WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Senior Carly Marshall of Purdue women’s swimming and diving is the first Purdue student of any kind to be selected as a finalist for the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
Marshall is a four-year letterwinner for the Boilermakers that specializes in sprint freestyle events. She is a two-time Distinguished Big Ten Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten honoree while majoring in neurobiology and physiology. The Carmel, Ind., native has already been accepted to the University of Cambridge in England.
Marshall is in Washington, D.C., this weekend interviewing as part of the national competition for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship. Emphasized criteria include: outstanding intellectual ability, leadership, commitment to bettering the lives of others, and a good fit with the University of Cambridge.
“Carly is Purdue’s first finalist for this academic competition,” said Dr. Rosanne Altstatt, a dean’s fellow in Purdue’s national and international scholarships office. “Whether or not she actually wins the scholarship, being a U.S. finalist puts her in the top tier of students in our nation.”
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is awarded to outstanding students from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.
Marshall is a co-founder of the athletic outreach committee for the Purdue Dance Marathon, which raises funds for Riley Children’s Hospital. She was among the eight swimmers to earn a 4.0 GPA in the 2014 fall semester to help the Purdue women win the president’s cup for top team GPA (3.50) in the athletics department.
In the pool, Marshall continues to hold the Purdue freshman record in the 50 freestyle. She ranks among the program’s all-time Top 10 in the 50 free as well as the 200 free relay. She was part of the Boilers’ fastest 200 free relay teams in both 2012 and 2014, quartets that rank third and fourth in program history, respectively.
Marshall and her senior classmates were recognized for their contributions to Purdue swimming and diving prior to the Jan. 24 home meet against Indiana. Most of her teammates are competing against Minnesota and Northwestern at the Big Ten Triple Duals in Minneapolis this weekend.