Epicurean scholar wins Swanson award for graduate study at Cambridge

Paul Rhatigan isn't worried about heading to an island nation known for its sub-par cuisine. After all, he's got a certificate from Paris' prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary academy in his back pocket. But Rhatigan knows more than how to whip up a mean souffl . The 2000 Flinn Scholar, an electrical engineering graduate of the University of Arizona, was awarded the 2004-2006 Swanson International Scholarship in May.

The biennial award, provided by Robert and Nancy Swanson of Paradise Valley, Arizona, and valued at $25,000, provides one to two years of funding for a graduated Flinn Scholar to pursue graduate studies at Oxford or Cambridge universities in England.

Mr. Swanson, the former chairman and CEO of Del Webb Corporation, is active in international business and maintains residences in England and Arizona with Mrs. Swanson.

Rhatigan, the sixth Flinn to receive the Swanson since the award's inception in 1993, will be the first to use the award to pursue a one-year master's program rather than a two- year degree.

After his stint as a foodie in Paris, Rhatigan spent his junior year at the University of Hong Kong and returned to UA where he graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. Rhatigan, who was named Outstanding Graduate for the UA College of Engineering, said he had his sights trained on Cambridge for a long time.

"I've always wanted to study at Cambridge," said Rhatigan, who learned of the Swanson scholarship as an incoming Flinn Scholar four years ago. "I just knew that it would be natural for me to apply."

An initial infatuation with "the romance" of the history-steeped British university was the launching point for Rhatigan's Cambridge aspirations. But as he investigated the school's nanotechnology program, he found a set of knowledgeable world-class faculty, including directors who were pioneers in the nanotech industry.

"It's incredibly multidisciplinary," Rhatigan said of his one-year nanotech program through Churchill College, "and I think that leads to greater collaboration and knowledge sharing."

While he's excited about next year—and the subsequent Ph.D. fellowship he plans to pursue at Stanford or the University of Illinois--Rhatigan is reflective, too, because becoming a Swanson Scholar marks his finale as a Flinn Scholar. His fondest memory forged as a Flinn remains la vie francaise.

"After a long day of cooking, a group of us would grab a baguette and some brie and picnic under the Eiffel tower with whatever we had made that day," he said. Asked what he would take from his Flinn travels to Cambridge this fall, Rhatigan said he would take the knowledge of "what questions to ask, and how to get the most out of all my adventures."

Past Swanson awardees are:

Julie Mayes (class of 1986)

Kim Starkey (1989)

Ben Driggs (1990)

Terry Brncic (1991)

Kaleen Love (1996)