Newswise — The University of Maryland has announced Dylan Rebois will be awarded the 2011 University Medal at the spring Commencement ceremony on May 19, 2011. The medal, awarded each year at May commencement, honors the graduating senior who best exemplifies academic distinction, outstanding character and extracurricular contributions to the university or public communities.
Rebois, an honors student with a 4.0 GPA, has made extraordinary accomplishments in all aspects of his undergraduate experience at Maryland, including academics, leadership and civic engagement.
"The leadership that Dylan Rebois has exhibited over four years embodies the University's highest ideals," said University President Wallace Loh. "Dylan has used his remarkable talents in the service of several worthy causes, advancing the University's mission of tackling society's most challenging problems. Dylan's extraordinary academic and extracurricular achievements have earned him this very distinguished award."
A mechanical engineering major in the A. James Clark School of Engineering, Rebois has been an active member of Engineers Without Borders since his freshman year. As a project leader with the organization's chapter at Maryland, Rebois developed and led a team of 30 students in designing and constructing a sustainable youth center in Addis Alem, Ethiopia in January 2010. Two years ago, he worked with a team that designed and built a solar-powered drive system for water pumps in Dissin, Burkina Faso.
Rebois has had a passion for creating solutions to environmental problems since he was young. This passion led him to pursue a degree in engineering and to develop aspirations to build renewable energy infrastructure in developing countries and contribute to policies addressing climate change. At Maryland, he has worked to affect change on campus by serving as a leader on the university's Student Sustainability Committee and an advisor with the Office of Sustainability. Rebois is also a member of UMD's Gemstone Program, a four-year, multidisciplinary research program for selected undergraduate honors students. He and a team of 10 fellow Gemstone students designed a cogenerative power plant that minimizes carbon emissions, as well as evaluating strategies for the university to reduce its carbon footprint.
Beyond Maryland's campus, Rebois has received significant recognition for his activism, academic success, and accomplishments. During his senior year, he was awarded one of only 32 Marshall Scholarships from a pool of 1,000 nominees nationwide. Marshall Scholarships, awarded to individuals with high ability and leadership potential, finance young Americans' pursuit of a degree in any field of study in the United Kingdom. As future leaders with a lasting understanding of British society, Marshall Scholars strengthen the relationship between the United Kingdom and United States. In his junior year, Rebois was awarded a Truman Scholarship by the Harry S. Truman Foundation. This prestigious national award recognizes leadership, intellectual ability and potential to make a difference. The $30,000 merit-based scholarships are presented each year to college juniors from across the country who have outstanding leadership potential and communication skills, are in the top quarter of their class, and demonstrate a commitment to careers in government or the not-for-profit sector. During his junior year, Rebois was also awarded a $5,000 Udall Scholarship, which recognizes future leaders across a wide spectrum of environmental fields, including policy, engineering, science, education, urban planning and renewal, business, health, justice and economics.
Following graduation, Rebois plans to pursue two graduate degrees, through the Marshall Scholarship, in the United Kingdom -- a Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Futures at Imperial College in London and a Master of Philosophy in Engineering for Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge. After completing his master's degrees, he will have the option for three additional years of funding towards a doctorate degree through his Marshall-EPA award.
Rebois' goals for the future are clearly defined. "Ultimately I want to address the issue of bringing energy access to the 1.5 billion people who lack it, without compromising the integrity of our environmental systems," said Rebois. He hopes to accomplish this by finding new industrialization paradigms that are not rooted in fossil fuels and resource-intense industries. "I hope my first few years out of school will be spent on the ground in developing communities learning effective strategies for energy development. I hope to apply that knowledge and experience to the development of international strategies for clean energy and rural electrification."
Rebois will be presented with the University Medal at the 2011 Spring Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 19, at 10 a.m.
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