Mary Mallampalli, a senior majoring in Spanish, political science, and philosophy within Pitt’s Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, has been named a Fellow of the Pearson Prize for Higher Education. Mallampalli received $1,000 toward her tuition, recognizing her assistance to the Pittsburgh community. In addition to her triple major, Mallampalli minors in Portuguese and Luso-Brazilian Culture and will graduate with a certificate in Latin American Studies.
As a University Honors College Community Scholar, Mary works with FUSE Pittsburgh based in Wilkinsburg—an organization dedicated to bridging Pittsburgh’s literacy gap faced by urban youth. Mallampalli is also multilingual—proficient in Spanish and Portuguese and studying Italian and Arabic. Additionally, Mallampalli is conducting research this summer in Pittsburgh on economic disparities in Brazil through a Dick Thornburgh Summer Fellowship.
After graduating in May 2014, Mallampalli plans to apply her foreign language skills to a career in education law reform within Latin American countries.