2 UChicago students, Barrington native studying at Penn, named Rhodes Scholars
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two University of Chicago students and a Barrington native studying at the University of Pennsylvania are among the 2025 Rhodes Scholars.
University of Chicago College fourth-year Francesco Rahe—a Hillsdale, Michigan native—was named a Rhodes Scholar on Sunday, as the 55th UChicago student to receive the honor.
Rahe will pursue a master's degree in classical Indian religion at Oxford University this fall—and is interested in particular in translating Sanskrit texts, the U of C said. Rahe hopes his studies will help address division between faiths.
"It means an immense amount to have received this opportunity," Rahe said in a news release issued Sunday. "I'm honestly a little stunned, but I also am trying to focus on making good on this opportunity. It's a gift, but it also comes with responsibilities. I want to make sure what I do in the future is able to repay this thousand-fold."
UChicago noted that Rahe—a fundamentals and religious studies major and a Roman Catholic himself—believes faiths become stronger when put in dialogue with each other. Rahe is also a writer who is now working on his 13th novel, and feels literature is a powerful vehicle for fostering such dialogues between religious faiths, the U of C said.
Rahe also noted that less than 3% of books published in the United States each year are translated—thus impeding those possible interreligious dialogues—and he hopes to become a literary translator to remedy this, UChicago said.
Rahe spent a summer with the American Institute for American Studies translating Sanskrit, and plans to focus on learning more techniques for translating Sanskrit while at Oxford, UChicago said. He also hopes to further build his fluency in Persian.
Another senior in the College at the University of Chicago, Anqi Qu, was named a Rhodes Scholar last week—UChicago's 54th. The Johannesburg, South Africa native plans to pursue a graduate degree in economics at Oxford.
"The Rhodes Scholarship is more than an achievement; it's a responsibility and a commitment to contributing to a better world," Qu, who is majoring in economics with a specialization in data science and statistics, said in a UChicago news release. "I see it as both a privilege and a promise—a promise to use this opportunity to drive positive change and to work towards creating a future where opportunity and equality are within reach for everyone. This is a responsibility I accept wholeheartedly, and I am excited to put in the effort it deserves."
Qu plans to study new methods of applying artificial intelligence to economic research and policy—and setting standards to prevent abuse, UChicago said. Qu's goal is to help create a world where everyone, regardless of the circumstances into which they were born, can thrive, UChicago said.
"We are at a pivotal point in history where AI can democratize knowledge and spur unprecedented progress, but it can also drive inequality and entrench disadvantages," Qu wrote in her Rhodes application as quoted by UChicago. "As we work on this frontier, it's essential to consider critically the social structures we are establishing for future generations. I see the development of equitable AI as one of humanity's most pressing challenges, and I'm committed to ensuring that the outcome is a more just society."
Also named as a 2025 Rhodes Scholar was Barrington native and University of Pennsylvania senior Om Gandhi. Gandhi is majoring in neuroscience and health and societies with a public health concentration at the Penn College of Arts and Sciences, and concurrently pursuing a master's in bioengineering at the School of Engineering and Applied Science, Penn said.
Gandhi is working on research into new cancer therapies and diagnostic approaches at multiple hospitals and medical research facilities. He has already co-authored more than 10 peer-reviewed manuscripts and presented at several national conferences, Penn said.
At Penn, Gandhi is the founder of Locust Bioventures, a student group that helps create biotech startups by giving Penn research teams strategic guidance and business materials to turn their discoveries into businesses. He is also president of the Wharton Undergraduate Healthcare Club and a teaching assistant for organic chemistry and tissue engineering, among other roles.
