Noah Barbieri will study economics at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

Noah Barbieri just added another accolade to his already impressive academic resume. After being awarded one of 62 Truman Scholarships nationwide in April, the Millsaps College senior recently was selected as a Rhodes Scholar.

Barbieri, a native of Belden, is studying economics, mathematics and philosophy, and he plans on using the award to attend the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

“I am absolutely shocked. It has been my dream to be a Rhodes Scholar since my senior
year of high school,” said Barbieri. “Even though I have been working towards it for a
long time, I cannot believe it actually happened. I have big dreams of making a
difference in the world. I know this scholarship can help me do just that, and I am
hoping to make the most out of this opportunity.”

Considered one of the most prestigious academic scholarships in the world, Rhodes Scholarships are awarded each year to approximately 95 students worldwide, including 32 students from the United States and its territories. The scholarship provides full funding for graduate level studies at the University of Oxford.

Barbieri’s sights are set on acquiring a Master’s Degree in Economics at Oxford to research solutions to inequality. Barbieri then plans to use his Truman scholarship at Harvard University to study public policy.

Barbieri is the second Millsaps student in the past three years to be named a Rhodes Scholar and the seventh in the history of the college. Since 2013, only 19 schools across the United States have had at least two Rhodes Scholars and at least one Truman Scholar.

At Millsaps, Barbieri he has served as a student body senator, treasurer and president, and was elected Student Body Leader of the Year, in addition to participating in several academic honorary societies.

After finishing his educational adventures, he wants to return to Mississippi to address the state’s issues, according to a press release from Millsaps.

“Noah’s persistence in the pursuit of excellence is truly extraordinary, and part of the
reason he has excelled in every facet of his life is that he simply works harder than just
about any undergraduate I have ever encountered,” said Kenneth Townsend, executive
director of the Millsaps Institute for Civic and Professional Engagement.

Barbieri is the second Millsaps student to receive the award in the past three years, and the seventh in the college’s history. About 95 students a year become Rhode Scholars, including roughly 32 in the United States and its territories.

“This is such an honor, and I would like to thank my family, friends, and professors for
the constant support,” said Barbieri. “I would like to especially thank Kenneth
Townsend. I will never forget when Professor Townsend called me in high school and
told me that he thought I would have a good shot at being a Truman and Rhodes Scholar
if I came to Millsaps. Man, was he right. He took me under his wing and walked me
through the process from day one.”


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Alex Rozier, from New York City, is Mississippi Today’s data and environment reporter. His work has appeared in the Boston Globe, Open Secrets, and on NBC.com. In 2019, Alex was a grantee through the Pulitzer Center’s Connected Coastlines program, which supported his coverage around the impact of climate change on Mississippi fisheries.