Two PLS Spartans nominated for prestigious Marshall Scholarship

October 2, 2026

Lily Dixon, a fourth year Public Policy major, and Jerome Hamilton, a 2025 PLS alumnus, have both been nominated by Michigan State University for the prestigious Marshall Scholarship.

They are among four College of Social Science and 12 university nominations. 

Dixon, a fourth-year Honors College student is 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. She is a member of the PLS Scholars Program. 

She was the finalist for the Truman Scholarship earlier this spring.

"Lily is an incredibly hard-working and dedicated student. She puts her full effort into her academics and involvements, and continually strives for continued learning and growth. Lily is so deserving of her nomination- she is such a positive representative of the PLS department. Congratulations Lily- I’m so excited for you!" said Political Science student advisor Krista Zeig.

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, is from Baltimore, Maryland, and attended Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. While at MSU, he was a Social Science Scholar and a PLS Scholar.

Hamilton was named the PLS Outstanding Senior and nominated for the Gaither Fellowship, the Truman Scholarship, the Rhodes Scholarship and the Marshall Scholarship. He is currently a Cleveland Foundation Public Service Fellow.

“Jerome Hamilton is a brilliant young man who, from a young age, has been absolutely committed to a career in environment policy,” said Social Science Director John 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.”

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.

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.