Senior wins Churchill ScholarshipAlpoge 14 to pursue graduate study at the University of CambridgeApril 15, 2014

By Stephanie Kacoyanis, Harvard CorrespondentWhen he first arrived on campus from his native Long Island, N.Y., Harvard senior Levent Alpoge debated between two concentrations: computer science and mathematics.The debate ended when Alpoge took Math 55 during his freshman year. That one class convinced him that the mathematics facultys teaching was inspired.One thing thats really cool about Harvard is that professors take a significant interest in helping undergraduates learn mathematics, he said. Theyre into teaching, and teaching is their passion.Now his decision is paying an exciting dividend, and taking him from one Cambridge to another.Alpoge was recently named aChurchill Scholarand will spend next year at theUniversity of Cambridge. There, he will complete Part III of the universitysMathematical Triposand conduct research in analytic number theory, which will earn him amaster of advanced study in mathematics.Alpoge decided to apply for the scholarship after his friend and fellow Quincy House resident Tony Feng 13won it last year.This opportunity really couldnt have come at a more ideal time, Alpoge said. The U.K. is currently producing some excellent mathematical research. There are a lot of breakthroughs coming out of Cambridge and Oxford right now, especially in the field of analytic number theory.There are other benefits, too.Ive never been to the U.K. for an extended period of time, he said. Im looking forward to traveling around Europe, especially visiting my relatives in Turkey.At Harvard, Alpoge is active as a course assistant for Math 55 and teaches 8- to 10-year-olds in the HarvardMath Circleprogram. He is co-editor in chief of theHarvard College Mathematics Reviewand has been a member of theHarvard Computing Contest Clubteam throughout his College career. His interests are not limited to mathematics, however: He enjoys soccer and is also an avid runner, completing his first marathon last November.In addition to the Churchill Scholarship, Alpoge won the Detur Book Prize, an award given to Harvard sophomores who achieved high academic standing as freshmen, was named aGoldwater Scholar, aJohn Harvard Scholar, and a member ofPhi Beta Kappa.First awarded in 1963,the Churchill Scholarshipswere created to encourage American students to spend a year studying in the U.K. Each year, the program provides 14 American scholars with funding for a year of postgraduate study in engineering, mathematics, or the sciences atChurchill College, University of Cambridge. In addition to covering academic costs, the scholarship funds each students travel, housing, and visa expenses.