Kidia ’11 wins Zimbabwean Rhodes

Khameer Kidia ’11, a French major from Harare, Zimbabwe, has been named one of Zimbabwe's two Rhodes Scholars, he confirmed Monday morning.

Kidia, who hopes to become a physician and has already been admitted to the humanities and medicine program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, plans to use the scholarship to earn a master's degree in medical anthropology at Oxford.

The Rhodes Trust annually awards funds for graduate study at Oxford to 83 scholars from 14 regions worldwide. Recipients are selected on the basis of intellectual merit, leadership and integrity, among other traits. Earlier this month, Nick DiBerardino '11 and Mark Jia '10 were named two of this year's 32 American Rhodes scholars. Scholars in the various regions are selected between mid-October and mid-December, according to the Rhodes Trust website.

After interviewing for the scholarship on Monday morning in Zimbabwe, Kidia was notified later that day that he won. The 75-minute-long interview was conducted by a panel of seven people, including Rhodes Scholars as well as top Zimbabwean lawyers, doctors, bankers and academics, Kidia explained, speaking from Zimbabwe.

"I was deeply humbled and extremely grateful to all the people, including my friends, family and Princeton professors and advisers who helped me out along the way," he said.

Kidia said he is excited for his coursework at Oxford because, "I'm extremely interested in the people that surround me and their well-being."

Kidia's professors said they were delighted, but not surprised, to hear the news.

French professor Goran Blix, Kidia's thesis adviser, described him as a "bright, motivated and original student who sets his own agenda, rather than follow paths set down for him by others."

Blix, who also advised one of Kidia's junior papers, commended his approach to complex problems in public health. For his thesis, titled "The Development of the Parisian Hospital System under the Second Empire," Kidia will conduct original research in Paris to examine the reform and modernization of hospitals in mid-19th century Paris.

"His research is interdisciplinary in the best sense, combining medical science, literature and history to illuminate complex cultural questions that might elude specialists," Blix said in an e-mail.

French professor Francois Rigolot, who advised Kidia's other junior paper, also lauded his intellectual abilities.

That work examined "the French Paradox" of the high level of saturated fats in the French diet and the low rate of cardiovascular disease.

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"This interdisciplinary study combined epidemiological analysis and socio-historical facts in a deeply original and convincing manner," Rigolot said in an e-mail. "He carefully used his knowledge of French cultural habits to contextualize his scientific input and justify his intriguing hypothesis."

Rigolot also taught Kidia last spring in FRE 333: Literature and Art in Renaissance France. In that class, Kidia "was frequently able to tease out the finest, most perceptive meanings from small textual details," Rigolot said.

"Without question, Khameer is a scholar and a gentleman. Intellectually curious, he is always seeking new knowledge and insight into human behavior," psychology professor Michael Litchman said in an e-mail. "I was always impressed with his depth of knowledge, conceptual approach to mastering new topics and his analytic skills. This young man has a great future ahead of him and will, I believe, make a distinctive mark in the world of medicine."

Since the spring of his sophomore year, Kidia has been a member of L'Avant-Scene, the French theater workshop, and has acted in four of its productions. Earlier this month, Kidia performed a lead role in L'Avant-Scene's production of "La Cantatrice Chauve."

"He has completely blossomed as a great French actor in the program and has been a delight to direct," L'Avant-Scene director and French professor Florent Masse said.

Aside from interacting with Kidia on the stage, Masse is also teaching him in a performance studies reading course. "He's a brilliant student to have, and I really enjoy working with him," Masse added. "The French and Italian department is extremely proud."