The University of New Mexico’s Abigail Pribisova, a senior studying computer science with Honors College distinction, has been selected for the 2023-2024 Churchill Scholarship. The Winston Churchill Foundation selects 16 scholars in science, math, and engineering every year. This year, the Foundation received 119 nominations from 77 participating institutions.
The Churchill Scholarship was established at the request of Sir Winston Churchill as part of the founding of Churchill College, Cambridge. It fulfills his vision of deepening the U.S. and U.K. partnership to advance science and technology on both sides of the Atlantic, ensuring our future prosperity and security. Pribisova is the third recipient of the Churchill Scholarship from UNM since we became a participating institution in 2017.
Pribisova is also a UNM Regents Scholar and a recipient of the 2021 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. She has worked at Moses Lab throughout her undergraduate career.
“It is a great honor, and I could not have done it without the support of my professors, mentors, family, and friends. I am excited to conduct impactful research at the University of Cambridge!” Pribisova said.
Pribisova was born in Prague and grew up in Michigan and Albuquerque. Most of her research has focused on mathematical and computational models of viral spread. Pribisova has also worked on satisfiability solvers, high-performance computing, network theory and applied machine intelligence. She is interested in continuing to study the connection between mathematical and computational models in applied and theoretical domains. Pribisova hopes to be a professor and conduct interdisciplinary research.
The Winston Churchill Foundation funds 18 scholarships per year, 16 of which are in STEM fields. The remaining two are in science policy. All 18 scholarships are awarded per year for one year of master’s study. The courses run between 9 and 12 months. The award covers tuition, roundtrip airfare to the U.K., visa fees and health surcharge, and an additional stipend. Recipients are also eligible to apply for a $4,000 special research grant. The total value is around $65,000.