Tacoma resident chosen as a 2017 Rhodes Scholar

A 23-year-old from Tacoma who plans to combine his knowledge of genetics and philosophy to help guide tough ethical decisions as advancing technologies make designing humans possible was selected as a Rhodes scholar on Sunday.

Anthony W.L. “Wilder” Wohns says the pitfalls of human genetic engineering are many and varied, and his studies at Oxford University will prepare him to face those challenges.

Wohns graduated from Harvard University in 2016 where he studied human evolutionary biology and computer science. He graduated from Charles Wright Academy in 2012.

He’s at the University of Cambridge studying for a master of arts in biological anthropology.

As a Rhodes scholar, he'll pursue postgraduate studies at Oxford University in 2017. He plans to obtain a second bachelor’s degree in computer science and philosophy.

This story was originally published November 20, 2016 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Tacoma resident chosen as a 2017 Rhodes Scholar."