MIT Lands Two on ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team

June 27, 2005

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Senior Julia Espel and junior Uzoma Orji capped their brilliant seasons in the track and field circuit by being named to ESPN The Magazine's Academic All-America team as selected by CoSIDA. Their appointment raises MIT's all-time total to 122 honors; the third largest membership across all NCAA divisions.

Espel earned her first national accolade as a third-team pick. An NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship finalist, she recently graduated from the Institute as a Biology major carrying a 3.9 grade point average on a four-point scale.

Orji finished third overall in the voting for Academic All-America of the Year en route to a spot on the first team. Earning his second national citation in as many years, the Matawan, N.J, native has maintained a 3.8 grade point average majoring in Electrical Science and Engineering.

The Engineers scooped up three honors during the 2004-05 academic year, a pedestrian total for the all-time leader in Division III athletics. MIT secured five national accolades in 2003-04, while the 1998-99 campaigns produced a record-high 11 honors.