Wake Forest senior Alice Hauser named Rhodes Scholar

Philosophy and Piano Performance double major and refugee advocate Alice Hauser has been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at England’s Oxford University beginning in the fall of 2023.

She was among 32 Americans chosen by the Rhodes Trust who were selected on Nov. 12 from among 840 candidates endorsed by 244 different colleges. 

Hauser, from Kennebunk, Maine, plans to pursue a Master in Science in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies and a Master of Philosophy in Law, with the ultimate goal of promoting justice for populations in need.

She is a Stamps Scholar—a recipient of one of Wake Forest’s prestigious Signature Scholarships awarded to exceptional incoming freshmen on the basis of merit—and is the 15th Wake Forest Rhodes Scholar since 1986. Two other Wake Forest students and fellow Stamps Scholars Tal Feldman and Ashley Peake were also named finalists for the Rhodes.

As a member of Wake Forest’s Student Association for the Advancement of Refugees, Hauser has worked to help those who have crossed international borders to find safety in the Winston-Salem community. 

“I am excited to gain a greater understanding of which systems and structures promote and preclude access to justice for asylum seekers experiencing human rights abuses. Conducting specialized legal research in close proximity to the Oxford Global Leadership Initiative will provide the knowledge and leadership abilities I will need to be an effective advocate.”

As a Leadership and Character Ambassador and Principled Pluralism Fellow at Wake Forest, “Alice has demonstrated the impressive ability to hold together the courage of her convictions with genuine openness and empathy toward others,” said Michael Lamb, professor and executive director of the University’s Program for Leadership and Character. 

Hauser’s interests outside of the classroom have focused on the law, including internships at the Major Crimes Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Lawyers Without Borders, and other legal organizations. 

She received a Richter Scholarship for independent research and traveled to Germany, Austria and Switzerland during the summer of her junior year to study composer and pianist Johannes Brahms.

Established in 1902, the Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the most prestigious international scholarship programs.

Contenders for external awards like the Rhodes Scholarship work closely with the Wake Forest Scholars Program to develop their applications and earn University nominations. More about the program’s mission can be found on the website.