Before flying to Seattle on Feb. 1, where a panel of Cambridge faculty awaited her, Michelle Kelley practiced her responses on campus. This panel judged whether she deserved a $50,000 scholarship.

But it was the mock interview, the interview she had on campus with local faculty to prepare her, that intimidated her more than her actual interview.

“For my first mock interview, they had the Nobel laureate of our physics department on the panel,” said Kelley, a senior in LAS. “Not only was it the guy with a Nobel Prize in physics, but the Nobel Prize was relevant to the research I did this past summer.”

Kelley discovered this month that she was one of 40 U.S. students to nab the Gates Cambridge post-graduate scholarship and one of only 13 students from public universities. She’ll be studying at the University of Cambridge next year with this scholarship.

“I was kind of incredulous at first,” she said. “I was really surprised I was awarded to be a finalist because I didn’t think I’d make it that far. I went into the interview thinking: I have around a 50/50 shot, so don’t be nervous. It was an awesome feeling.”

Kelley received the award not only for her work in physics but also for her work in the community. Since experiencing culture shock as the only female in her physics class, it has been one of her goals to change the way girls think about science — her other goal is to become a physics professor.

“I’ve never experienced negative sexism — at least not very big situations — but it’s always something that’s looming in the back of my head,” Kelley said. “Oh wow, I’m kind of different and I need to be representative. It adds on a lot of pressure.”

She doesn’t think females should be such a minority in science. With her presence at elementary schools and the Midwest Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics, she has already began to lift some of the pressure from isolated females in science.

“Younger girls don’t see themselves as scientists,” she said. “Hopefully in the next few decades, we’ll see a lot bigger numbers, not only in physics, but computer science and engineering, too.”

She is the first University student in five years to win the Gates Cambridge scholarship. David Schug, director of the National and International Scholarships Program at the University, said that some years he has seen seven students apply for the scholarship, while other years he might only have one. But he said he’s surprised more do not apply.

For Kelley, the application process started in summer. Schug was able to help her tighten her application, and after five or six drafts, Kelley finally submitted her work. In mid-December, she found out she was a finalist who would be going to Seattle.

Her roommate, Kate Soriano, a senior in ACES, said she saw Kelley work through the lengthy process. Soriano wondered to herself whether the stress was too much or just normal, but the day after Kelley’s interview, she saw it dissipate. Kelley heard that she had won the scholarship.

“I was extremely excited for her,” Soriano said. “I’m proud of what she’s done.”

After her year at Cambridge, Kelley plans to return home to the United States and work on earning a doctorate degree in physics.

Stanton can be reached at [email protected].