Ethan Eade Heads to Cambridge on Marshall Scholarship

Duke senior Ethan D. Eade is the winner of a Marshall Scholarship, which finances two years of study in the United Kingdom.

Up to 40 scholars are selected each year to study either at the graduate or, occasionally, the undergraduate level in any field. Marshall Scholars are considered potential leaders and decision-makers.

Eade, from Timonium, Md., is a computer science and mathematics double major who hopes to become a professor of computer science at a major research university. He plans to enroll in the engineering department at the University of Cambridge to pursue a master's degree in information technology.

"I'd like to express my gratitude to my professors and colleagues who have given me so many opportunities while I've been at Duke and who have made my journey so enjoyable," Eade said. "I'm extremely honored to receive the award and am very much looking forward to spending the next two years at Cambridge studying more nifty things."

While at Duke, Eade has been engaged in computer network research with associate professor Amin Vahdat in the Department of Computer Science. Eade, an A.B. Duke Scholar, is also the lead software engineer for the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle project of the Duke Robotics Club. He plays trumpet in the Duke Symphony Orchestra and a variety of other performance groups at Duke and is a dedicated weightlifter.

This spring, Eade was one of four Duke students selected for the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship in Science, Mathematics and Engineering. The $7,500 scholarship is a merit-based award given to undergraduates planning research careers in mathematics, engineering or the natural sciences. Up to 300 students nationwide win the award each year.

Eade is also the winner this year of a Faculty Scholar Award, which represents "the highest honor that the faculty of Duke University can bestow upon its undergraduates. The award is presented for "intellectual leadership and a record of scholarly accomplishment."

Robert Thompson, dean of the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, said Eade "is viewed with the greatest respect -- in some cases approaching awe -- by teachers in computer science and there seems little doubt that he will join them before long as professor. He has already made significant contributions in robotics and distributed systems and he is genuinely excited by the prospect of graduate study where he can move ahead with his research."