Rachel Kirby, of Salisbury, is an American studies Ph.D candidate at Boston University who is one of 100 doctoral students in the United States and Canada selected for a $15,000 scholar award from the PEO Sisterhood.

Kirby was sponsored by Chapter AX, of Salisbury.

The awards, established in 1991, provides merit-based awards for women in both countries pursuing doctoral-level degrees at accredited institutions.