Madison Brode, a senior biological science major at Mississippi State, is the university’s first Marshall Scholarship laureate. The Marshall Scholarship is a prestigious grant that provides graduate-level study in the United Kingdom to a select 50 American students each year.
“Gifted and accomplished scholars like Madison Brode are a strong testament to the mission and vision of our university,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “I am so proud of Madison’s superior record of academic success and of how magnificently she represents our faculty, staff, and students. Our Shackouls Honors College continues to be a launching pad for excellence.”
Brode, a Memphis native, will study biodiversity, conservation, and management at the University of Oxford in England, where she has already attended two study-abroad sessions.
Scholarships from MSU’s Turner A. Wingo Honors College Excellence and Dr. Nancy Hargrove Study Abroad endowments helped fund some of her international trips.
“I am so extremely excited and honored to be selected as a Marshall Scholar, and I am thrilled to be returning to the U.K. to pursue graduate studies. The support I’ve had in pursuing research, studying abroad, and applying to external scholarships as a student at MSU has been incredible. I think winning the Marshall Scholarship is undoubtedly a reflection of the amazing opportunities I’ve had during my undergraduate career,” said Brode, who has conducted significant research in ornithology and behavioral ecology of birds.
“What initially drew me to the U.K. and what makes me want to return for graduate study is its rich history of studying and conserving birds. In whatever role I am in after college, I hope I can connect people to nature,” she added.
Brode is expected to receive her undergraduate degree in the spring of 2024.
