Head of the Class

by David Hunt  

As a third grader in rural Cabarrus County, N.C., Brian Clark was intrigued by the mysteries of science, especially the origins of the universe and the nature of space and time. This year, he'll have the opportunity to delve considerably deeper into those subjects when he travels to the University of Cambridge for a two-year scholarship paid for by the British government.

Clark, a senior majoring in physics at North Carolina State University, is one of just 37 students nationwide selected for a 2008 Marshall Scholarship, established in 1953 to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Britain by giving U.S. graduate students access to some of Britain's most prestigious universities.

For Clark – the first in his family to attend college – it's a dream come true.

"Cambridge has some of the greatest minds in the world working in theoretical physics, string theory and cosmology," he said. "Stephen Hawking is the head of the department I'll be studying in. There's no other program in the world for me."

That's exactly what the scholarship judges wanted to hear. Gill Cooper, a program officer at the British consulate-general in Atlanta, said Marshall Scholarship recipients are selected based on their academic accomplishments – but also on the impact the scholarship will have on their personal and intellectual growth

Clark is quick to map out how his two years at Cambridge will lay the foundation for his future. Year one will see him complete a certificate of advanced study in mathematics, with a focus on theoretical physics. This is the elite program Cambridge uses as the entry point for its advanced physics program. Year two will be devoted to earning a master's of philosophy in physics

Support Pays Off for Students

NC State University offers exceptional support for students like Brian Clark who are seeking scholarships and fellowships to enhance their academic experience. Jennie LaMonte, director of the Fellowship Advising Office at the university, helps more than 600 students a year navigate the often confusing process of researching opportunities, filling out applications and preparing for interviews. "If they can dream it and it can be turned into a plan, the chances are really good that they can achieve it," says LaMonte. MORE

From there, Clark plans to earn a Ph.D. in physics and join the teaching profession. He has no doubt the next two years will put him at the center of the field's most perplexing issues.

"This is really an exciting time in physics," he explained. "During my second year the Large Hadron Collider will come online."

The collider, under construction at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland, will be the world's largest and highest energy particle accelerator. When activated, it is hoped that the collider will help scientists develop a grand unified theory to tie together the electromagnetic, weak nuclear, and strong nuclear forces.

Clark is no stranger to CERN. As a Caldwell Scholar at NC State, he spent the summer at the research center in 2007 and took advantage of the opportunity to expand his understanding of high-energy physics.

"I would talk to random people in the field, just sit down at lunch and have a conversation, see what I could learn," he said.

The experience helped when he faced the Marshall Scholarship committee last month.

"The majority of the panel members were previous Marshall scholars and three of them were physicists," he said. "The questions were really tough, actually. Afterwards, I told my dad, 'I don't know how I did, but I had a good time.'"

For now, Clark is focused on completing his studies and earning his undergraduate degree at NC State.

"I'm nervous about the program but incredibly excited because I know I'm going to gain from it," he said. "This is exactly what I've wanted to do since I was young."

Along with a sense of excitement, Clark will travel to Britain with a strong sense of purpose – committed to making the most of the opportunities that are open to him.

"My dad didn't graduate from high school," he said. "His dad died when he was 15 and he dropped out to help support his family. He didn't have the opportunity that he's helped to give me.

"My dad's the hardest worker I know and a great success in my eyes. I hope I can look back some day and say I've come as far in my life as my dad has come in his. That would be amazing."