University of Pennsylvania senior Jennifer (Jenna) Hebert from Pittsburgh, Pa., has won the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in psychiatry at the University of Oxford in England.

Hebert will graduate in May 2016 from Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences with a bachelor’s degree in the biological basis of behavior. Hebert’s senior honors thesis focuses on the effects of nicotine and stress on neural circuitry. She has published in Frontiers in Neuroscience and presented at the Society for Neuroscience’s conference. She has had a seat on the first varsity boat on the Penn Women’s Rowing Team since her freshman year and competed on the U.S. National Rowing Team.

“All of us at Penn are extraordinarily proud of Jenna,” said Penn President Amy Gutmann. “She is making her mark in the world of neuroscience research as one of the most multi-talented young scholars in the United States. As an exceptional young scientist, an extraordinary athlete, and a community volunteer, devoting her time and expertise to help others, she is a role model for students everywhere. Her energy and knowledge are going to have a profound impact on the world. Jenna is truly deserving of this prestigious recognition.”

Hebert was elected to Phi Beta Kappa during her junior year, while finding time to serve as a volunteer at the Philadelphia Adaptive Rowing Club, assisting and instructing physically and cognitively disabled rowers. She has studied the mechanisms underlying memory and has been drawn to drug addiction research. 

Established in 2000, Penn's Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships assists students in applying for scholarships such as the Rhodes.  

"We at CURF are extremely pleased that the Rhodes committee recognized Jenna's commitment to improving the world through her work understanding the biological basis of behavior,” said Wallace Genser, CURF senior associate director for fellowships and operations. “Jenna brought the same commitment and meticulous approach to applying for the Rhodes that she brings to her rowing and her scholarship, and it has been a genuine pleasure working with her."

Hebert is among 32 American college students who were selected for a Rhodes Scholarship. Rhodes Scholarships have been awarded by the Rhodes Scholarship Trust since the death of Cecil Rhodes in 1902. Penn student Ellis T. Robins was among the first group of Americans named as scholars in 1904.

The Rhodes Scholarship provides for two years of study at the University of Oxford. Students are selected on the basis of a combination of intellectual excellence and personal character offering promise of outstanding service to the world.