OU Graduate Earns Prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship

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NORMAN, OKLA. – University of Oklahoma alumna Farris Tedder’s path to one of the world’s most competitive graduate scholarships began long before she ever set foot in a laboratory.

“My childhood was spent watching spiders weave webs and scrabbling after cockroaches,” Tedder said. “My passion for insect behavior became my career when I studied Drosophila reproduction –or fruit fly genetics – in the Masly lab at OU.”

The Norman resident was recently named a 2026 Gates Cambridge Scholar, an international award given each year to scholars from around the world, including just 26 students from the United States, to pursue postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge. She will begin a Ph.D. in zoology this fall at St. John’s College, one of 31 colleges on the campus.

Tedder will focus on the domestication of black soldier flies, an insect species increasingly used around the world for waste reduction, animal feed and alternative protein systems. Her research will examine behavioral differences across global populations and among black soldier fly populations.

Tedder said she is drawn to complex questions that require big data and pangenome analysis to answer.

“During my doctoral studies, I will research the domestication of black soldier flies, with a focus on behavioral differences across the pangenome – the full range of the species’ genetic variation,” she said. “Black soldier flies are a key species in entomophagy, the use of insects as protein, and bioconversion efforts, which are important aspects of building a more sustainable future.”

Black soldier flies are valued for their ability to consume organic waste and convert it into usable byproducts, making them a growing part of conversations around sustainable food systems and environmental management.

At OU, Tedder earned a bachelor’s degree in biology in 2019, along with a minor in psychology and was a member of the Honors College. As an undergraduate researcher, she worked in the lab of John P. Masly, Ph.D., associate professor and associate director of the School of Biological Sciences in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, studying fruit fly reproduction and genetics.

Throughout her time at OU and afterward, Tedder would regularly turn to Masly for guidance beyond the lab, seeking his advice on academic decisions, graduate school preparation and fellowship applications.

“With Dr. Masly’s help, I developed an interest in genomic influences in insect behavior,” Tedder said.

That experience helped shape the direction of her career. Tedder went on to earn a master’s degree in biology with a focus on bioinformatics from the University of Oregon in 2024, where she began working more deeply with large genetic datasets.

Tedder said her academic interests are closely tied to her belief in public education and access to opportunity. She said she did not come from a traditional academic background and relied heavily on scholarships for her education.

“In addition to my interest in environmental sustainability, I believe in improving access to education for all people,” she said. “I want to work with museums and outreach initiatives to promote greater scientific literacy in the public.”

She also plans to stay involved in mentorship and scholarship programs that help students navigate higher education.

“I want to work with mentorship and scholarship programs to lower the barriers to education for disenfranchised groups,” Tedder said. “Promoting the great minds among us, no matter where they come from and encouraging all people to protect the environment we live in.”

Tedder said her time at OU played a key role in preparing her for the next step in her academic career, from early research experience to developing the confidence to pursue competitive opportunities abroad. This fall, she will relocate to England to begin doctoral studies.

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship supports scholars whose work shows academic excellence and a commitment to improving lives. The program was established in 2000 through a donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.