Princeton senior Sam Bisno named Mitchell Scholar

Sam Bisno ’24 has been selected as a George J. Mitchell Scholar. This year, twelve students nationwide were awarded Mitchell Scholarships by the US-Ireland Alliance.

Bisno, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will study history at Queen’s University Belfast and plans to research how transatlantic slavery and abolitionism influenced the trajectory of both Ireland and the U.S.

"I am eager to explore this history more deeply at Queen's, which has emerged as the leading academic center for the study of Ireland's position in the modern Atlantic world,” Bisno said. “Outside of the classroom, I hope to engage with pro-labor and antiracist movements in Belfast, and to learn from Northern Ireland's legacy of overcoming seemingly intractable conflict. I am also looking forward to exploring the Irish music and sports scenes."

At Princeton, Bisno is a history major and is also pursuing certificates in African American Studies, Latin American Studies, and Humanistic Studies. He serves as the editor-in-chief of the Princeton Historical Review and editor-in-chief of The Nassau Weekly. Bisno was named the recipient of the Carter Kim Combe (’74) Princeton History Prize for the best second-semester junior-year independent work in history.

The George J. Mitchell Scholarship Program— named in honor of former U.S. Senator George Mitchell and his significant contributions to the Northern Ireland peace process— supports U.S. scholars for one year of postgraduate study in any discipline. The scholars will begin their studies at universities in Ireland and Northern Ireland in September 2024. The scholarship is designed to promote international understanding among future leaders of the world and recognizes outstanding academic distinction, leadership, and service.