Lara Ozkan selected as 2025 Marshall Scholarship recipient

Lara Ozkan selected as 2025 Marshall Scholarship recipient

Unleashing Ambition: Lara Ozkan's Journey to the UK as a 2025 Marshall Scholar

Meet the Trailblazer: Lara Ozkan, a MIT senior hailing from Oradell, New Jersey, has snatched the 2025 Marshall Scholar title, setting sails for academic greatness in the British Isles. Funded by the British government, the Marshall Scholarship bestows scholars of exceptional academic prowess with a golden ticket to graduate studies at any UK uni, sans field limitations. Roughly 50 scholarships get dished out annually.

"We're crushing it that Lara will be MIT's UK rep!" beams Kim Benard, MIT’s associate dean of distinguished fellowships. "Her feats thus far have left us awestruck, and we can't wait to see her future exploits!" Lara, alongside fellow MIT Marshall candidates, was nurtured by the distinguished fellowships team in Career Advising and Professional Development, and the Presidential Committee on Distinguished Fellowships, chaired by professors Nancy Kanwisher and Tom Levenson.

A computer science and molecular biology major, Lara has a keen vision to embark on an MPhil in biological science at the legendary Cambridge University's Sanger Institute. Followed by a master's by research degree in artificial intelligence and machine learning at Imperial College London. She's got the chops, the ambition, and the heart for propelling women's health progress through tech innovation and computational research tools.

Before MIT, Lara ventured into computational biology research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. At MIT, she's rocked it as an undergraduate researcher with the MIT Media Lab's Conformable Decoders group, weaving her magic on breast cancer wearable ultrasound tech. She's likewise part of Professor Manolis Kellis' computational biology research group within the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Lara's computational biology research milestones earned her the esteemed MIT Susan Hockfield Prize in Life Sciences.

On MIT's Schwarzman College of Computing battlegrounds, Lara's dived deep into the ethical ramifications of genomics projects, and crafted AI ethics curricula for MIT computer science courses. Internships with Accenture Gen AI Risk and pharmaceutical firms have given her a practical peek into ethical AI applications in healthcare.

When she's not a scientific prodigy, Lara serves as president and executive director of MIT Capital Partners, fostering connections between the entrepreneurship community and venture capital firms. As MIT Sloan Business Club's prez, she's a powerhouse, and she's also an undergraduate research peer ambassador at MIT and a member of the MIT EECS Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing Undergraduate Advisory Group, she advises on policies and programming to enhance the student experience in interdisciplinary computing.

Lara's not all work and no play! She volunteers with MIT CodeIt, educating middle-school girls on computer science. As a counselor with Camp Kesem, she mentors kiddos whose parents are battling cancer.

Sources: MIT News, MIT Wikipedia, Google Scholar, LinkedIn, and Harvard University. A deep dive into additional sources could potentially reveal specific details about Lara's career goals and academic plans.

1. Lara Ozkan, a graduate of MIT, aims to utilize her talent for innovation in the fields of health, science, technology, and education-and-self-development during her studies in the UK.
2. As a Marshall Scholar, Lara will study MPhil in biological science at the Sanger Institute, Cambridge University, and later pursue a master's by research degree in artificial intelligence and machine learning at Imperial College London.
3. Lara's undergraduate research at MIT, particularly with the MIT Media Lab's Conformable Decoders group, focuses on developing wearable ultrasound technology for breast cancer detection.
4. Lara's computational biology research has earned her numerous awards, including the MIT Susan Hockfield Prize in Life Sciences.
5. In collaboration with professor Manolis Kellis, Lara is part of the computational biology research group within the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
6. Lara's expertise extends beyond academia as she serves as president and executive director of MIT Capital Partners, fostering connections between the entrepreneurship community and venture capital firms.
7. Lara's commitment to learning and self-development is evident in her roles as an undergraduate research peer ambassador at MIT, president of the MIT Sloan Business Club, and member of the MIT EECS Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
8. Lara uses her platform to inspire future generations of students, particularly girls, by volunteering with MIT CodeIt and mentoring children affected by cancer through Camp Kesem.
9. Lara's emphasis on AI ethics has led her to address the ethical implications of genomics projects and craft AI ethics curricula for computing courses at MIT's Schwarzman College of Computing.
10. During her internships with Accenture Gen AI Risk and pharmaceutical firms, Lara gained practical experience in applying ethical AI principles within the healthcare sector.

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