"From Bill Gates' point of view, the purpose of the scholarship is to develop a network of leaders that will work on world problems," Kirchhoff said. "Gates has taken a strong interest in public health and reducing inequalities around the world...It's a major honor to have been selected."

Anne L. Berry `01, an economics concentrator, said she expects to use this scholarship to earn a master's degree in economics during the 2001-2002 school year. Berry's studies will focus on the international implications of government intervention with Internet regulation.

"I'm very happy to have the opportunity to go to school again," Berry said. "I wanted to go to England because I had never studied abroad and I think it is becoming increasingly important to have an international perspective on economics, because of increasing globalization."

The Gates endowment is the largest single sum of money that Cambridge University has received for the purpose of graduate studies. The scholarship is expected to bring 225 students each year.

The five other seniors who received the scholarship are Sean Bennett `01, E. Joanna Guldi `01, Eli L. Diamond `01, Isaac S. Nakhimovsky `01, and Roman Martinez `01. Of the American scholars chosen as recipients, Harvard has the most of any college.

--Staff Writer Sarah A. Dolgonos can be reached at dolgonos@fas.harvard.edu.