Burchard Scholars Program

Page Contents:01.About the Program02.Burchard Scholars03.Recent Speakers04.How to Apply

About the Program

The Burchard Scholars Program brings together distinguished members of the faculty and promising MIT sophomores and juniors who have demonstrated excellence in some aspect of the humanities, arts, or social sciences. The format is a series of dinner seminars that reflect the vast range of inquiry and research in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.

The Burchard Scholars Program consists of eight events throughout a calendar year. Seminars are held monthly, on Wednesday evenings from 5-7 p.m., during the school year from February through December.

About 35 MIT undergraduates are selected each year for the competitive program.

Burchard Scholars are chosen by SHASS faculty and staff.

Burchard Scholars

Angelina Ayoubi

Angelina Ayoubi

Biological Engineering and Philosophy ’28
Matthew Barnett

Matthew Barnett

Chemical and Biological Engineering ’27
Charles Black

Charles Black

Computer Science and Molecular Biology ’27
Jack David Carson

Jack David Carson

Electrical Engineering with Computing ’28
Justin Cole

Justin Cole

Climate Systems Science and Engineering ’27
Vincent Do

Vincent Do

Chemical and Biological Engineering ’28
Arianna Doss

Arianna Doss

Biological Engineering and Political Science ’27
Wendy Geng

Wendy Geng

Chemistry and Biology ’28
Janet Guo

Janet Guo

Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making ’27
Eduardo Hernandez

Eduardo Hernandez

Finance ’28
Johnnie W. Jones VI

Johnnie W. Jones VI

Mathematics ’27
Sonia Kekeh

Sonia Kekeh

Aeronautics and Astronautics ’27
Julia Li

Julia Li

Physics ’27
Fiona Lu

Fiona Lu

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Mathematics ’27
Valeria Mejia

Valeria Mejia

Chemical and Biological Engineering ’27
Veronika Moroz

Veronika Moroz

Mathematics ’28
Eleanor Murphy

Eleanor Murphy

Chemical and Biological Engineering ’28
Paulitte Wanjiru Nganga

Paulitte Wanjiru Nganga

Electrical Engineering with Computing ’28
Madeleine Noll

Madeleine Noll

Chemical and Biological Engineering ’28
George Obongo

George Obongo

Chemistry and Biology ’27
Vlad Stefan Oros

Vlad Stefan Oros

Physics ’27
Carl Osborne

Carl Osborne

Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making ’28
Jordan Prawira

Jordan Prawira

Aeronautics and Astronautics ’28
Mercedes Randhahn

Mercedes Randhahn

Chemical and Biological Engineering ’27
Noah Roberts

Noah Roberts

Economics and Urban Studies and Planning ’27
Cayetano Sanchez IV

Cayetano Sanchez IV

Computer Science, Economics, and Data Science ’27
Maria Santos

Maria Santos

Computation and Cognition ’27
Daniz Sattarli

Daniz Sattarli

Chemical Engineering ’28
Christine Sinn

Christine Sinn

Economics and Finance ’27
Ruben Stephen

Ruben Stephen

Engineering and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science ’27
Annabel Tiong

Annabel Tiong

Chemistry and Biology ’27
Michael Turmilov

Michael Turmilov

Biology ’27
Jonah Xu

Jonah Xu

Biological Engineering ’27
Tina Zhang

Tina Zhang

Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making and Mathematics ’27
Ivy Zheng

Ivy Zheng

Computer Science and Engineering and Economics ’27
Megan Zhu

Megan Zhu

Biology ’27

Recent Speakers

Burchard Scholars speakers and faculty fellows lead talks that cross academic disciplines. Drawing on the school’s vast fields of expertise, the seminars offer diverse avenues of exploration for ambitious scholars.

Students don’t simply listen to these speakers, they engage with them. During dinners, faculty and students share ideas and sit beside one another.

Here’s a taste of some recent talks:

  • “Sovereign Knowledge: A Journey From Science to Religion and Back Again,” Eli Nelson.
  • “Inference on Winners,” Isaiah Smith Andrews.
  • “Artificial Intelligence and Governments: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” Martin Beraja.

How to apply

Apply online to become a Burchard Scholar. Your application must include the following materials:

  • Curriculum vitae or résumé.
  • List of HASS classes you have taken at MIT.
  • A letter of recommendation from a faculty member who has taught you in a HASS course. The letter is due by the application deadline – November 20, 2026.
  • An unofficial MIT transcript.
  • An essay of less than 500 words. You can choose from any of the following topics:
    • If you could require every incoming MIT student to read one book, or contemplate one work of art, or listen to one piece of music, what would it be and why?
    • Write about an experience in which you encountered a tension between personal freedom and community standards. Discuss the experience and the underlying issues, how you dealt with the tension, and whether or not there was a satisfactory resolution.

You can access the application here.

Note on the application: after you create an account and log in, you’ll see a generic listing of ‘SHASS Awards’.   Don’t worry, you’re in the right place.  Click to ‘Start New Application’ and when it comes time to select the fund that you are applying for, choose “Burchard Scholars” in the dropdown list.

Applications will not be considered until the recommendation letter has been received.

See Important Dates for when the online application closes.

If you have questions about the award or how to apply, email a member of the Burchard Scholars Committee for support.

Eligibility criteria

MIT sophomores and juniors who have demonstrated excellence in some aspect of the humanities, arts, or social sciences are eligible.

Important dates

The application for the Burchard Scholars’ 2027 cohort will open on October 6 and the deadline to submit an application is November 20, 2026.

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