EUGENE, Ore. -- (Nov. 3, 2010) - Two University of Oregon students have been chosen to be interviewed in San Francisco next week, in the final round of the Marshall Scholarship selection process.

Lindsay Short, a history major from Portland, and Josh Lupton, a biology and human physiology major from Joseph, Ore., were chosen as finalists just a year after Tamela Maciel of Grants Pass became the third UO student to be awarded a Marshall Scholarship in the prestigious program's 55-year history. Short and Lupton both are 21-year-old seniors at the UO.

"Until last year, I never even dared to dream of something this significant happening to me," Short said. "I am completely indebted to the University of Oregon professors and staff who have helped and encouraged me along the way, and I hope to make them proud in the next stage."

Lupton, a student in the Robert D. Clark Honors College at the UO, said he was volunteering with Volunteers in Medicine when he received an e-mail from the British Consulate-General in San Francisco, inviting him to the Nov. 8 interviews. He told a couple friends, then went outside to phone his parents and the dean's office in the UO College of Arts and Sciences.

"I was honored to be nominated by the University of Oregon for the Marshall Scholarship, and now that I am a finalist I am very excited for the opportunity to show my passion for becoming a Marshall Scholar," Lupton said.

Short and Lupton each hope to study at the University of Cambridge if chosen for Marshall Scholarships, which typically run for two years. Short, who has a 4.07 GPA, hopes to earn a doctorate in history; Lupton, whose GPA is 4.10, wants to pursue master's degrees in biology and public health before returning to the U.S. to become a doctor.

"My career plans are not yet cemented," Short said. "If I were fortunate enough to study at Cambridge, I can only imagine the opportunities that would be available."

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