CAMBRIDGE BOUND COOG!

Phillip Kieval, a second-year graduate student in philosophy at the University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, has been named a recipient of the 2021 Gates Cambridge Scholarship, widely regarded as one of the most prestigious national fellowships.

Kieval is the first UH student to receive the honor and is one of just 25 students chosen from 638 candidates across the country. An additional 55 international students will be selected to begin studying at the University of Cambridge in fall 2021.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation established the Gates Cambridge Scholars in 2000 "to create a network of future leaders from around the world who will bring new vision and commitment to improving the life circumstances of citizens in their respective countries.” It is offered to intellectually outstanding postgraduate students with a capacity for leadership and a commitment to improving the lives of others.

Phillip Kieval is the first University of Houston to be awarded the Gates Cambridge Scholarship.

Top: Bill and Melinda Gates meet with women in Jamsaut village in Bihar, India in 2011. ©Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation/Prashant Panjiar | Bottom: Credit: The Gates Notes, LLC

"I am thrilled for Phillip to have this extraordinary opportunity to study at the University of Cambridge."
Paula Myrick Short, UH Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

"I am proud of his achievement and the support he received from the UH Honors College," said Paula Myrick Short, UH senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. "I know Phillip will carry the Cougar spirit with him to the United Kingdom."

As a 2021 Gates Cambridge scholar, Kieval will receive the full cost of studying at Cambridge and discretionary funding for fieldwork, academic development and more. He will also be part of a vibrant scholar community. There are at least 225 scholars from about 50 countries studying in Cambridge at any one time who pursue the full range of subjects available.

After completing his master’s in philosophy this spring, Kieval intends to pursue a doctorate in the Department of History and Philosophy Science at Cambridge.

“My research attempts to understand how we can use philosophical as well as formal mathematical tools to analyze the structure and content of abstract representations encoded in artificial intelligence systems in order to better understand and harness the capacities of this technology,” said Kieval. “I am interested in exploring important questions concerning the widespread implementation of AI.”

At UH, Kieval was a member of the Honors College and participated in several programs administered by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards, including the Mellon Research Scholars Program and the Senior Honors Thesis.

“I’m especially indebted to the Mellon Scholars Fellowship for giving me a taste of what full-time research in the humanities is like. The preparation that program provided cemented my desire to pursue a career as a scholar,” said Kieval.

The application for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship is intensive and potential candidates are required to apply to the University of Cambridge, as well as the actual fellowship.

“It is also not a given that applicants will be considered for selection. A candidate’s proposed department at Cambridge must first rank the applicants it would like to nominate for consideration by the Gates Cambridge Trust. We are very proud of Phillip for all his hard work and commitment,” said Ben Rayder, director of scholarships and major awards at the UH Honors College.

Kieval is excited to represent UH at Cambridge and is grateful to all who supported his application.

“UH occupies a very special place in my heart. This university has cultivated such a lively, diverse, and intellectually stimulating environment. I never would have received this prestigious award if it weren’t for the opportunities to develop as both a scholar and as a person that I found here at UH.”

More information on the Gates Cambridge Scholarship and a complete list of the 2021 scholars can be found here.

Story written and edited by Ben Rayder and Chris Stipes