University of Georgia senior Finn Walsh has been named a 2026 Marshall Scholar, one of the most competitive graduate awards for American students. This year, 43 students across the United States received the scholarship, with nearly a third coming from public or state universities. UGA was the only institution in Georgia to have a recipient.
Walsh, who is from Atlanta and an Honors student, will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in genetics and a minor in Spanish from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. Her undergraduate research has primarily focused on infectious diseases through work at the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities and the Odum School of Ecology.
The Marshall Scholarship, funded mainly by the British government, supports up to three years of fully funded graduate study at any university in the United Kingdom. Up to 50 students are selected each year for this program, which aims to strengthen ties between the British and American people and their institutions.
“As the University of Georgia’s newest Marshall Scholar, Finn is joining a prestigious group of students who have made significant contributions to their respective fields,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “I am very proud of her hard work to this point, and I look forward to all she will accomplish during her time in graduate school and beyond.”
With Walsh’s selection, UGA now counts 10 Marshall Scholars since the scholarship began in 1954.
“Finn has devoted her undergraduate years to studying infectious diseases across a variety of ecosystems, and we are extremely proud that her hard work has resulted in a Marshall Scholarship,” said Meg Amstutz, dean of the Morehead Honors College. “We at the Honors College are particularly grateful to the faculty and staff who have supported her throughout her time at UGA.”
Walsh’s research interests focus on how interactions among humans, animals, and ecosystems affect health outcomes. She is currently studying parasite and pathogen transmission between terrestrial and marine mammals under Andrew Park, professor at both the Odum School of Ecology and College of Veterinary Medicine. Walsh met Park during her freshman year after attending his seminar on epidemic history.
As a Marshall Scholar, Walsh plans to pursue two master’s degrees: one in medical anthropology at the University of Edinburgh and another in one health through a joint program offered by Royal Veterinary College and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. After completing these programs in the UK, she intends to return to the US for an M.D.-Ph.D., aiming for a career focused on vector-borne disease control.
“Infectious diseases simultaneously fascinate and terrify me,” Walsh said. “They have shaped our health, our history and even our genome. I’ve grown to appreciate the interconnected nature of the health of different species and its relevance to emerging diseases. In pursuing a career as a physician-scientist, I hope to combine medical knowledge of infectious diseases and a broader understanding of prevention and control strategies.
“I am confident that the experiences I will have and relationships I will develop as a Marshall Scholar will form the cornerstone of the rest of my career,” she said.
Walsh’s academic journey includes research stints at several institutions: field studies on vector species across Southeast US; cell division research as a visiting student at University of Oxford; lab work with veterinary students in India; conservation genetics work in Costa Rica; seed bank volunteer work at Atlanta Botanical Garden; shadowing healthcare providers in South Africa; as well as leadership roles within various organizations at UGA including president of Medical Reserve Corps Students at UGA.
She is also recognized as a Crane Leadership Scholar through Morehead Honors College, member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society, Sigma Delta Pi honor society member, peer learning assistant in biochemistry courses, co-leader for Medicine in Literature Book Club, college volunteer at Piedmont Athens Regional Health Center, aerial arts student at Canopy Studio—and previously volunteered with Women in Science organization along with Red Cross and IMPACT initiatives.
The Major Scholarships Office within Morehead Honors College provides support for students seeking national or international scholarships. For further information about scholarship opportunities or application processes at UGA contact Jessica Hunt (jhunt@uga.edu).
