Cy-Falls alum Kang wins Rhodes Scholarship

Rice University student Ye-jin Kang, a Cy-Falls alum and resident of the Westbrook Lakes subdivision in Northwest Houston, has won a Rhodes Scholarship, it was announced Saturday.

The daughter of Chang Ho Kang and In Sook Kang is the only Houston-area winner in 2010. She is scheduled to graduate from Rice in 2011.

She is a 2007 graduate of Cypress Falls High School and attended Labay Middle School at 15345 Willow River Drive in Houston.

In 2008, her freshman year, Kang founded Catalyst, a bi-annual research review of science, math, computer science, and engineering at Rice, serving as its Editor-in-Chief. 

"When I came to Rice, I wanted a club where I could explore all aspects of science," Kang told the Rice Thresher student newspaper at the time. " There wasn't something aimed at fostering discussion and showcasing undergraduate research."

Kang, a Korean-American, studies biochemistry and cell biology.

Steven Mo, a graduate of Bellaire High School and then a senior at MIT, was the only Houston metro student to win the Rhodes Scholarship last year.

Zar Zavala, a Harvard student and football player, was the other Texas winner this year. He is from El Paso, a graduate of Eastwood High School.