Latest U.S. Rhodes scholar class includes more women than ever

The latest group of U.S. Rhodes scholars includes 21 women, the most ever in a single Rhodes class, and almost half of the 32 winners are immigrants or first-generation Americans.

The Rhodes Trust on Sunday announced the 32 men and women chosen from a group of 880 applicants endorsed by 281 U.S. colleges and universities for studies beginning next fall at Oxford University in England.

The organization said this is the first year of eligibility for the scholarship for those covered by an Obama-era program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, that shields young immigrants from deportation, and that a DACA recipient from Harvard is a new Rhodes scholar.

Duke, Princeton and Yale each had three Rhodes scholars.

One of the new Rhodes scholars is from Minnesota: Riley S. Tillitt of Eden Prairie, who is a senior at Yale University double-majoring in history, and ethics, politics and economics.

The announcement from the committee states that Tillitt "is interested in reforming U.S. criminal justice and drug policies and has engaged in deep public service related to criminal justice. He served as a member of the board of directors of Students for Sensible Drug Policy in Washington, D.C., and as the president of the Yale chapter. He was also the president of the Yale Model Congress and director-general of the Yale Model United Nations China. He served as a policy adviser for Governor-elect Ned Lamont, focusing on drug policy. At Oxford, Riley will read for an MPP in Public Policy and an M.Sc. in Criminology and Criminal Justice."

Also selected was an international group of scholars representing more than 64 countries.