Pomona Student Wins Prestigious Churchill Scholarship

Sebastian Kinzie '26 is the ninth Pomona student to receive the award for study at Cambridge University.

Mar. 18, 2026 at 9:33pm

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Sebastian Kinzie '26, a chemistry major at Pomona College, has been awarded the prestigious Churchill Scholarship to study at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. Over the next year, he will conduct independent research as part of a lab in the Churchill College Department of Chemistry, focusing on developing biophysical tools to answer questions about degenerative diseases. Kinzie is the fourth student from Professor of Chemistry Malkiat Johal's lab to win the Churchill Scholarship.

Why it matters

The Churchill Scholarship is a highly competitive award that provides funding for American students to pursue a master's degree at the University of Cambridge. Pomona College's continued success in producing Churchill Scholars highlights the institution's strength in science and technology education, as well as its ability to prepare students for prestigious academic opportunities abroad.

The details

Kinzie, who was inspired to pursue neurodegenerative disease research due to his grandparents' health issues, will spend the next year conducting independent research as part of a lab in the Churchill College Department of Chemistry. He will be developing biophysical tools to answer questions about degenerative diseases. Kinzie's path to the Churchill Scholarship began during his first year at Pomona, when he joined Professor Johal's research lab and was paired with a mentor, Mohammed Ahmed '23, who shared information about graduate opportunities at Cambridge.

  • Kinzie was named a Beckman Scholar in 2025, which funded two summers of full-time research and covered part-time work during the academic year.
  • Kinzie spent last summer engaged in research at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in collaboration with Theodore Zwang '11, assistant professor of neurology at Harvard and another alumnus of the Johal lab.
  • Kinzie will enroll at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom this fall.

The players

Sebastian Kinzie

A chemistry major at Pomona College and the latest recipient of the prestigious Churchill Scholarship, which will allow him to conduct independent research at Cambridge University over the next year.

Malkiat Johal

A Professor of Chemistry at Pomona College, whose lab Kinzie has been a part of. Johal is a Cambridge alumnus himself and won the Churchill Adviser Award in 2020.

Mohammed Ahmed

A Pomona College student who was paired with Kinzie as a mentor, and shared information about graduate opportunities at Cambridge, which inspired Kinzie to apply for the Churchill Scholarship.

Theodore Zwang

A Pomona College alumnus and assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, with whom Kinzie collaborated on research last summer.

The Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States

The organization that selects 16 Churchill Scholars annually to spend a year at Churchill College, Cambridge University, pursuing a master of philosophy degree in science, mathematics or engineering.

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What they’re saying

“Mentoring Sebastian was never difficult. He brings a genuine lightness and kindness to everything he does, along with an innate ability to ask thoughtful, engaging questions and a real desire to do meaningful work.”

— Mohammed Ahmed, Pomona College Student

“I'm not the kind of principal investigator that looks over their shoulder. I'm okay with them making mistakes, even costly ones. At the end of the day, I need to create a student that is able to take ownership of their project.”

— Malkiat Johal, Professor of Chemistry, Pomona College

What’s next

Following his year at Cambridge, Kinzie plans to enroll in a doctoral program in chemical biology or bioengineering, with the goal of having involvement in both academia and industry.

The takeaway

Pomona College's continued success in producing Churchill Scholars demonstrates the institution's strength in science and technology education, as well as its ability to prepare students for prestigious academic opportunities abroad. Kinzie's personal connection to his research on neurodegenerative diseases also highlights the meaningful impact that such opportunities can have on students' academic and career trajectories.