Garrison named MSU’s latest Rhodes Scholarship finalist
Contact: Carl Smith
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State senior Evan Garrison is the university’s latest finalist for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.
An aerospace engineering/astronautics and mathematics double major from Webb City, Missouri, Garrison now advances to the Nov. 13-14 interview phase in Kansas City, Missouri.
He is a Louis A. Hurst Jr. Presidential Scholar and member of MSU’s Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College. In addition to his major studies in the university’s James Worth Bagley College of Engineering and College of Arts and Sciences, Garrison also has minors in artificial intelligence, political science and global engineering leadership, as well as the Cursus Honorum advanced learning pathway in the honors college. He intends to pursue a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering, with the goal of working to bridge gaps between experts and policymakers, ultimately supporting and protecting critical space infrastructure via research-based policies that address the growing problem of orbital debris.
“Evan truly fits the characteristics expected of Rhodes scholars. He excels academically, leads and inspires others in both his research endeavors and extra-curriculars, collaborates locally and globally, and works tirelessly in all his pursuits but especially on his passion for resolving the orbital debris crisis,” said Professor David Hoffman, director of MSU’s Office of Prestigious External Scholarships. “His many accomplishments are a testament to the opportunities available to our students and the excellent faculty mentoring we have here at MSU.”
The Rhodes Trust, a British charity established in the will of businessman and mining magnate Cecil J. Rhodes, promotes international understanding and provides full financial support for students pursuing graduate degrees at the University of Oxford, the first institution of its kind in the English-speaking world and one of the world’s leading institutions of higher learning.
With Garrison’s selection, MSU students have been named Rhodes finalists for six years in a row, with 13 MSU Rhodes finalists over the last 13 years.
Earlier this year, Garrison also was recognized as a Harry S. Truman Scholarship winner. That award honors the nation’s 33rd president, supports students pursuing careers in public service and provides up to $30,000 in graduate-study expenses.
This summer, Garrison was a visiting student at the University of Oxford and its Trinity College and Department of Computer Science, where he studied topics related to his senior honors thesis and took a seminar on British author C.S. Lewis. He also was an honorary research assistant in the Signal Processing Group at the University of Liverpool.
Garrison previously was named an Air Force Research Laboratory Phillips Scholar, and as a member of MSU’s national championship debate team, he was the 2026 team division season-long national champion in the International Public Debate Association. He recently received the 2026 Harry C. Simrall Award for Engineering Excellence from MSU’s Association of Retired Faculty.
He has served as an undergraduate researcher for MSU’s applied aerodynamics and aeroacoustics research group and as a research assistant for the university’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory. He is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education Student Chapter and Tau Beta Pi Engineering Society, also serving in a variety of leadership roles for MSU’s undergraduate research journal Endeavors and other student groups.
Mentoring and advising for MSU applicants, nominees and finalists for nationally and internationally competitive scholarships are available from the university’s Office of Prestigious External Scholarships.
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