3 with Va. ties named Rhodes Scholars

RICHMOND, Va. -- Three top academic performers with ties to Virginia -- a linguist, a degree holder in international health and a championship swimmer -- are among 32 named Rhodes Scholars yesterday by the Rhodes Trust.

The recipients include a College of William and Mary senior, a graduate of the University of Virginia and a Roanoke County resident who is a senior this year at Auburn University in Alabama.

Kira C. Allmann, from Williamsburg and William and Mary, said last night that she is looking forward to pursuing a master of philosophy degree in modern Middle Eastern studies, specifically on new media and its effect on democratization and communication in the region.

"It changes the way people communicate," said Allmann, who will graduate with degrees in linguistics and government. "From a linguistics perspective, this is really interesting."

The daughter of a publicrelations consultant and the artist in residence at the York County School of the Arts, Allmann, 22, "has a remarkable inquisitiveness and has always loved to read," said her father, Edward Allmann.

Tyler S. Spencer, 23, a 2008 U.Va. graduate, majored in international health and sustainable development and has exercised a broad dedication to assisting the sick and disabled in their everyday lives.

Raised in Staunton, where his father is a doctor and his mother a physical therapist, Spencer is head coach of the National Deaf Tennis Team and serves as the executive director of a nonprofit that trains top athletes as HIV/AIDS educators in Washington's schools.

Spencer plans to study evidence-based social intervention at Oxford University. "In this economy, we need systems that can be shown to work," said the graduate of Robert E. Lee High School.

Accepted into the Harvard School of Public Health, Spencer instead chose to gain hands-on knowledge of health problems in Africa and Washington, developing nonprofit programs that are showing positive results in perceptions and conduct.

Jordan D. Anderson of Roanoke County is the first Rhodes Scholar from Auburn University since 1980 and is captain of the university's national championship swimming and diving team.

At 5 feet 10 and 160 pounds, Anderson competed against Olympic champion Michael Phelps, who towered over him.

"I've never thought about physical limitations; I think about helping score points for my team," said the Hidden Valley High School graduate who wants to go into dentistry, perhaps in developing countries.

"Pound for pound, there is no one more competitive," said Anderson's father, Phillip, a former president of the Virginia State Bar.

Melding six-hour daily swim practices and hours of study have made him a disciplined, determined student-athlete, said Anderson, who turns 22 next week. He sees himself entering the work force in a more approachable world where the economy has revived.

He has studied the effect of ultraviolet light on the eye and is majoring in biomedical sciences. He will study global health sciences at Oxford and is active in the Young Life Christian outreach program.

Allmann, a Lafayette High School graduate, has stayed close to Williamsburg for much of her education, but her wide travels and broad linguistic knowledge form the basis of her long-term interests.

Cell-phone and social-media use during the Iranian election protests are an example of how communication technology could have an impact on government, democratization and the roles of individuals, among other areas, she said.

Allmann studied Arabic at Al-Akhawayn University in Morocco and architecture and art history at the University of St. Andrews. She is fluent in Spanish and teaches in the Williamsburg public schools.

Yesterday afternoon, fresh from the Saturday selection interview in Atlanta, she attended a women's basketball game and last night was pushing deadline for a paper due today in her history of linguistics class.

She said she might take her professor up on an offer of a one-day extension.

Rhodes Scholarships were created in 1902 through the will of British philanthropist Cecil Rhodes; 3,196 Americans have won the scholarship from 310 colleges and universities.

The value of the scholarships generally ranges from about $50,000 a year to $175,000 for students studying at Oxford for four years.

Contact Bill McKelway at (804) 649-6601 or .

Contact Tom Kapsidelis at (804) 649-6494 or .