The Jefferson Scholars Foundation has selected 24 exceptional individuals from 13 states and the District of Columbia who will begin their graduate studies this fall at the University of Virginia as the 2015 Jefferson Fellows. 

Twenty of the Jefferson Fellows will pursue a Ph.D. in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences; two will pursue a Ph.D. at the School of Engineering & Applied Science and two will pursue an M.B.A. at the Darden School of Business. 

Established by the Jefferson Scholars Foundation in 2001, the Jefferson Fellowship is designed to attract to the University exceptionally talented graduate students who demonstrate outstanding achievement and the highest promise as scholars, teachers, public servants and business leaders in the United States and beyond. 

The 2015 Jefferson Fellows boast a number of significant achievements. Nine are published authors or editors of an academic journal; eight graduated cum laude, summa cum laude or magna cum laude; four are members of Phi Beta Kappa Society; four are members of discipline-specific honor societies such as Phi Sigma Iota (foreign language) and Phi Alpha Theta (history); one was the valedictorian at his undergraduate institution; and nearly all were recipients of at least one academic scholarship at their undergraduate institutions.

Jefferson Fellows receive the full cost of attending U.Va. and undergo a rigorous selection process. This year, 102 nominees were invited to come to Charlottesville to participate in the competition, which included department visits, seminars, student symposia and interviews conducted by U.Va. alumni and faculty.

The newest class will join a community of 46 incumbent fellows this fall and will have the opportunity to work alongside one another in the Jefferson Fellows Center, a state-of-the-art, LEED-certified building located near University Grounds. This unique space is designed to foster interdisciplinary dialogue among the Jefferson Fellows, as well as give them a space to plan, lead and participate in enrichment programming.

For a complete list of the 2015 Jefferson Fellows click here.