2025 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 557
Commending Samuel Crowe.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 3, 2025
WHEREAS, Samuel Crowe, a member of the Chesapeake community and a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Virginia double-majoring in astronomy-physics and history, was named a 2025 Rhodes Scholar by the Rhodes Trust on November 16, 2024; and
WHEREAS, Samuel Crowe studies star formation and stellar ecology and made history as the first undergraduate student to lead an observing program with the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest telescope in space; and
WHEREAS, the images Samuel Crowe gathered with the James Webb Space Telescope have been featured by a number of distinguished outlets, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, CNN, CBS, National Geographic, and Smithsonian Magazine; and
WHEREAS, in collaboration with others, Samuel Crowe has discovered new star-forming regions and fundamental physical processes in the central regions of the Milky Way and been first author or co-author on several scientific publications; and
WHEREAS, in addition to his study of astrophysics, Samuel Crowe has closely examined the collapse of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire in his pursuit of a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Virginia, showing a remarkable ability to excel in two vastly different disciplines; and
WHEREAS, beyond his studies, Samuel Crowe has given generously of his time at the University of Virginia to serve as president of the Astronomy Club and vice president of the Forestry Club, while also achieving fluency in Spanish, backpacking across 21 countries, and enjoying bodybuilding, high-altitude hiking, and camping; and
WHEREAS, the Rhodes Scholarship is a merit-based and highly selective postgraduate award that will provide Samuel Crowe with funding to pursue a doctorate in astrophysics at the University of Oxford; and
WHEREAS, in addition to support for tuition and living expenses, the Rhodes Scholarship will connect Samuel Crowe with a community of other accomplished and dedicated scholars; and
WHEREAS, with his selection for the Rhodes Scholarship, Samuel Crowe became the 57th Rhodes Scholar in the history of the University of Virginia, which has produced more Rhodes Scholars than any other public university in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Samuel Crowe was selected for the Rhodes Scholarship not only for his academic excellence, but for his leadership, ability to work with others, and commitment to making a positive impact on the world; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Samuel Crowe hereby be commended for being named a 2025 Rhodes Scholar by the Rhodes Trust; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Samuel Crowe as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for his achievements and best wishes in his future educational and scientific pursuits.