The Office of Fellowships and Scholar Programs is excited to announce that Eric Bringley has been named a Gates Cambridge finalist. Established in October 2000 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the highly competitive and prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship funds the pursuit of a graduate degree at the University of Cambridge in the UK. Worldwide, 95 scholarships are awarded annually, with 40 of those going to American students. Recipients are selected on the basis of outstanding intellectual ability, leadership potential, commitment to improving the lives of others, and the fit between the applicant's qualifications and aspirations and the program at Cambridge for which they are applying. One of 100 American finalists selected, Bringley will interview in Seattle, WA on January 30th.

Bringley is a senior in the South Carolina Honors College, pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering with minors in Mathematics and Chemistry. A 2014 Goldwater Scholar, he is also a 2013 Magellan Scholar and 2012 Rothburg Scholar. He spent the summer of 2015 as an American Chemical Society International Research Experience for Undergraduates Fellow, doing research in theoretical chemistry in Ulm, Germany. Bringley is also president of USC's student section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. His research career has led him to complete 13 technical presentations and two publications. Bringley plans to complete a PhD in Chemical Engineering to produce social benefits through science and technology.

Bringley was assisted by the University's Office of Fellowships and Scholar Programs (www.sc.edu/ofsp ) which provides advisement and support to students competing for national fellowships.