Daniel McDonald, a senior mechanical engineering major and Morgantown native, is a finalist for the prestigious British Marshall Scholarship which offers more than 40 young Americans the opportunity to study in the United Kingdom for up to three years.
McDonald will interview for the scholarship Nov. 20.
If named a recipient, he plans to take a multidisciplinary approach to his graduate education by pursuing a master’s degree in philosophy at University of Birmingham and a master’s degree in neuroscience at Newcastle University.
“There’s an element of surprise and anticipation in being able to move forward to the next step, but it’s also quite sobering as I prepare and as I remember that I have gotten to this point because of the people and communities I’ve surrounded myself with while here at WVU,” he said.
Those communities began forming as early as McDonald’s freshman year in 2021.
He joined the WVU Center for KINETIC Plasma Physics where he designed and fabricated high precision instruments for measuring properties of plasma under the guidance of Earl Scime, Oleg D. Jefimenko Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Center director.
In the summer of 2022, McDonald transitioned to an undergraduate research role in the NeuroMINT Lab to work with Nicholas Szorcinski, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering, investigating a vision system inspired by the praying mantis and incorporating it into a custom robotic framework.
While at WVU, he participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, presented at Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol and is a member of the award-winning WVU robotics team. He’s also a leader with eNABLE, a nonprofit organization providing prosthetic limbs to people in need.
“All of these people and micro-communities have allowed me to make the most of my time here at WVU and prepare for the future,” McDonald said.
Founded by a 1953 Act of Parliament and named in honor of U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall, the British Marshall Scholarship commemorates the humane ideals of the Marshall Plan and expresses the continuing gratitude of the British people to their American counterparts.
WVU has had four previous British Marshall scholarship recipients – Lisa DiBartolomeo in 1991, Jacqueline Bass in 1999, Morgan King in 2018 and Myya Helm in 2021.
McDonald received support from the ASPIRE Office which assists students applying for nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships.
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