Two UO seniors have been selected as finalists for the prestigious Rhodes scholarship, the oldest international fellowship award in the world.

Oliver Loreto (left), who is triple majoring in Biochemistry, Data Science, and Biology with a minor in Bioengineering, and Charles Petrik (right), who is double majoring in Global Studies and Geography with a minor in Global Service, are among the worldwide finalists for the 2025 awards. Both are students in the Clark Honors College and recipients of the UO’s Presidential Scholarship.

The Rhodes Trust awarded its first scholarships in 1902. Based at Oxford University in the United Kingdom, the organization sends 32 students from the U.S., and dozens more from around the world, to the fabled university with full tuition paid for two to three years. Rhodes scholars are chosen not only for their outstanding scholarly achievements, but for their character, commitment to others and to the common good, and for their potential for leadership.

The UO has had 20 Rhodes scholars in the institution’s history, including 2024 scholar Nayantara Arora, who began studying at Oxford this fall. All three of the UO’s institutional nominees last year were also selected as finalists.

Loreto grew up in Eugene and is the son of UO professor of contemporary art and theory, Kate Mondloch. He is fluent in both French and Italian. To be named a Rhodes finalist is hugely validating, Loreto said, considering that he didn’t really think about applying until late in the cycle.

“Sometimes I get in my own head and I think that I’m not working hard enough or I haven’t accomplished enough or my CV is missing this or that,” he said. “This feels like proof that all the hard work paid off.”

During his time at UO, Loreto has become fascinated with synthetic biology, which applies engineering principles to the study of biology. The discipline appeals to him because he believes it is more accessible and has fewer cost barriers than chemistry, but can still be used to tackle similar problems.

As a first-year student, Loreto was a founding member of the UO chapter of the iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) Competition, an international competition where small teams of undergraduate scientists develop synthetic biology projects over a single summer term.

His team has presented projects three years in a row at the iGEM Grand Jamboree in Paris, France, winning a bronze and silver medals for projects that include a rapid result concussion biosensor, a computer program to make it much easier to build protein-protein binders, and an engineered probiotic that targets harmful bacteria. 

Loreto was selected for the Knight Campus Undergraduate Scholars Program this winter, working in a Knight Campus lab with his mentor, Bioengineering Professor Calin Plesa. And he’s launched start-up company, ClearMark Biosciences, that won first prize last summer at the iGEM startup showcase in Paris, worth $10,000. 

Long-term, Loreto sees himself using his Synthetic Biology research skills to work on disease prevention and “building local bioeconomies“ in developing countries that don’t have the resources to support more traditional scientific research. 

“I can’t fix most problems, but I really can talk to scientists and talk to businesspeople and take that next step of turning ideas into actual change,” he said. 

Petrik, an Oregon native from Silverton who was one of his high school’s valedictorians, has a passion for international affairs and policy. At UO, he’s studied the impacts of pipelines and mines on Bolivian indigenous peoples and the environment, geopolitical issues in the Balkans, and global social movements and activism. 

“My focus at UO has always been to take advantage of the best opportunities available to me,” he said of his desire to pursue the coveted scholarship. “With the Rhodes, I feel like it’s not so much about the award itself, even though that would be very validating, it’s about what could come after it.” 

Last summer, Petrik interned in city government in Medellin, Colombia, working on infrastructure projects using GIS data, supported by a $5,000 scholarship from academic honors society Phi Beta Kappa. He says it was an “eye-opening” experience both in terms of the culture shock and learning how geographical tools can be applied to public policy issues. 

Petrik is currently supporting the demand for a Human Rights Center at the UO, and is working with his faculty mentor, Professor of Rhetoric David Frank, on his thesis that justifies the need and the goals for such a facility on campus.

Outside the classroom, Petrik was chosen to participate in the Oxford Consortium for Human Rights program and has become the first ever UO student to participate in the McDonald Conference for Leaders of Character at the United States Military Academy at West Point.  

Petrik says he sees his long-term career in the field of diplomacy, helping to create connections between global actors and communities.

“For me, I want my methods and ideas to be challenged in the most competitive academic environment in the world,” he said, of potentially studying at Oxford. “And with that comes incredible opportunities to work with like-minded individuals but also people with different perspectives than myself.”

Petrik and Loreto will travel north to Seattle University on Nov. 15 and 16 for personal interviews with a Rhodes Scholarship committee. Their travel costs will be covered by the UO’s Undergraduate Research and Distinguished Scholarships Impact Fund. The Office of Distinguished Scholarships also is arranging mock interview panels for both finalists with former UO Rhodes finalists and recipients. 

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