Smith and McDonald endorsed for British Marshall Scholarship

Daniel McDonald, from Morgantown, WVU mechanical engineering major (WVU Photo/Garrett Cullen)

Two talented and accomplished undergraduate students have been endorsed by West Virginia University for the British Marshall Scholarship.

Story by Lindsay Willey, Director of Marketing and Communications, Honors College
Photos by Garrett Cullen

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Isaac Smith, double majoring in music and French, and Daniel McDonald, a mechanical engineering major, were selected based on their academic merit as well as leadership and ambassadorial potential. Both are members of the Honors College.

Smith, a native of Limestone, was drawn to the Marshall Scholarship for its opportunities to further explore two areas important to him – music therapy and Irish studies.

If selected for the two-year scholarship, he intends to pursue a master’s in music and wellbeing at the University of Leeds in England and a master’s in Irish studies at the Queen’s University Belfast.

A musician and aspiring physician, Smith hopes to one day serve rural West Virginia and incorporate music therapy into his practice.

“When we look at the expansion and development of music therapy, the UK has the lead when it comes to research and its applications,” he said. “By studying music therapy and its integration into rural medicine, my hope is to see a therapy method that not only will have a deeper meaning and give a purpose to patients, but one that can be shared with others in the form of music, light and love.”

Smith sees a lot of cultural ties between the Irish and Appalachia; he hopes immersing himself in the Irish culture will help prepare him to serve the people of his home state.

“By studying in the northern part of the island of Ireland, I will be delving into the roots of the people of rural Appalachia, most of whom draw ties back to Scots-Irish heritage,” he said. “This part of Ireland is where people can find their ancestors' histories and where I can learn and understand more about the stories of Appalachia and how we became the people we are today.”

Foundation Scholar and Morgantown native McDonald is interested in pursuing a career at the intersection of the artificial and natural worlds.

As a WVU student, he got involved with undergraduate research during his freshman year and currently works 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.

“My work is investigating new ways robots can see the world and shrinking how much the computers need to think in order to do so,” McDonald said. “Although I say 'new,” really this method has been around for millions of years – we are just trying to catch up with nature."

If awarded a Marshall scholarship, he plans to take a multidisciplinary approach to his graduate education including a master’s in philosophy at University of Birmingham and a master’s in neuroscience at New Castle University.

“ Robotics is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary and the concepts are more abstract,” McDonald said. “Through my Marshall experience, I hope to equip myself with the last few centuries of inquiry into how the mind works – from both a philosophical and biological perspective – so that I can approach this ever-changing field with more than just my own ideas. The UK has hosted some of the most brilliant insights into these theories, and I intend to capitalize on them."

The British Marshall Scholarship offers talented young Americans the chance to study any academic subject at U.K. universities of their choice for up to three years. Since the scholarship’s establishment in 1953, four WVU students have been named recipients.

Smith and McDonald received support from the ASPIRE Office which assists students applying for nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships. 

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