EUGENE, Ore. -- ( Nov. 22, 2010 ) - University of Oregon senior Josh Lupton of Joseph, Ore., has been selected to study in England next year as a prestigious Marshall Scholar. He is the fourth Marshall Scholar from the UO in the scholarship program's 56-year history, and the second in two years.

"I hope to spend one year researching how neurons form synapses in the (University of Cambridge) biology department, toward a master's in biology, and a second year toward a master's in public health," said Lupton, a 21-year-old biology and human physiology major at the UO.

Lupton's family moved to Joseph after he graduated high school in Forest Grove, and he has since spent summers in Eastern Oregon and worked under an emergency room physician in Joseph during one break from school.

After studying for two years in England, he hopes to return to the U.S., "where I'll use that educational background from the Marshall combined with the great first-hand experience of the British health care system to help improve U.S. health care."

"Though those might be my lofty, long-term goals, in the short term I am mostly excited about using my education from the Marshall Scholarship to become the best clinical physician I can, and help improve the health of my patients," he said.

Lupton, who holds a 4.10 grade point average at the UO, also serves with Volunteers in Medicine in Eugene, helping to provide free primary medical and mental health services to more than 75,000 Lane County residents who have no health insurance. He is co-president of the UO Pre-Med Society and enjoys backpacking, hiking, snowboarding and other outdoor activities.

"Josh is superbly qualified, extremely motivated and adept at both book learning and hands-on research," said Chris Doe, a UO biology professor who recommended Lupton for the Marshall Scholarship. "These traits, plus his strong interpersonal skills, make me believe he will be an exceptional physician and Marshall Scholar."

Lupton first studied under Doe in a large classroom setting three years ago and has done research for the past year and a half in Doe's Drosophila (fruit fly) lab.

"To cut to the chase, Josh is a brilliant student and an excellent lab researcher - one of only two students that I have seen, in 20-plus years of teaching and running a lab, so proficient in both worlds," Doe said.

Lupton and UO senior Lindsay Short, a history major from Portland, both were chosen as Marshall finalists just a year after Tamela Maciel of Grants Pass became the third UO student ever to be awarded a Marshall Scholarship. Lupton and Short both were interviewed at the British Consulate-General in San Francisco a week ago, and Lupton was notified this week of his acceptance into the program.

Lupton, a student in the Robert D. Clark Honors College at the UO, has asked to pursue his courses of study at the University of Cambridge. If his British hosts are unable to accommodate that request, his second choice is to study at the University of Birmingham.

The Marshall Scholarship was established in 1953 by the British Parliament to honor former U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall and to commemorate the ideals of the Marshall Plan, which was a force in rebuilding Europe after World War II.

As many as 40 Marshall Scholars from the U.S. are chosen each year. The scholarships cover university fees, cost-of-living expenses, books and research fees for two years, with the possibility of one-year extensions.

About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 63 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.

MEDIA CONTACT: Joe Mosley, UO media relations, 541-346-3606, jmosley@uoregon.edu