December 2, 2005 Source: Mount Allison University:
http://www.mta.ca/news/ Festive Music at the Owens Art Gallery, Dec. 4 SACKVILLE, NB — Mount Allison’s Kyle Hill of Yarmouth, NS — an honours physics and mathematics student —is the University’s 46th Rhodes Scholar. He is one of 11 Canadian students and one of two Maritime students to receive this distinction this year. Dalhousie student Kimberly Rutherford has also been chosen as a 2006 Rhodes Scholar. Says Kyle, "I’m honoured to be chosen as a Rhodes Scholar and excited by the research possibilities for the future. I’m looking forward to continuing my studies at Oxford. I’ve never been to Europe, but I know it will be a great experience." Mount Allison University President, Dr. Kenneth Ozmon, is very pleased with the news, "We are very proud of Kyle and his many accomplishments at Mount Allison. The Rhodes Scholarships are awarded to students who excel in their studies, and in service to the community. Kyle is an exemplar at both. We know he will be an excellent representative of both Mount Allison and Canada at Oxford." Kyle will be completing his Master’s in physics at Oxford, specializing in planetary science. He explains, "My research supervisor at Oxford has worked in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) and was involved in the "Venus Express" mission launched a few weeks ago. This summer we will begin receiving data from the mission and I will be working on this as part of my thesis next year. It’s exciting to be part of a research group that will be the first in world to view the data collected from Venus Express. What’s more exciting is doing it at such a young age." He will be missed in the Mount Allison physics and mathematics departments though. As an undergraduate student, Kyle has already co-authored five academic journal articles and received first-place standing in all of Canada for his presentation, "Sputtering in Meteoroid Ablation at High Altitudes" at the 2004 CUPC Conference held in Victoria. Kyle is involved in many campus activities outside the classroom and the lab. During his first year at Mount Allison he created ‘SURF’ (Science Undergraduate Research Fair), a student-organized event that allows summer research students at Mount A the opportunity to present their research to their peers and professors. He is also a member of several University committees, including the Teaching and Learning committee, the Research and Creative Activity committee, and the Mount Allison Senate. To shake things up a bit, Kyle played trombone in the Mount A Jazz Ensemble, the Symphonic Band, and the Brass Choir and has been involved in several volunteer organizations including S.M.I.L.E (Sensory Motor Instructional Leadership Experience), a program that works to improve the quality of life for disabled children through weekly interaction, and the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life fund raiser. Kyle, the son of Hallett and Mary Hill and a graduate of Yarmouth Regional High, is also a Bell Scholar at Mount Allison. The Bell Scholarship, one of the University’s most prestigious academic awards, celebrates students who have demonstrated strong academic ability, leadership potential, volunteer work, extra-curricular activities, work experience, and good citizenship. The Rhodes Scholarships, awarded throughout the Commonwealth, the United States, and Germany, provide all expenses for travel to and study at Oxford University for two years, with an option for a third year. The current value of the scholarship is in excess of $100,000. Mount Allison University is thought to have the highest percentage, per capita, of Rhodes Scholars in the Commonwealth (46) and recently had four consecutive Rhodes Scholars in an equal number of years. —30— For further information please contact Laura Dillman, Mount Allison University, tel: 364-2600 (ldillman@mta.ca).
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