences combined have allowed Armaan to gain a passion for filmmaking and advocacy, spearheading multiple series with NUTV and co-signing legislation to improve campus public safety within the Student Government. Last semester, Armaan completed an Honors in the Discipline under Professor Ellen Fontana, researching the atrocities of warfare in the India-Pakistan conflict in Kashmir and presenting that through a handwritten novella centering around a martyred soldier in combat. Moreover, through Northeastern’s Honors program, Armaan volunteered at Bread for the City in Washington, DC, as part of Northeastern’s Alternative Spring Break program, and recently directed an original documentary during his Dialogue of Civilization to the UK. Armaan has received several awards, including the Student Government’s Senator of the Year in Spring 2023, the Curtis Lemar Haigh Scholarship in Spring 2024, and an induction into Northeastern’s Huntington 100 in Spring 2025. Outside of academics, Armaan loves long-distance running, reading self-help books, and teaching himself the piano.

Laurel Walsh COS’23, Biochemistry
Mentors: Jialu Karen Bao, Viktor Adalsteinsson, Mira Cantor, Sophia Ainslie, G. Mike Makrigiorgos
Nominations: Marshall Scholarship
Home: New Jersey
Laurel is committed to systematically improving our shared human experience as both a scientist and an artist. In 2023, she graduated summa cum laude as an Honors Program student with two unconventional co-ops in just four years. At 6K Energy, she developed a homemade filtration system to purify battery nanomaterial. She then worked to construct the first connectomic dataset of the Aedes aegypti mosquito’s antennal lobes in the Lee Lab at Harvard Medical School. Since graduating, Laurel has joined the Gerstner Center at the Broad Institute where she works on detecting circulating tumor DNA to monitor cancer progression in clinical patient studies, leading the processing for two and assisting on another four. She also leads an independent technology development project to improve CODEC sequencing sensitivity and broaden its applications. Currently, she has publications out in both NAR and CCR, one submitted to Nature, and at least three more on the way. Laurel has also been training as a fine artist for over two decades. She took on the creative direction of NU Mural Club, designing and managing the execution of large-form art installations for on- and off-campus groups with the goal of fostering community within the wider Boston area. She now serves as co-Chair of BroadRATS Social Committee and participates in Broad’s Scientists in the Classroom program where she teaches local eighth graders about her research and bioethics. She hopes to apply her eclectic skillsets in pursuit of a PhD/DPhil in genomic infectious disease surveillance technology development.

Emily Zakrewski COE’24, Civil Engineering
Mentors: Kenneth Gendron, Andrew Myers, Gregory Abowd, Theunis F. P. Henning, Hannah Lindgren, Dionisio Bernal, Matthew Eckelman
Nominations: Rhodes Scholarship, Marshall Scholarship
Home: New Jersey
Bio: Emily Zakrzewski earned her Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University in 2024 and has been actively shaping the engineering and development sector since. During her year post-graduation, she continued research and education on modular development, a topic she first explored in her senior capstone project. Motivated by the community need for low-cost housing, she investigated the technical potential of modular solutions and, at AEW Capital Management, examined the market opportunities and limitations surrounding modular development.
Currently, Emily works full-time as a civil engineer, focusing on enhancing connectivity and safety across Boston’s neighborhoods. She even engages with the city’s running culture to test and experience the connectivity of the networks she helps design. Bringing the same spirit of collaboration and community engagement to her role on her company’s corporate social responsibility team, she helps create meaningful connections between employees and local communities that benefit from engineering expertise.

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