Hagan was thrilled when she was informed of the award. "I received a phone call from Harold Epstein, the director of the Churchill Foundation, one evening a few weeks ago," she said. "He told me that the Foundation was prepared to offer me a scholarship at that time contingent upon my admission to the University of Cambridge. I haven't been offered admission to Cambridge yet, but the Foundation doesn't expect that to be an issue."
The research opportunities at Cambridge excited Hagan, a chemistry major, so she decided to apply for the scholarship. "I've always thought it would be wonderful to study in England for a period of time," she said.
"After learning about some of the available scholarships from Fellowships Coordinator Denise Gagnon last spring and this fall, I decided to apply for the Churchill since it seemed to be the best suited to my interests in chemistry and to my graduate study goals," Hagan said. "I am excited about the research going on in the Cambridge chemistry department, and this program will allow me to join a research group and actively participate in its work."
Hagan hopes to do research about proteins which may be involved with certain illnesses. "I hope to do my research in Professor Chris Dobson's lab at Cambridge," she said. "His group studies the causes and mechanisms of the misfolding of certain proteins which may lead to the development of illnesses, including Alzheimer's disease, Type 2 Diabetes and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease."
Hagan is also delighted that she will be able to live in England. "I am excited about getting to know the city of Cambridge, living in a large university environment and spending time in the London museums and theatres," she said. "I've been to London before and loved it but would like to get to know the British countryside as well."
Applying for the scholarship was a lengthy process, but Hagan's efforts paid off in the end. "There were several steps in the application process. First, I submitted a personal statement and my [cirriculum vitae] to the College's Fellowship Committee," Hagan explained. "After interviewing with the committee, I was informed that they had decided to endorse my application for the scholarship. I then submitted a more extensive application to the Churchill Foundation in November. In January, I found out that the Foundation's Screening Committee had decided to endorse my application and would forward it to Cambridge for consideration. I then had a telephone interview with Mr. Epstein, and a few weeks later he called me back to give me the good news. There were quite a number of hoops to jump through, but it was all worthwhile."
Several professors were involved in Hagan's application process, including Professor of Chemistry David Hansen. "[Hagan is] extraordinarily well deserving of the award," he said.
Hagan served as research assistant to Professor of Chemistry Helen Leung. "Christine worked with me as a research student in the summer of 2003 and as a teaching assistant," Leung said. "She combines an impressive intellectual flexibility and ability to master new experiments and concepts with dedication and motivation. She is thoughtful, open-minded and well-rounded and a simply delightful student."