Four Spartans represent the College of Social Science this year as nominees for the prestigious Marshall Scholarship. Lily Dixon and Abigail Livingston are current undergraduates, while Jerome Hamilton and Kaylin Casper are recent Spartan alumni. Michigan State boasts a total of 12 nominees for the scholarship.
The Marshall Scholarship supports approximately 50 of the most outstanding scholars in the country to study at any university in the United Kingdom. The College of Social Science has an impressive history of wins and nominations for prestigious awards such as the Marshall Scholarship. University-wide, Michigan State has produced 20 Marshall Scholars to date.
Of the nominees, four are also affiliated with the Social Science Scholars Program. Abigail Livingston, Eleanor Pugh and recent graduates Jerome Hamilton and Kaylin Casper are all proud Scholars. Hamilton and Casper have both been previously nominated for the Marshall Scholarship, as well as the Rhodes, Truman and Udall awards, with Casper winning the Udall in 2024. Livingston is also a past nominee for the Udall Scholarship and Pugh the Truman Scholarship, respectively.
Social Science Scholars Program Director John Waller had glowing words to share about each Scholar nominated.
Of Livingston, Waller said: “Abigail has cared deeply about the environment for as long as she can remember. Since arriving at MSU, she has worked diligently to acquire a deep knowledge of environmental science, a sophisticated understanding of human behavior and group dynamics, and the experience of working with and for diverse communities. She has grown into someone with all the makings of a highly effective future environmental policy-maker.”
Of nominee Eleanor Pugh: “From her high school days, Eleanor has been driven by the single aspiration of becoming an expert on Central Asia. With a drive and steadfastness which I have never before seen in an undergraduate, she has charted her own course towards this objective. Eleanor is destined to be one of her generation’s leading experts on Central Asia.”
“Jerome Hamilton is a brilliant young man who, from a young age, has been absolutely committed to a career in environment policy,” said Waller. “A keen and talented researcher, Jerome undertook a series of prestigious and demanding internships related to environmental policy. On graduating, Jerome was accepted into the competitive Cleveland Foundation Public Service Fellow Program, for which he currently works as a Planning and Economic Development Fellow for MidTown Cleveland, Inc. All of this success attests to what is immediately obvious on meeting Jerome: he is a person of the highest intelligence, drive, dedication, and charm.”
Lastly, Waller had this to say of Kaylin Casper: “The daughter of a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Kaylin has applied all of her prodigious intellect to studying the treatment and wellbeing of indigenous peoples. Any discussion of Kaylin’s academic pursuits needs to stress the substantial overlap between her education and her dedication to political and social justice campaigns. I have never known a student to work so hard on both academics and service, nor one who sees so clearly the tight connections between what she learns in class and how she can best serve her community. Kaylin is highly intelligent, profoundly ethical, and tireless in her dedication to the wellbeing of the Native population.”
Winners of the Marshall Scholarship will be announced in the coming months. More information about each nominee from the College can be found below. Click here to view the original University announcement.
Kaylin Casper, a 2026 Honors College alumna with bachelor’s degrees in sociology through the College of Social Science and humanities pre-law through the College of Arts and Letters, as well as an additional major in women’s and gender studies. Casper is from Burbank, California, and attended John Burroughs High School.
Lily Dixon, a fourth-year Honors College student majoring in public policy through the College of Social Science, and arts and humanities through the School of Residential Community-Engaged Arts and Humanities in the College of Arts and Letters. Dixon is from Marquette, Michigan, and attended Marquette High School.
Jerome Hamilton, a 2025 Honors College alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in environmental social science, both through the College of Social Science. Hamilton is from Baltimore, Maryland, and attended Baltimore Polytechnic Institute.
Abigail Livingston, a fourth-year Honors College student majoring in interdisciplinary social sciences through the College of Social Science and environmental studies and sustainability through the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Livingston is from Louisville, Kentucky, and attended DuPont Manual High School.
Eleanor Pugh, a fourth-year Honors College student majoring in international relations through James Madison College, and Russian through the College of Arts and Letters. She is also minoring in Economics through the College of Social Science. Pugh is from Bethesda, Maryland, and attended Walt Whitman High School.