Princeton University seniors Maya Butani and Daniel Yu have been awarded Marshall Scholarships, which will allow them to pursue two years of graduate study in the United Kingdom. The Marshall Scholarship is given to “intellectually distinguished young Americans, their country’s future leaders,” according to the program’s organizers. Butani and Yu are among 43 winners selected from over 1,000 applicants nationwide for the class of 2026.
Maya Butani, from Moorestown, New Jersey, majors in molecular biology with minors in engineering biology and global health and health policy. She plans to earn a Master of Science in immunology of infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine during her first year. In her second year, she will pursue an MPhil in chemical engineering and biotechnology at Cambridge University.
Butani aims to become a physician-scientist. She said the scholarship will enable her to “engage with new ways of thinking about the intersection between biomedical research and global health,” a passion she developed while at Princeton. Her senior thesis examines rRNA modifications and explores how new ribosomal drug targets could treat protozoan parasitic infections. As part of her project, she interviews drug manufacturers, health advocates, and clinicians about translating lab research into practical solutions for global health.
“Ultimately, I hope my research and medical career will not only produce new innovations, but that they will have a durable and widespread impact on global health,” Butani wrote in her application essay. She added that her career goal is to “reimagine biomedical research to benefit underserved communities around the world.” After completing her studies as a Marshall Scholar, she plans to enter a dual M.D.-Ph.D. program.
Cliff Brangwynne, June K. Wu ’92 Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Princeton, commented that Butani “has distinguished herself not just with her academic brilliance, but also with her singular ability to connect fundamental research to broad, real-world challenges in global health.” He described her as curious, creative, innovative, and “public-spirited,” adding: “I have no doubt that she will use her scientific talents to improve human life on a global scale.”
Butani has completed internships focused on biomedical and immunology research at both Harvard’s Wyss Institute and Rowan University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering. She spent summer 2023 in Cape Town through Princeton’s International Internship Program shadowing hospital clinicians with Child Family Health International.
On campus, Butani is active as a senior Service Focus fellow at the Pace Center for Civic Engagement. She co-founded Creative Care—a group working on healthcare accessibility—and received the Santos-Dumont Prize for Innovation for this effort. Her other roles include serving as president of the student-run Princeton Biotech Group and Alimtas Bioventures (part of the Entrepreneurship Club), volunteering at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center, advising peers academically at Whitman College, guiding tours as an Orange Key tour guide, and participating on the club flag football team.
Daniel Yu is from New York City and majors in African American studies with minors in English as well as gender and sexuality studies. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society and previously won Princeton’s Freshman First Honor Prize along with the Shapiro Prize for Academic Excellence.
Yu stated that the Marshall Scholarship supports his goal of becoming a scholar focused on race, gender, and law. He intends first to pursue a master’s degree in race and gender studies from SOAS University of London before moving on to an MSc in socio-legal studies elsewhere in Britain.
“I am intent on a public-facing career in writing, research, and political advocacy, using a critical lens to contribute to global debates on LGBTQ+ justice,” he wrote in his application essay.
Yu noted that spending two years studying abroad would offer important perspectives relevant for his academic interests by deepening his understanding of histories, laws, cultures, and politics affecting LGBTQ+ communities worldwide. “I’m excited to further develop a transnational perspective working with leading British scholars of race, gender and injustice,” he said.
Marcus Lee—assistant professor of African American studies—said Yu is “an exceptionally talented, diligent and enterprising student” deserving this honor: “His scholarly ambitions are matched…by his keen attention to real-world stakes… I am confident he will excel during postgraduate study—and that his work will continue to enlarge our understanding of the human condition.”
Currently interning for the National Political Advocacy Department at ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), Yu also serves as fellow with OutVote (a national student-led organization) while having previously interned at Lambda Legal plus Hetrick-Martin Institute.
Following completion of his Marshall Scholarship tenure abroad Yu hopes eventually pursue interdisciplinary Ph.D.-level work combining scholarship with experience gained through advocacy efforts addressing political/social issues.
At Princeton he co-founded Positions Magazine celebrating Asian diasporic arts/writing; led organizing efforts for Black Queer & Trans Studies Roundtable; sits on undergraduate advisory board for African American Studies; works as head fellow at Writing Center; holds fellowship status within Gender/Sexuality Resource Center—all while residing at Forbes College.
