UB Student Receives Prestigious Clarendon Scholarship

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Aaron Krolikowski of Glenwood, N.Y., a senior who will graduate Phi Beta Kappa from the University at Buffalo this spring, has received a four-year Clarendon Scholarship from Oxford University where he plans to complete his doctor of philosophy (D.Phil.) degree.

Krolikowski's degree will be in development studies, an interdisciplinary program that draws from the fields of economics, anthropology and political science and policy.

He is the son of Allan and Louise Krolikowski of Glenwood, and a 2005 graduate of the Springville Griffith Institute. He was a 2008 Morris K. Udall Scholar and member of UB's Honors College and was a finalist for both a 2009 Rhodes Scholarship and a 2009 Marshall Scholarship.

Krolikowski will receive his bachelor's degree in political science and interdisciplinary social sciences in environmental studies from UB in May and will begin reading for his doctorate at Oxford in the fall.

His accomplishments are many.

He conducted extensive work with area environmentally focused community groups, performed research with the UB Regional Institute, interned with the Environmental Protection Bureau of the New York State Attorney General's Office and founded an agricultural development program in East Africa.

A recent recipient of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Academic Excellence, he also found time to sing and serve as an award-winning arranger with the Buffalo Chips, UB's male a cappella vocal ensemble.

Krolikowski says that after completing his education, he plans to return to the Western New York/Great Lakes area and attempt to develop innovative policies that draw on the strengths of the region.

"Ultimately, I'd like to be a keystone in the reformation of Great Lakes economies, improving the lives of millions while focusing on environmentally sustainable solutions to our problems," he says.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.