Press Points: de Blasio backs Blake, Dartmouth celebrates Rhodes Scholar

Editor's note:  The below brief, formerly titled "MU Alumna Named Rhodes Scholar" published  Nov. 20, 2025, stated  Noah da Silva is an alumnus of  Manhattan University. Noah da Silva graduated from Dartmouth. The article has also been edited to rectify misquotes and attribution. 

De Blasio backs Blake

Former Mayor Bill de Blasio has thrown his support behind Michael Blake in the Democratic primary for New York’s 15th Congressional District, marking a high-profile endorsement in the race to unseat Rep. Ritchie Torres.

De Blasio, a two-term mayor, praised Blake’s deep Bronx roots and progressive credentials. “Michael Blake is rooted in The Bronx and has concrete plans to address the cost of living and affordability crisis facing Bronxites,” he said. “He endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor when Ritchie Torres did not. The progressive choice is clear: It’s Michael Blake.”

The endorsement signals a growing progressive push behind Blake’s campaign, which has centered on affordability, housing justice and healthcare. De Blasio contrasted Blake’s community-first approach with what he described as Torres’ political opportunism, calling out the congressman’s ties to major donors and past support for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Blake, a former assemblymember and Obama White House aide, embraced the endorsement, calling it a boost for his grassroots effort. “I’m honored to be endorsed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, who focused on affordability and cost of living for the people of The Bronx and all New Yorkers,” Blake said.

His campaign platform includes proposals like Guaranteed Affordable Housing, Medicare for All and a Bill of Rights for immigrants, women and people of color. He also emphasized unity against hate and discrimination while promising to be a partner in government from day one.

The endorsement comes on the heels of Mamdani’s mayoral win, further energizing Blake’s progressive base. It’s the latest development in a primary race that could reshape the political landscape in the Bronx.

The Democratic primary for the 15th District will be held in June 2026.

Dartmouth Alum named Rhode Scholar

Dartmouth alumnus Noah da Silva has been named a Rhodes Scholar for 2026, joining a class of more than 100 students from more than 70 countries who will pursue graduate study at the University of Oxford next year. 

Widely regarded as the world’s most prestigious international postgraduate award, the Rhodes Scholarship has a legacy that includes heads of state, Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, university presidents and Supreme Court justices.

Da Silva, who grew up in Bermuda, is the island nation’s sole representative in the 2026 cohort. He graduated from Dartmouth last year before beginning a postbaccalaureate research appointment in Dartmouth’s Department of Earth Sciences, where he has continued to deepen the scientific curiosity first sparked in childhood, according to a press release from the Dartmouth Office of Communications.

On his home island, da Silva spent years exploring “the tides, forests and caves” that shaped his early fascination with fossils, ancient ecosystems and the environmental history encoded in the landscape. 

At Oxford, he plans to pursue a DPhil in earth sciences, focusing on paleobiology and evolution — a field he sees as essential to understanding both the distant past and an increasingly uncertain future.

“My ultimate goal at Oxford is to pursue paleobiology — the study of ancient ecosystems, mass extinctions, and the vibrant history we can read from the fossil record,” he said in the press release. “The rocks beneath our feet tell the most extraordinary story on earth, and I’m going to be a part of exploring that history.”

He learned of the award while sitting in a geobiology class. The news, he recalls, made him “fall out of my chair,” and his first call was to his parents, who were equally overwhelmed, the release said.

At Dartmouth, da Silva majored in earth sciences modified with biology, graduating with honors and receiving the award for most outstanding senior thesis. 

His research, conducted in collaboration with the Bermudian government, focused on conserving micro snail —  a project that blended biological fieldwork with geological analysis. He also took part in the Stretch field program, worked with the Bermuda Zoological Society, and conducted research in Costa Rica and Little Cayman.

In his current research role, da Silva works with Dartmouth Assistant Professor Sarah Slotznick, who praised his interdisciplinary strengths. His position began with four weeks of fieldwork in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, an experience Slotznick said he navigated with enthusiasm and ease.

“The earth sciences and biology departments at Dartmouth have given me the opportunities to travel across glaciers and deserts, rainforests and jungles, exploring corals and fossils around the world—adventures I don’t think I could have taken part in anywhere else,” da Silva said in the release. “Without those experiences, and the people at this College who shaped me into the person I am today, I wouldn’t have had the courage to apply. I’ve learned that it’s possible to build a life through adventure, and I’m ready for many more adventures to come.”