McGill engineering student awarded Rhodes Scholarship

Nanaimo native Katherine Trajan to pursue water studies, policy and management

McGill University student Katherine Trajan has been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship. The world's oldest and pre-eminent academic fellowship, the Rhodes provides the successful candidate with two years of study at the University of Oxford. Only 11 Rhodes Scholarships are awarded in Canada annually.

A passionate environmentalist, 23-year-old Trajan has chosen to pursue an MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management at Oxford. "Because of the critical role of water in human development," she said, "I wanted to apply my degree in a way that would benefit those in the global south and tie in environmental concerns." She is in her final year of an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering with minors in Environmental Engineering and World Religions. She has maintained a 3.73 GPA.

While at McGill, Trajan dedicated much of her time to a water-related passion of a different kind. She swam with the McGill swim team for five years, training over 24 hours a week and competing six months a year. Trajan qualified for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Nationals five times and was awarded the Marie-Claude Saumure Memorial Award for top combined athletic and academic performance in 2006, and the Martlet Foundation T. Palmer Howard Award for leadership on an intercollegiate team and academic achievement in 2005. She has been on the Principal's Student-Athlete Honour Roll and a CIS Academic All-Canadian from 2001 through 2006.

Out of the pool, Trajan is a member of Engineers Without Borders, Promoting Opportunities for Women in Engineering and Gorilla Composting, a student-led recycling group at McGill. A classically trained pianist and vocalist, she has volunteered as a music teacher and performer.

Currently on a field study semester at McGill's Bellairs Institute in Barbados, Trajan says winning the award has not "settled in yet," but says, "The most wonderful thing about this award is that it brings you in contact with students from all around the world, bringing a wealth of experiences and perspectives to one specific topic."

Trajan will be leaving for Oxford in October 2007. She and fellow McGill student David Matthews have both been awarded Rhodes Scholarships this year.