Villanova, Pa. - Villanova swimmer Mackenzie Niness (Sutton, Mass.) is one of two Villanova University students who was chosen to attend Fulbright U.S.-UK Summer Institutes for U.S. Undergraduates this summer.

Niness, who will be a junior next year, will be attending the University of Bristol Summer Institute for Young American Student Leaders with a focus in criminology.

The Sutton, Mass. native is coming off a great year in the pool where she was named to the 2016 All-BIG EAST team for her first place finish in the 200 fly at the conference championships. She was also named to the 2016 Philadelphia Inquirer Swimming & Diving Academic All-Area Team. In her free time, she volunteers as a tutor at the Graterford State Correctional Institution.

At Bristol, Niness will be examining the trans-Atlantic slave trade from the British perspective. She hopes to apply this knowledge in a career working within the criminal justice system.

The objective of this program is for students to experience an academic program at a highly regarded UK University, explore the culture, heritage and history of the UK and develop their academic ability by improving presentation, research and communication skills.