Lauren Blakemore named first Amy Northcutt Scholar
Entering DDH scholar Lauren Blakemore is the inaugural Amy Ann Northcutt Scholar. She is a summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Kenyon College where she majored in History and Arabic. At the University of Chicago Divinity School, she plans to continue language study while exploring “the theme of identity within religion and how language, culture, history, and society can influence its manifestations.”
In April, the Board of Trustees took formal action to establish the Amy Ann Northcutt Scholarship to recognize emerging women leaders of promise and to undergird their education. The scholarship will support individuals who, regardless of their religious or denominational affiliation, study religion and/or theology at the University of Chicago and are affiliated with the Disciples Divinity House. A surge of generosity at the end of 2025 lifted the scholarship endowment past its initial goal to over $257,000.
The scholarship remembers Amy Northcutt, an alumna and former President of the Board of Trustees, who was the Chief Information Officer of the National Science Foundation at the time of her death in 2017. She always felt a responsibility to support and mentor younger women, whether their careers were in the academy, public service, or the private sector. The scholarship keeps her memory and continues the spirit of her mentorship.