phd scholarship in stanford university

Scholarship Opportunities

Explore and sort the many global scholarships available to Stanford students, post-docs, and recent alumni.

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Explore our 2022-2023 annual report

Inspiring leaders.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars cultivates and supports a multidisciplinary and multicultural community of graduate students from across Stanford University, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare graduates to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders who address complex challenges facing the world.

Discover the Knight-Hennessy Scholar experience

Stanford university .

All scholars are Stanford University graduate students, who join Knight-Hennessy Scholars in addition to enrolling in a graduate degree program at any of  Stanford's seven schools . 

Leadership Development

Scholars participate in up to three years of programming that complements their graduate studies and prepares them to take on leadership roles in academia, industry, government, nonprofits, and the community at large.

Knight-Hennessy Community

A new cohort of scholars joins each year, adding to a  diverse community of scholars  from across disciplines, nationalities, perspectives, and backgrounds. Scholars learn together, collaborate on impactful projects, and develop lifelong friendships. 

Knight-Hennessy Funding

Scholars receive a fellowship for up to three years of tuition , depending upon their degree length. In addition, scholars receive a stipend for living and academic expenses, and a travel stipend for one annual trip to and from Stanford. 

What characterizes a Knight-Hennessy scholar?

Independence of Thought

Knight-Hennessy scholars are visionary thinkers who are curious, open-minded, analytical, eager for cross-cultural perspective, and genuinely excited to boldly and creatively address our world’s important challenges

See eligibility

Purposeful Leadership

Knight-Hennessy scholars are courageous leaders who are ethical, decisive, resilient, driven to achieve meaningful results, and motivated to inspire others to effect positive change at scale.

See criteria

Civic Mindset

Knight-Hennessy scholars are collaborative community members who are humble, empathetic, trustworthy, oriented to act in service of others, and deeply passionate about contributing to the greater good.

See admission

See the 2022-2023 Annual Report (pdf)  

Financial Support

Financial support of graduate students is provided in the form of research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships. Historically, all graduate students in good standing have received full financial support (tuition and stipend) for the duration of their graduate studies at Stanford.

First-year students (except those with fellowships) usually receive teaching assistantships for three quarters, which provide a stipend plus full payment of tuition. Support in summer months and in succeeding years is typically provided through research assistantships or fellowships. First-year students for the '23-24 AY (academic year) will receive no less than $52,092 for the first year plus tuition support. Post first-year students earn no less than $51,600 over four quarters plus tuition support for '23-24 AY.

Teaching opportunities for first-year students include classroom or laboratory instruction. These require about 15-20 hours per week for three quarters, and are specifically arranged so as not to interfere with normal academic progress. Sources of funding for research assistantships include grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense in addition to industrial contracts, corporate gifts, and Departmental fellowships.

In addition to the students on national fellowships, the Chemistry Department will nominate its top 10 applicants for the prestigious Stanford Graduate Fellowship. This institutional fellowship will provide the recipients with full tuition support as well as stipend at a level competitive with the national fellowships. As Stanford Graduate Fellows, the recipients will also enjoy exclusive events and lectures organized by Stanford and the School of Humanities and Sciences. For more information about the SGF, please visit the  Stanford Graduate Fellowships  website.

Additionally, Stanford's  Knight-Hennessy Scholars program  awards up to 100 high-achieving students every year with full funding to pursue a graduate education at Stanford, including the PhD in Chemistry. To be considered, you must apply to Knight-Hennessy Scholars by October 11, 2023. 

Details of student financial support are provided in a separate letter following admission. Stipends are set such that the students' net income is equivalent to the net income received at other major universities, and is consistent with the cost of living in the Stanford area. Additionally, first-year students arriving from distant locations may receive a travel allowance to partially defray the cost of necessary travel.

The Chemistry Department is committed to providing salary/stipend and tuition for Chemistry Ph.D. students who are in good academic standing, working for chemistry professors. Chemistry students receive support from three different sources: Teaching Assistantships (TA), Research Assistantships (RA), and fellowships. Salaries and tuition benefits depend on the sources of funding received. Students with a 50% assistantship cannot work more than eight additional hours a week at a part-time job. During breaks (e.g. between quarters and summer) students can work more than eight hours a week at a part-time job.

Support Sources for Doctoral Students

The University sets the fixed TA salary rate for each teaching category (e.g., teaching assistant or affiliate) and percent appointment. TAs are paid semi-monthly and the appointment includes tuition benefits. Chemistry’s total TA budget is set by the Dean of H&S and is related to course enrollments.

The University sets the minimum RA salary, and departments have the option of paying above this minimum. In Chemistry, it is Department policy that all RAs be paid the same departmentally approved salary. RAs are paid semi-monthly, and normally the research advisor pays them from his/her research grants.

Including salary, tuition benefits, and indirects, but excluding laboratory supplies, it cost more than $100,000/year to support each student on a grant. Including supplies and equipment, a typical grant in Chemistry supports one or two graduate students a year. Research grant budgets are set at the time of award, leaving almost no room for subsequent RA salary adjustments outside of University-projected annual rate increases. Most grants run for three years. Continuing RA support depends on continued success at winning new and renewed grants.

External - Stipends vary, amounts are set by the funding institution (e.g., NSF, Hughes, Hertz, Dept of Defense, etc.). Typically students are paid quarterly at the beginning of each quarter in a lump sum, and usually fellowships cover three years of support.

Internal - Students without TA, RA, or other support are paid from the Department’s endowed fellowship funds. For convenience, these students are often referred to as “RAs”. They receive a quarterly stipend equivalent to the Department RA salary. Including stipend and tuition, it cost approximately $60,000/year to support a (non-TGR) student on fellowship. Use of the Department’s endowed fellowship funds is restricted by the terms of the individual endowments (e.g., to field of specialization). The major use of these funds has always been to support students of junior faculty who are still developing a research grant support base.

A 50%-time appointment is the maximum TA, RA, or TA/RA-combined appointment for a graduate student in chemistry. Fellows do not have percent appointments. A 50% TA or RA appointment carries with it eight, nine, or ten units of tuition credit which covers normal registration for a graduate student. Lesser TA and RA appointments are possible at adjusted salaries and tuition credits.

Normal practice in Chemistry is to support students as TAs during their first three quarters, and as RAs thereafter, but this model is subject to change. The TA obligation to the Department is three 50% TA quarters and one Head TA (30%) or Advanced TA (20%). These numbers are reduced for those with fellowships. TA assignments are based on the needs of the Department and are at the discretion of the Department.

Support in Chemistry

Entering students normally are supported as TAs for three quarters (50%-time) and then an RA (50%-time) for one quarter, providing a minimum annual income based on the University TA and RA salary rates. First-year students on external fellowships are typically TAs for only one quarter. The TA salary supplements the fellowship stipend, but caps on allowable supplementation limit TA opportunities for Fellows.

After the first academic year, graduate students in Chemistry are normally supported as RAs for four quarters each year, providing a minimum annual income based on the University RA salary rates.

After the first year, graduate students must serve, one time, as advanced TAs, head TAs, or instrument TAs. There are over 50 part-time TA positions, accommodating some 27% of advanced students. The advanced TA supplement makes the total income of advanced graduates about equal to or greater than that of first-year graduate students. Head TAs receive no less than $2,974 extra income and advanced TAs earn no less than $1,534 extra.

Financial Aid

The Lowy Fund is designated as loans for chemistry and medical school graduate students. Because of the high cost of living in the Bay Area, the University may continue an interest-free, short-term loan program designed to help graduate students with cash flow problems associated with moving off campus (e.g. security deposit, first and last month rent). Contact the Financial Aid Office (Montag Hall) for information on loans.

A program was developed in 1983 to help meet the problems of doctoral students with unusual financial hardships. Students admitted to study for a doctoral level degree (PhD, DMA, EDD) in the Schools of Earth Sciences, Education, Engineering, Humanities & Sciences, and Medicine (PhD programs) are eligible to apply. Applications are encouraged from students experiencing an unexpected financial hardship, associated particularly with new family or medical circumstances, who cannot reasonably be expected to alleviate the financial difficulty through fellowship or loan sources.

The grant is not intended to be used as complete support for students where other sources of aid have ceased, nor can grants be made for dissertation costs under this program. All students applying for these funds must have their basic support covered from another source. Preference in awarding will be given to students who have made satisfactory progress and are well advanced in their program, with an established expected degree date. Applications may be obtained in the Financial Aid Office.

For additional information, see also:

• Payments and Tuition Credits
• Tax Statements from the University

5 Simple Ways to Manage Your Graduate Funding

Grad funding questions? Check out our microlearning course and interactive action checklist.

Funding and Scholarships

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Stanford offers many resources to help fund your education, including scholarships and other financial support programs. Here are some suggested resources as you navigate your student financial journey on the Farm.

Our Mind Over Money program and First-Gen and/or Low Income (FLI) Office can help you grow your financial wellness and build meaningful community. Visit these websites for support, resources, and to browse workshops and other events:

• Mind Over Money (M/M)
• First-Gen and/or Low-Income (FLI Office)

Undergraduate Funding 

The Stanford Financial Aid Office manages undergraduate aid and funding. You can find all details, including eligibility, application, student budget, types of available aid and policies on the Financial Aid Office website. 

Graduate Funding

• Microlearning + interactive checklist
• FAQs for grad students with funding
• Financial Aid Office
• Graduate cash advance
• Payroll deduction

Additional Resources for Undergraduate & Graduate Students

• Department and research stipends
• StanfordCardPlan (SCP)  

PhD Admissions

Main navigation, page contents, phd application timeline & deadline, phd admissions overview, phd admissions requirements, knight-hennessy scholars, phd frequently asked questions.

The Department of Chemical Engineering accepts applications to our graduate programs once per year for Autumn quarter entry only.

The application deadline for Autumn 2024 entry is December 1, 2023, at 11:59pm (PST).   All applications completed and received by this date will receive full consideration.  No late applications will be accepted.

All components of a graduate application must be received by the department no later than the appropriate deadline - including letters of recommendation.  Once submitted, applications are considered final, and no further updates are accepted.  Application review begins immediately so on-time submission of all materials is critical. 

A complete application consists of a completed application form, a statement of purpose (a summary of research experience for PhD applications), the application fee, three letters of recommendation, and TOEFL examination results (scores and percentages) if applicable.

The PhD application season is late-September through mid-December each year. The application is closed. No late applications will be accepted.

Our Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program is open to all applicants who have completed a bachelor’s degree or will have completed one before matriculating as a graduate student at Stanford. 

What We Look For ChemE PhD students come from a wide variety of personal, educational, and professional backgrounds. We welcome applicants with undergraduate degrees in diverse STEM disciplines including Bioengineering, Biophysics, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Biochemistry, Physics, and Chemistry. There are no specific course requirements for applicants, but a competitive candidate will have strong quantitative training in mathematics and the physical sciences, along with a background in biology acquired through coursework or prior research. All admitted graduate students should be prepared to take the core courses in the first year.

We welcome students entering directly from undergraduate programs, as well as applicants with MS degrees and/or substantial work experience in areas ranging from biotechnology to robotics. Our admissions committee will look for evidence that an applicant has demonstrated qualities of successful PhD students such as creativity, self-initiative, dedication, and perseverance. We also aim to admit Chemical Engineering students who can thrive at Stanford because their specific interests and aspirations are well-matched with the research of our faculty and the educational environment of our department.

Individual Chemical Engineering faculty members do not admit applicants directly to their research groups. Please do not send individual faculty members or staff informal documents and appeals for informal evaluations and/or admission to a research group. We are unable to provide informal recommendations / evaluations on the basis of partial information such as a CV, test scores or a transcript. Inquiries and materials sent to individual professors may or may not be redirected to administrative staff. We encourage potential applicants to consider discussing their issues with faculty recommenders who know them well and could give better, individualized academic advice.

Applications are reviewed by a committee of faculty that hold appointments in ChemE and represent diverse research expertise. Each application is read in full and evaluated by at least two separate committee members. The applicants who are considered most competitive are then discussed by the entire admissions committee who attempt to balance the research interests, perspectives, and backgrounds & experiences in the final cohort of students who are offered admission.

The Department of Chemical Engineering considers the following in offering admission to our program:  

• Academic preparation - applicant seeks and excels in coursework relevant to chemical engineering
• Quality of prior research experience - applicant takes advantage of available research opportunities, has made meaningful contributions in their research, and has engaged in depth in experimental or theoretical work
• Demonstrated resilience - applicant demonstrates an ability to overcome obstacles that present challenges in educational and training experiences
• Curiosity, creativity - for example, as demonstrated by applicant’s chosen engagement in research opportunities and coursework
• Motivation - applicant clearly describes personal motivation for graduate training and engagement in PhD research, demonstrated work ethic, and/or track record of pursuing available research and training opportunities
• Maturity and preparedness - e.g. as demonstrated by applicant’s past engagement in activities and classes, ability to work in teams, leadership roles, and/or demonstrated commitment to scholarly work
• Potential contribution to Stanford Chemical Engineering community

IMPORTANT: These departmental instructions and requirements are SUPPLEMENTAL to the  university-wide requirements  for each and every application for admission to any advanced degree program at Stanford University.

Application Materials

A degree in chemical engineering is not required but applicants should be familiar with key concepts and their applications. This typically means applicants have degrees in other science and engineering disciplines such as bioengineering, biology, chemistry, materials science, mathematics, mechanical engineering and physics. We are looking for coursework or other experiences demonstrating use of higher-level mathematics (e.g. linear algebra, partial differential equations) and recommend completion of core chemical engineering courses (e.g. fluid mechanics, heat and mass transport phenomena, chemical reaction kinetics, thermodynamics). An MS degree is not a prerequisite for admission to our PhD program or for PhD degree conferral. 

We invite excellent students from all backgrounds, including those from historically underrepresented groups in engineering, to consider Stanford University for their graduate studies. In making admissions decisions, the Department of Chemical Engineering will comply with the requirements of the law as determined by the Supreme Court of the United States, evaluating each applicant based on their “experiences as an individual—not on the basis of race.” We continue to value a diverse student body that benefits the educational experience of our students and our mission of generating knowledge at Stanford University.

1.Completed Online Application

Access  online application

2. Enriching the Learning Community

Stanford University welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of experiences, interests, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. We invite you to share the lived experiences, demonstrated values, perspectives, and/or activities that shape you as a scholar and would help you to make a distinctive contribution to Stanford University.

3. Transcripts/Education History

Applicants are required to upload copies of their transcripts/academic records (including any legends/keys) directly into the online application. Please ensure that your scans are legible since the Admissions Committee will use them in their review process. Official transcripts will only be required for applicants who are admitted and accept the offer of graduate admission. Please do not arrange for any official transcripts to be sent to the department or Stanford graduate admissions until that time.

When completing the “Educational History 1” section of the application, you will be asked to list every college and university you have attended for a year or more, and any degree program in which you are currently enrolled. Please list the highest undergraduate degree awarded (e.g. Bachelor’s, Diploma, Maitrise, etc.) in the “Post-Secondary Institution 1” section.

4. Statement of Purpose (2 pages maximum)

In your statement of purpose, you should succinctly describe your reasons for applying to the Chemical Engineering PhD program, which may include:

Preparation and motivation for graduate study in Chemical Engineering

• Aspects of your background and interests outside of research that are directly relevant to thriving in graduate school, such as obstacles overcome and experience in service and leadership
• Motivation for pursuing a PhD drawing from specific examples of research , relevant work experience, and/or personal interests
• Possible general areas of research you might pursue
• Possible general areas of Chemical Engineering that you might pursue in your career
• Any faculty member’s research that is of specific interest to you
• Many experience obstacles in your education, especially during this past year. Please also feel free to provide further explanation about any challenges or obstacles you’ve faced in your academic preparation

The maximum length is two pages (single-spaced). Your statement of purpose should be a well-structured essay that effectively communicates the information above while demonstrating your expository writing ability; it is often effective to open with a summary paragraph.

5. Three letters of recommendation

Recommenders should know you well and be able to comment on your strengths and your potential for graduate study. Our faculty strongly prefer letters of recommendation from academic (or professional) references who can speak to your academic and/or research background (e.g. professors who have acted as research supervisors, or instructors who have had extensive individual interactions with you). Letters must be submitted by the stated deadline as application review begins immediately. Late letters will not be reviewed. Additionally, our faculty find it helpful to hear from references who can comment on your personal qualities that would enable you to succeed in our graduate programs (such as your work ethic, commitment to goals, passion for learning and teaching, and capacity to overcome adversity), even if these references are from outside of STEM fields (e.g. coaches, academic advisors, and university leaders). Additional recommenders beyond the 3 required Letters of Recommendation are not requested.  

The Department of Chemical Engineering does not accept letters of recommendation submitted through Interfolio.

6. List of Research Experience (CV/Resume format) - 1 page limit

Your Research Experience provides the admissions committee with additional information to better evaluate your preparation and fit for our program. This is an opportunity to summarize your qualifications, honors, educational accomplishments (including publications and presentations) and interests. It should be a bulleted list, and can be structured similarly to a CV or resume and include relevant experience.  Please note:  The application portal labels this the "Resume/CV" in the Experience section of the application and incorrectly states the page length is 3 pages. Please adhere to 1 page and upload your "List of Research Experience" where the application portal shows the "Resume/CV". 

7. TOEFL scores

Applicants whose first spoken language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), unless they qualify for an exemption or waiver. Applicants whose scores fall below Stanford’s minimum TOEFL requirements will still be considered for admission; if admitted, Stanford may require these students to take a placement exam and/or classes to satisfy the University’s English proficiency requirement.

TOEFL scores are retained for 20 months. For questions about the validity of TOEFL scores, please contact ETS. If ETS is able to send your TOEFL scores, we will accept them. Stanford currently does not accept scores from the IELTS exam.

8. Application Fee

Applicants who need assistance with the application fee are encouraged to apply for a fee waiver. Preference is given to low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented minority students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

For applicants who are not receiving a waiver, a nonrefundable application fee of $125 is required for each application submitted to a graduate program at Stanford University. The fee must be paid through the payment section of the online application. The only accepted method of payment is by credit/debit card (Visa or MasterCard only).

Graduate Fee Waiver

Join dozens of  Stanford Engineering students  who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as  Knight-Hennessy Scholars  (KHS). KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your PhD studies at Stanford. Candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment. If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 11, 2023. Learn more about  KHS admission . 

My official test scores will not arrive by the application deadline! Can I still apply?

Yes, you may still apply. You should take your ETS tests and request that scores be submitted to Stanford as well. Your application will not be considered complete until your official transcripts and test scores arrive. We will contact otherwise competitive applicants with incomplete applications for follow-up. Be sure your e-email address and telephone number are correct.

Are TOEFL scores required for admission?

In general, yes, if your first language is not English. On your application, self-report both your ETS scores and percentages. The Graduate Admissions website has further details about the university-wide test requirements and exceptions. Any request for a TOEFL waiver must to directed to central Graduate Admissions. Individual academic departments may not approve requests for waivers.  In general, there is a high expectation for English language fluency in both formal use and informal interactions, in written and oral situations. One of the key goals of our educational programs is the further development of communication skills in English and ongoing opportunities are built into the curriculum.

Is there a TOEFL exemption process if I received a degree from an institution whose primary instruction was in English?

TOEFL scores are required of all applicants whose first language is not English. Exemptions are granted to applicants who have earned a US bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association in the United States, or the international equivalent degree from a university of recognized standing in a country in which all instruction is provide in English (Australia, Canada except Quebec, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK. Stanford does not accept IELTS scores. More information can be found on the  Graduate Admissions website .

Do I need to select an advisor before starting the program?

Each first-year PhD student rotates with two different faculty research groups before choosing an advisor and lab in which to develop his or her own research projects. The rotations enable students to gain a better understanding of a given faculty member’s research program and to determine if that lab is a good fit for their future research. Furthermore, during the first six months, there are multiple opportunities to talk with a wide range of faculty members about their research.

I’m applying to the Knight-Hennessy Program. What’s my deadline? Do I need to do both applications?

You should submit two independent applications if you are applying to the Knight-Hennessy Program - one to the Chemical Engineering department by Dec 1 and one to Knight-Hennessy by their deadline. You should be sure to complete both your Knight-Hennessy application by their deadline of October 11, 2023. These applications are independent and separate. Be sure you complete each set of requirements for each separate application. Please visit the  Knight-Hennessy Website  for more information regarding the Knight Hennessy Scholars program.

Can I visit the department?

Admitted PhD applicants will be invited to visit the department and meet with our students and faculty.

May I apply to start graduate work in other times of the year than Autumn Quarter?

For programmatic and curricular reasons, admitted students should plan to commence studies at the beginning of the academic year, in September.

Are GRE scores required for admission?

GRE scores are no longer required or accepted as part of an applicant’s application materials.

What kinds of financial aid are available?

Fellowship awards, assistantship jobs and loans through the university. The department is the first point of contact for the administration of most external fellowships (NSF, NDSEG, DOD, DOE, NIH, Hughes, Bell/Lucent and various foundations,), university fellowships (Stanford Graduate Fellowship), School of Engineering and departmental fellowships, and research and teaching assistantships. The university's Financial Aid Office helps graduate students obtain loans.

What are my chances of getting financial aid?

We offer financial aid at the time of admission to approximately the top 5-10 percent of the PhD applicants, and virtually all the first-year PhD students in Chemical Engineering receive aid. Faculty hold workshops to help PhD students write research proposals and apply for external fellowships. Once PhD students join a research group, normally they are supported either by fellowship awards or assistantship jobs from their research advisors or a combination of these two sources of funds.

What is the usual size of the incoming chemical engineering PhD Class?

Recently, the incoming PhD classes have numbered in the mid-20s.

When will I find out about the decision on my application?

All applicants must maintain current and correct email addresses so we can communicate with you via email. PhD applicants can expect to hear from us in January/February. The final PhD decisions are made after the December PhD deadline so the entire pool may be considered. PhD decisions will be communicated to all applicants, in writing, via email.

Further questions can be directed to  [email protected]

Graduate Funding

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All PhD students in CEE who are in good standing relative to their PhD program requirements are funded to the department’s PhD standard. This funding is at least equivalent to  Stanford’s 20-hour-RA salary  plus tuition to cover the department’s required enrollment (summer enrollment requirements vary by department. It is 3 units over summer for CEE PhDs).  Arranging for this funding is the responsibility of the department and the faculty PhD advisor, and can include fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships.

Often, our PhD students apply for and may receive individual fellowships which can reduce the department’s or advisor’s cost of funding.  In these cases, the guarantee of funding to the student will include the fellowship award and additional support from the department/advisor to reach the department-standard level.  For educational purposes, departments and advisors may encourage their students to apply for such fellowships and provide resources to strengthen their applications; however, no department or faculty member may require students to obtain external individual funding or to “self-fund” as a condition of admission, entry to or continuation in the Ph.D.

MS and Engineer Students

CEE strives to support Master's students where possible. In most cases, any student financial support awarded would be included in your admissions letter. Students with additional financial needs should consider other avenues including several listed on this page.

School of Engineering and Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Fellowships

The School of Engineering and the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability generously funds graduate fellowship opportunities to outstanding students in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering. This funding opportunity is intended for outstanding candidates in graduate study leading to the PhD. To be considered for assistance as an entering student, it is necessary only to submit the application for admission to our PhD program with supporting documents. Recipients are notified at the time of admission.

Stanford Graduate Fellowships (SGF)

This prestigious, three-year university award is intended for outstanding candidates in graduate study leading to the PhD. The fellowship is selectively awarded to entering and current graduate students who are pursuing (or plan to pursue) a PhD in Civil & Environmental Engineering. The award provides a quarterly stipend and tuition for 8-10 units per quarter for 12 quarters. The selection process is demanding, requiring nomination and confirmation by both department and university committees.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars Fellowships

Join dozens of Stanford  Engineering  and Doerr School of Sustainability students who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as  Knight-Hennessy Scholars  (KHS). KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your studies at Stanford. Candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment. If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is in October for the following year. Learn more about  KHS admission .

External Fellowships

We strongly suggest that graduate students apply for fellowships from outside Stanford University. Below are some of the national fellowships available for graduate students interested in Civil & Environmental Engineering:

Wade Scholarship Program Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships for Minorities Hertz Foundation National Science Foundation National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship You can also find a longer list here

Vice Provost for Graduate Education Fellowships

Stanford’s Vice Provost for Graduate Education (VPGE) provides several fellowships for incoming and current students. A full list of their fellowships and eligibility requirements can be  viewed here .

Research Assistantships

Research assistants typically receive 8-10 units of tuition coverage and a monthly stipend (paid semi-monthly and subject to state and federal tax withholding), in exchange for 20 hours of work per week. Research assistantships that provide less stipend and tuition coverage, and that require fewer hours of work per week, are also possible. For the PhD program, incoming students may be awarded Research assistant positions based upon the information provided in their admissions application. Research assistantships are on rare occasion provided to Master of Science students typically in their second year of studies. In most cases, assistantships are awarded by individual faculty who have the necessary research funding.

If you are interested in research assistantships, you will have to ask individual professors whether they offer research assistantships (RAs). RAship positions on campus are very competitive, and there is no guarantee you will be able to get one.

Teaching and Course Assistantships

Teaching/course assistantships are offered primarily to continuing students and to a limited number of entering graduate students. TA/CAs typically provide recipients with tuition coverage of between 5-10 units and a monthly stipend (paid semi-monthly and subject to state and federal withholding). TA/CA-ships are offered by individual faculty who have been allocated the necessary funds to hire a TA/CA. TA/CAs must attend the TA Orientation offered by the Center for Teaching and Learning .

You can try applying for course assistantships from CEE and any other departments on campus. You can start by looking at the open CA positions in the Doerr School of Sustainability listed here . For other departments that are in Humanities and Sciences or School of Engineering, please check individual department pages for information. CAship positions on campus are very competitive, and there is no guarantee you will be able to get one.

Graduate Student Loans

US citizens and permanent residents can apply for need-based loans. Information on student loans and application packets is available at the  Financial Aid Office website.

International students may be eligible for private student loans in some cases. Here is a link to loan information and another link specifically for international students.  

Graduate students can learn more about financial programs at: http://financialaid.stanford.edu or by calling the Financial Aid office at: 650-723-3058.

Other Resources

• FastWeb  (Financial Aid Search Through the WEB) — an online searchable database of more than 180,000 private sector scholarships, fellowships, grants and loans for graduate and postdoctoral students.

Coterm Funding

The Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering generally does not provide department funding for the coterm program. We encourage all CEE coterm applicants to review the below websites for more information on funding and financial aid opportunities:

Engineering Coterminal Fellowship program Eligibility: Students must be admitted to an engineering coterm program.

Coterm Funding Opportunities

Coterm Financial Aid

Graduate Student Research Summer Opportunities

Statistics PhD Admissions

Application Deadline for Autumn 2024-25: Thursday, November 30, 2023 (11:59pm PST)

Applicants may not matriculate in any other quarter.

Application Review

File review begins promptly after the application deadline. Internal applications will be evaluated at the same time as the external applications: there is no separate review process for internal applicants. Please be aware that the Graduate Admissions Committee is not required to review incomplete applications.

We urge applicants to take all required tests well before the application deadline.

Decisions Announced: by mid-February

NB: If you are considering applying to our PhD program, please also consider applying to be a Knight-Hennessy Scholar. The deadline to apply for this prestigious fellowship for 2024-25 is October 11, 2023, at 1pm PST. For more details see the Knight-Hennessy program overview .

Application Requirements and Procedures

Financial support, phd admissions faq.

Graduate Funding

Main navigation, school of engineering and school of medicine fellowships.

The Schools of Engineering and Medicine have generously funded graduate fellowships opportunities to outstanding students in the Department of Bioengineering. This funding opportunity is intended for outstanding candidates in graduate study leading to the PhD. To be considered for assistance as an entering student, it is necessary only to submit the application for admission to our PhD program with supporting documents. Recipients are notified at the time of admission.

Stanford Graduate Fellowships (SGF)

This prestigious, three-year university award is intended for outstanding candidates in graduate study leading to the PhD. The fellowship is selectively awarded to entering and current graduate students who are pursuing (or plan to pursue) a PhD in Bioengineering. The award provides a quarterly stipend and tuition for 8-10 units per quarter for 12 quarters. The selection process is demanding, requiring nomination and confirmation by both department and university committees.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars fellowships

Join dozens of Stanford Engineering and Medicine students who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS). KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your studies at Stanford. Candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment. If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 11, 2023. Learn more about KHS admission .

External fellowships

We strongly suggest that students apply for fellowships from outside Stanford University. Below are some of the national fellowships available for students in Bioengineering:

Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships for Minorities Hertz Foundation National Science Foundation National Institutes of Health National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship

Vice Provost for Graduate Education Fellowships

Stanford’s Vice Provost for Graduate Education (VPGE) provides several fellowships for incoming and current students. A full list of their fellowships and eligibility requirements can be viewed here .

Bio-X fellowships

The Stanford Bio-X Graduate Fellowship Program provides current Stanford graduate students whose research interests are interdisciplinary in nature with three years of funding support. Because Stanford Bio-X Fellows work on the cutting edge at the intersection of disciplines, their potential to generate transformative discoveries for the benefit of human health is profound.

Training grant support

The Department of Bioengineering has access to a variety of training grants sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The availability of these funding opportunities varies from year to year.

To be considered for assistance as an entering student, it is necessary only to submit the Application for Admission to our PhD program with supporting documents. Notifications on financial aid are sent to recipients in March and April. One such funded training program, currently open to Bioengineering students, is Training in Biomedical Imaging Instrumentation (TBI2) , which offers students educational opportunities in medical imaging sciences and the opportunity to train with faculty from the departments of Bioengineering, Radiology, Electrical Engineering, Radiation Oncology, Pediatrics and Medicine.

For rising second year PhD students, the Biotechnology Training Program (BTP)  provides up to 2 years of NIH funding support.  This program provides an interdisciplinary training experience in biotechnology.  Interested students should apply directly to the training program in the spring.

Research assistantships

Research assistantships (RAs) are provided to both entering and continuing students in the Master of Science and PhD programs. In most cases, assistantships are awarded by individual faculty who have the necessary research funding.

Research assistants typically receive 8-10 units of tuition coverage and a monthly stipend (paid semi-monthly and subject to state and federal tax withholding), in exchange for 20 hours of work per week. RAs that provide less stipend and tuition coverage, and that require fewer hours of work per week, are also available. Entering students are awarded RA positions based upon the information provided in their admissions application. Current students typically contact faculty members to arrange research assistantships.

Teaching and course assistantships

Teaching/course assistantships are offered primarily to continuing students and to a limited number of entering graduate students. TA/CAs typically provide recipients with tuition coverage of 8-10 units and a monthly stipend (paid semi-monthly and subject to state and federal withholding). TA/CA-ships are offered by individuals who have been allocated the necessary funds to hire a TA/CA. TA/CAs must attend the TA Orientation offered by the Center for Teaching and Learning.

Graduate student loans

US citizens and permanent residents can apply for need-based loans. Information on student loans and application packets is available at the  Financial Aid Office website .

Other resources

• FastWeb  (Financial Aid Search Through the WEB) — an online searchable database of more than 180,000 private sector scholarships, fellowships, grants and loans for graduate and postdoctoral students.

Coterm Funding

The Bioengineering program does not provide department funding for the coterm program. We encourage all BioE coterm applicants to review the below websites for more information on funding and financial aid opportunities:

Engineering Coterminal Fellowship program Eligibility: Students must be admitted to an engineering coterm program.

Bioengineering TA Opportunities Eligibility: Students must be in their graduate tuition group and have completed 180 units

Coterm Funding Opportunities

Coterm Financial Aid

The MCS program stopped accepting new majors and minors on September 1, 2022.

All students currently enrolled in the MCS major or minor will be able to complete these degree programs. Starting on September 1, 2022, students interested in Mathematical & Computational Science should explore the opportunities in the new Data Science program. The Data Science B.S. has requirements very similar to those of MCS.

Fellowships & Scholarships

Here is a consolidated list of fellowship opportunities that are offered at Stanford, externally, and introduced to us via email.  Please pay close attention to eligibility, requirements, and deadlines.

Fellowships:

• Engineering -  SURF
• Community-Based Research (CBR) Fellowship
• VPUE STEM Fellows Program
• Fellowships and Funding  (If interested in Grad programs at Stanford H&S)
• Killam Undergraduate Fellowship
• Global Studies - Funding for Students
• The Insight Fellows Program (graduating students, see all programs noted at the top and FAQ on the right) 
• At this time, only the Data Science and Health program requires PhD, the other 5 programs do not require graduate degree  5/7/19

Scholarships:

There are numerous websites dedicated towards outside scholarships, students must use their judgement in discerning which sites/scholarships are best for them. We recommend that students connect with the  financial aid office  first.

• STEM/Engineering Scholarships

Consider  Community Service Work-Study (CSWS)

• Earn Money, Gain Experience, Make a Difference
• Students can create their own service

Disclaimer: Stanford websites, including all MCS program pages, may include hyperlinks to websites maintained or controlled by others. Stanford is not responsible for and does not routinely screen, approve, review or endorse the contents of or use of any of the products or services that may be offered at these websites.

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The field of finance covers the economics of claims on resources. Financial economists study the valuation of these claims, the markets in which they are traded, and their use by individuals, corporations, and the society at large.

At Stanford GSB, finance faculty and doctoral students study a wide spectrum of financial topics, including the pricing and valuation of assets, the behavior of financial markets, and the structure and financial decision-making of firms and financial intermediaries.

Investigation of issues arising in these areas is pursued both through the development of theoretical models and through the empirical testing of those models. The PhD Program is designed to give students a good understanding of the methods used in theoretical modeling and empirical testing.

Preparation and Qualifications

All students are required to have, or to obtain during their first year, mathematical skills at the level of one year of calculus and one course each in linear algebra and matrix theory, theory of probability, and statistical inference.

Students are expected to have familiarity with programming and data analysis using tools and software such as MATLAB, Stata, R, Python, or Julia, or to correct any deficiencies before enrolling at Stanford.

The PhD program in finance involves a great deal of very hard work, and there is keen competition for admission. For both these reasons, the faculty is selective in offering admission. Prospective applicants must have an aptitude for quantitative work and be at ease in handling formal models. A strong background in economics and college-level mathematics is desirable.

It is particularly important to realize that a PhD in finance is not a higher-level MBA, but an advanced, academically oriented degree in financial economics, with a reflective and analytical, rather than operational, viewpoint.

Faculty in Finance

Anat r. admati, juliane begenau, jonathan b. berk, greg buchak, antonio coppola, peter m. demarzo, darrell duffie, steven grenadier, benjamin hébert, arvind krishnamurthy, hanno lustig, matteo maggiori, paul pfleiderer, joshua d. rauh, claudia robles-garcia, ilya a. strebulaev, vikrant vig, jeffrey zwiebel, emeriti faculty, robert l. joss, george g.c. parker, myron s. scholes, william f. sharpe, kenneth j. singleton, james c. van horne, recent publications in finance, behavioral responses to state income taxation of high earners: evidence from california, beyond the balance sheet model of banking: implications for bank regulation and monetary policy, fee variation in private equity, recent insights by stanford business, cashless: is digital currency the future of finance, nine stories to get you through tax season, “geoeconomics” explains how countries flex their financial muscles.

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Ph.D. Program

The Stanford English department has a long tradition of training the next generation of scholars to become leaders in academia and related fields. Our Ph.D. program encourages the production of ambitious, groundbreaking dissertation work across the diverse field interests of our prestigious faculty.

Fusing deep attention to literary history with newer approaches to media, technology, and performance, our department carefully mentors students in both scholarship and pedagogy through close interaction with faculty. Our location on the edge of the Pacific and at the heart of Silicon Valley encourages expansive, entrepreneurial thinking about the interpenetration of arts and sciences.

Program Overview

The English Department seeks to teach and promote an understanding of both the significance and the history of British and American literature (broadly defined) and to foster an appreciation of the richness and variety of texts in the language. It offers rigorous training in interpretive thinking and precise expression. Our English graduate program features the study of what imaginative language, rhetoric, and narrative art has done, can do, and will do in life, and it focuses on the roles creative writing and representations play in almost every aspect of modern experience. Completing the Ph.D. program prepares a student for full participation as a scholar and literary critic in the profession.

Financial Support

We offer an identical five-year funding package to all admitted students with competitive funding available for a sixth year. Funding covers applicable tuition costs, Stanford Cardinal Care health insurance, and living expenses in the form of direct stipend, teaching assistantships or pre-doctoral research assistantships. The department, in conjunction with the School of Humanities and Sciences, is also committed to supporting students' involvement in professional activities and funds many of the expenses for research travel, summer language study, and participation in academic conferences. Student housing is not included in the funding package.

In addition to our standard doctoral funding package, the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education (VPGE) provides competitive funding to support individual doctoral students, student groups, and department-based projects. VPGE funding opportunities promote innovation, diversity, and excellence in graduate education. Explore their doctoral  fellowship  and other student  funding  opportunities.

The  Knight-Hennessy Scholars  program cultivates and supports a highly-engaged, multidisciplinary and multicultural community of graduate students from across Stanford University, and delivers a diverse collection of educational experiences, preparing graduates to address complex challenges facing the world. Knight-Hennessy Scholars participate in an experiential leadership development program known as the King Global Leadership Program and receive funding for up to three years of graduate study at Stanford. Two applications must be submitted separately; one to Knight-Hennessy and one to the Stanford English graduate degree program by its deadline. Please refer to the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program page to learn more and apply.

Teaching Requirements

One pedagogical seminar and four quarters of supervised teaching. Typically a student will teach three times as a teaching assistant in a literature course. For the fourth course, students will have the option of applying to design and teach a Writing Intensive Seminar in English (WISE) for undergraduate English majors or teaching a fourth quarter as a T.A..

• 1st year: One quarter as T.A. (leading 1-2 discussion sections of undergraduate literature)
• 2nd year: One quarter as T.A. (leading 1-2 discussion sections of undergraduate literature)
• 3rd/4th/5th years: Two quarters of teaching, including the possibility of TA'ing or teaching a WISE course.

Language requirements

All candidates for the Ph.D. degree must demonstrate a reading knowledge of two foreign languages. One language requirement must be completed during the first year of study. The second language must be completed before the oral examination in the third year.

Candidates in the earlier periods must offer Latin and one of the following languages: French, German, Greek, Italian or Spanish. Candidates in the later period (that is, after the Renaissance) must demonstrate a reading knowledge of two languages for which  Stanford’s Language Center  regularly offers a reading course, administers a competency exam, or facilitates the administration of an American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Reading Proficiency Test (ACTFL RPT). In all cases, the choice of languages offered must be relevant to the student’s field of study and must have the approval of the candidate's adviser. Any substitution of a language other than one for which Stanford offers a competency exam must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

Other requirements

All candidates for the Ph.D. must satisfactorily complete the following:

• 135 units, at least 70 of which (normally 14 courses) must be graded course work
• Qualifying examination, based on a reading guide of approximately 70-90 works, to be taken orally at the end of the summer after the first year of graduate work.
• University oral examination covering the field of concentration taken no later than the winter quarter of the third year of study.
• Submission of the dissertation prospectus
• First chapter review with the dissertation advisor and the members of the dissertation reading committee.
• Dissertation, which should be an original work of literary criticism demonstrating the student's ability to participate fully as a scholar and literary critic in the profession.
• Closing colloquium designed to look forward toward the next steps; identify the major accomplishments of the dissertation and the major questions/issues/problems that remain; consider possibilities for revision, book or article publication, etc.

Stanford University Scholarships 2024 (Fully Funded)

If you are interested to study at top USA university with fully funded scholarship then read this article through. Because in this article, we will explain in detail about Stanford University Scholarship, its benefits and step by step application process.

Stanford University Scholarships 2024-2025 are fully funded scholarships for international students. These scholarships are offered for Masters and PhD studies. These scholarships cover full tuition fees, traveling allowance, Living allowance and academic expenses.

Knight Hennesy Scholars is on the best scholarship programs in the world. Knight-Hennessy Scholars will attract the most promising future leaders from all disciplines and geographies to Stanford University. Here, you will engage in multidisciplinary education, leadership development, and achieving a global perspective. Stanford University is ranked #2 in QS World Universities Ranking 2019 by Top Universities. Stanford University is Offering 100 Fully Funded Scholarships for International Students to study Masters, Ph.D., MS, MBA, MFA, MD, JD degrees.

Also Apply for Fully Funded MEXT Scholarship where Knowledge of Japanese Language and IELTS/TOEFL is not mandatory for this scholarship.

We inspire applications to Knight-Hennessy Scholars from citizens of all countries. That’s natural since we expect Knight-Hennessy Scholars to have a global impact. The Knight-Hennessy Scholars admission process is designed with the goals of allowing you to know yourself better, enabling us to understand you, and empowering you to make your best case for admission – all while making the admission process itself a great experience for you. We expect that over time about one-third of our scholars will be from the U.S., and about two thirds will be from countries outside the U.S. Those numbers will fluctuate from year to year, since our goal is to admit the world’s very best students, regardless of location.

Stanford University was founded in 1885. It is a place for learning, discovery, innovation, expression, and discourse. Stanford has changed with the world over the last 125+ years, often leading the way with new ideas and discoveries. Stanford University is one of the world top universities. Knight-Hennessy Scholarship Program in the United States is a magnet for talent. They curate a multidisciplinary community of scholars, offer a platform for purposeful leadership development and empower you to effect large-scale positive impact in the world.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for step by step Application process

Scholarship Summary

• Level of Study: Masters, PhD
• Institution(s): Stanford University
• Study in: USA
• Opportunity Focus Areas:  Scholarships are available to pursue Graduate (PhD) degree program in arts, engineering, education, humanities, or social sciences to professional degrees in business, law, or medicine. Click here  to find all the available programs.
• Program Period: The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program funds up to the first three years of your graduate education, and if your degree program exceeds three years — such as an MD or PhD. program, or a Stanford dual- or joint-degree program — then your Stanford home department will fund the remainder of your education to the extent consistent with its standard funding commitment for that program.
• Deadline: October 12, 2023 (For more details, click here )

Please Check: Chinese Government Scholarship for International Students .

Scholarship Coverage

Stanford University Scholarships provide the recipient with following benefits:

• A travel stipend intended to cover an economy-class ticket for one annual trip to and from Stanford.
• A stipend for living and academic expenses (such as room and board, books, academic supplies, instructional materials, local transportation, and reasonable personal expenses).
• A fellowship applied directly to cover tuition (commensurate with the standard departmental level of enrollment) and associated fees.
• The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program typically does not cover costs that your home department at Stanford pays for its students – such as for subscriptions or lab equipment.
• Knight-Hennessy Scholars also may apply for supplemental funds to support academic endeavors (e.g. conference travel).

Also check Fully Funded Orange Knowledge Programme and avail the opportunity to study in Netherlands.

Eligibility Criteria for Stanford University Scholarships

To qualify for Stanford University Scholarships, following is the eligibility criteria:

• Required Languages: English
• Eligible Countries:  All world countries can apply for Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program
• First/Bachelor’s degree received in 2015 or Later; for enrolling in 2022. You are eligible to apply if you apply within four years and enroll within five years, after you earn your first/bachelor’s degree.
• You must be first-step mental sharpness, seeks out knowledge and new experiences, full of original ideas, makes sense of ambiguous situations and can hold a contrarian or dissenting point of view.
• You must complete not only your Knight-Hennessy Scholars application but also the entire application process including any standardized test that your graduate degree program requires (GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, etc.) and if needed, an English proficiency test.
• You must be ambitious, in the best sense of the word, driven to improve self, willing to take risks. Self-aware and persists and bounces back from adversity. Personally humble and kind, inclusive respects difference, concerned for and helpful to others and Low ego.
• You must be fluent in English — listening, reading, speaking, and writing — to study at Stanford. The minimum TOEFL score for most graduate programs at Stanford is 100iBT or 600PBT. All Stanford graduate degree programs accept the TOEFL, and the MBA Program also accepts the IELTS and PTE. You can know more about scores  here.
• First, in addition to applying to Knight-Hennessy Scholars, you must apply to, be accepted by, and enroll in a full-time Stanford graduate degree program. Each incoming Knight-Hennessy Scholar must be a newly enrolling student in a Stanford graduate program including, but not limited to, DMA, JD, MA, MBA, MD, MFA, MPP, MS, or PhD programs. There are no quotas by discipline or program. Note that we will give priority consideration to those who will spend at least two years studying at Stanford. 

Also Check How to write an Impressive Academic CV for Scholarship along with Template

How to Apply for Stanford University Scholarships?

Follow the following application instructions to win this scholarship:

(1) You must create an account here and start your online application.

(2) You must complete and submit the online application for admission (including personal and academic information, etc.). The university will ask for basic biographic and demographic details, as well as explanations of your activities and interests.

(3) You must submit the following documents:

• Provide an unofficial or self-reported transcript of your academic performance in college and, if applicable, graduate school for each institution you attended for an academic year or longer. If you are unable to provide an unofficial transcript, you may download the  self-reported transcript  template. Your transcript must, if applicable, include the degree conferred and the conferral date. We do not need transcripts from study-abroad experiences if those credits are included on your transcript.
• You will include a resume that frames your intellectual, personal, and professional background and accomplishments. Our rule is one page for every decade of experience after secondary school.
• Two recommendation letters. Know more about it  here.
• Connect the dots. How have the influences in your life shaped you?
• How will you pursue your life’s calling? How will your Stanford education and your Knight-Hennessy Scholars experience to support this?
• Two short answer responses: Please tell us eight improbable facts about you. Please list three goals/objectives that you are working toward right now (being admitted to Stanford and/or being selected as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar can’t count as one of those goals).
• Video story: Your video can be no longer than two minutes in duration. If you only need 30 seconds to answer, that’s fine. There is no expectation or obligation for you to speak for the maximum time.
• In-person assessment.
• You must submit all Knight-Hennessy Scholars application materials in English via our online application. We do not accept materials sent via email or postal mail.
• We highly recommend that you apply using a current version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
• For reference only, here is a  PDF sample of the application  for the autumn 2024 intake.

To know more about Stanford University Scholarships, please visit theofficial website:

Official Website

Related Scholarships: 

• USA Scholarships

Stanford University

SPICE is a program of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.

China Scholars Program Now Accepting Applications for Fall 2024

SPICE is currently accepting applications for the China Scholars Program (CSP) , an intensive, college-level, online course on contemporary China for U.S. high school students. The program is open to rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders across the United States. The Fall 2024 course will run from late August through December.

Stanford University China Scholars Program for high school students Fall 2024 session (late August through December) Application period: April 15 to June 15, 2023 Tuition: $2000

This exploration of China’s internal dynamics and recent history, as well as its complicated relationship with the United States, offers students critical insights into the world’s largest economy and growing superpower of the 21st century. “This program has provided me with a much broader and more nuanced understanding of China and U.S.–China relations. It has reshaped the preconceived notions I held about China and replaced them with academically vetted historical analyses” (Fall 2023 CSP student).  Designed to provide high-achieving high school students a rich and comprehensive online learning experience, the CSP offers college-level instruction, featuring guest speakers from Stanford University and other top-tier institutions. Students engage with leading scholars, experts, and diplomats on Zoom each week, read deeply on that week’s topic, and engage in analytical discussion with classmates from across the United States. CSP students will also have an opportunity to meet online with Chinese students enrolled in the Stanford e-China Program .

The rigorous level of readings, discussion, research, and writing is a key feature of the program, helping students build a strong foundation for their college careers. Students who complete the course will be equipped with an unusual level of expertise about China and international relations—something notably lacking in the current generation of university students —which may guide their career choices. Many CSP alums have gone on to major in international relations, journalism, business, and other fields with global dimensions.

“CSP has helped me contextualize China’s transformation as it’s happening, which is something you wouldn’t really be able to study in any other kind of course,” said Angela Yang, a 2018 CSP alum who is now a reporter for NBC. “The curriculum is intensive yet very comprehensive, and it gives the inquisitive young mind a strong foundation to launch into further study of China or just a new lens through which we can better understand the world.”

More information on the China Scholars Program is available at http://chinascholars.org .

The China Scholars Program is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

To stay updated on SPICE news, join our email list and follow us on Facebook , X , and Instagram .

CHINA SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Worth the wait: reflections on the inaugural spice china day, china scholars program and stanford e-china alumnae launch project 17, how spice’s china scholars program accelerated my love for international relations.

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• 17 April 2024

Canadian science gets biggest boost to PhD and postdoc pay in 20 years

• Brian Owens

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Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau and finance minister Chrystia Freeland hold copies of the 2024 federal budget. Credit: David Kawai/Bloomberg via Getty

Researchers in Canada got most of what they were hoping for in the country’s 2024 federal budget, with a big boost in postgraduate pay and more funding for research and scientific infrastructure.

“We are investing over $5 billion in Canadian brainpower,” said finance minister Chrystia Freeland in her budget speech on 16 April. “More funding for research and scholarships will help Canada attract the next generation of game-changing thinkers.”

Canadian PhD students and postgrads plan mass walkout over low pay

Postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers have been advocating for higher pay for the past two years through a campaign called Support Our Science. They requested an increase in the value, and number, of federal government scholarships, and got more than they asked for. Stipends for master’s students will rise from Can$17,500 (US$12,700) to $27,000 per year, PhDs stipends that ranged from $20,000 to $35,000 will be set to a uniform annual $40,000 and most postdoctoral-fellowship salaries will increase from $45,000 to $70,000 per annum. The number of scholarships and fellowships provided will also rise over time, building to around 1,720 more per year after five years.

“We’re very thrilled with this significant new investment, the largest investment in graduate students and postdocs in over 21 years,” says Kaitlin Kharas, a PhD student at the University of Toronto, Canada, and executive director of Support Our Science . “It will directly support the next generation of researchers.”

Although only a small proportion of students and postdoctoral fellows receive these federal scholarships, other funders tend to use them as a guide for their own stipends.

Many postgraduates said that low pay was forcing them to consider leaving Canada to pursue their scientific career, says Kharas, so this funding should help to retain talent in the country.

“This is going to move us from a searing brain drain to a brain gain, and position us to compete on the world stage,” says Chad Gaffield, chief executive of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, based in Ontario, which supported the campaign.

‘Determined to thrive’

The budget also includes marked boosts for basic research. There is an extra $1.8 billion over five years in core funding for the three federal grant-awarding research councils, as well as $400 million for upgrades to the TRIUMF particle accelerator in Vancouver, and more cash for several other large facilities and institutes across the country. There will also be more than $2 billion for the artificial-intelligence sector in Canada.

“[This budget] really emphasizes that Canada is determined to thrive in the twenty-first century based on science and research,” says Gaffield.

Canada announces new innovation agency — and it’s not modelled on DARPA

Others have pointed out that the vast majority of the money in the budget for the research councils is backloaded, with just $228 million coming in the next two years. This means that the gains will be slow, and could be vulnerable to changes in the political climate, says Alex Usher, president of Higher Education Strategy Associates, a consultancy in Toronto. “Do not count on this money being there after an election,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter). Canada’s next federal election is due in October 2025, and the opposition Conservative Party is campaigning on reigning in spending.

The budget also makes some changes to how science funding is organized. Instead of ten different programmes for scholarships and fellowships, with differing levels of support, there will now be a single programme with just three levels — master’s degrees, PhDs and postdoctoral fellowships. Kharas says that this should simplify the system.

The government will also create a new “capstone” research-funding organization to better coordinate the work of the three granting councils and “help to advance internationally collaborative, multi-disciplinary and mission-driven research”, the budget says. It will also create an advisory Council on Science and Innovation, comprised of leaders from academia, industry and the non-profit sector, which will develop a national science-and-innovation strategy to guide priority setting and increase the impact of federal investments. “This should help move us towards a more efficient, well-coordinated and nimble way of supporting research in Canada,” says Gaffield. “I look forward to working with the government to optimize it.”

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01124-2

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Generative AI develops potential new drugs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Stanford Medicine researchers devise a new artificial intelligence model, SyntheMol, which creates recipes for chemists to synthesize the drugs in the lab.

March 28, 2024 - By Rachel Tompa

Acinetobacter baumannii infection is a leading cause of death related to antibiotic resistance. Stanford Medicine researchers employed artificial intelligence to provide recipes for drugs that can treat it.  Kateryna Kon /Shutterstock.com

With nearly 5 million deaths linked to antibiotic resistance globally every year, new ways to combat resistant bacterial strains are urgently needed.

Researchers at Stanford Medicine and McMaster University are tackling this problem with generative artificial intelligence. A new model, dubbed SyntheMol (for synthesizing molecules), created structures and chemical recipes for six novel drugs aimed at killing resistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii, one of the leading pathogens responsible for antibacterial resistance-related deaths.

The researchers described their model and experimental validation of these new compounds in a study published March 22 in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence .

“There’s a huge public health need to develop new antibiotics quickly,” said James Zou , PhD, an associate professor of biomedical data science and co-senior author on the study. “Our hypothesis was that there are a lot of potential molecules out there that could be effective drugs, but we haven’t made or tested them yet. That’s why we wanted to use AI to design entirely new molecules that have never been seen in nature.”

Before the advent of generative AI, the same type of artificial intelligence technology that underlies large language models like ChatGPT, researchers had taken different computational approaches to antibiotic development. They used algorithms to scroll through existing drug libraries, identifying those compounds most likely to act against a given pathogen. This technique, which sifted through 100 million known compounds , yielded results but just scratched the surface in finding all the chemical compounds that could have antibacterial properties.

Kyle Swanson

“Chemical space is gigantic,” said Kyle Swanson , a Stanford computational science doctoral student and co-lead author on the study. “People have estimated that there are close to 10 60 possible drug-like molecules. So, 100 million is nowhere close to covering that entire space.”

Hallucinating for drug development

Generative AI’s tendency to “hallucinate,” or make up responses out of whole cloth, could be a boon when it comes to drug discovery, but previous attempts to generate new drugs with this kind of AI resulted in compounds that would be impossible to make in the real world, Swanson said. The researchers needed to put guardrails around SyntheMol’s activity — namely, to ensure that any molecules the model dreamed up could be synthesized in a lab.

“We’ve approached this problem by trying to bridge that gap between computational work and wet lab validation,” Swanson said.

The model was trained to construct potential drugs using a library of more than 130,000 molecular building blocks and a set of validated chemical reactions. It generated not only the final compound but also the steps it took with those building blocks, giving the researchers a set of recipes to produce the drugs.

The researchers also trained the model on existing data of different chemicals’ antibacterial activity against A. baumannii . With these guidelines and its building block starting set, SyntheMol generated around 25,000 possible antibiotics and the recipes to make them in less than nine hours. To prevent the bacteria from quickly developing resistance to the new compounds, researchers then filtered the generated compounds to only those that were dissimilar from existing compounds.

“Now we have not just entirely new molecules but also explicit instructions for how to make those molecules,” Zou said.

A new chemical space

The researchers chose the 70 compounds with the highest potential to kill the bacterium and worked with the Ukrainian chemical company Enamine to synthesize them. The company was able to efficiently generate 58 of these compounds, six of which killed a resistant strain of A. baumannii when researchers tested them in the lab. These new compounds also showed antibacterial activity against other kinds of infectious bacteria prone to antibiotic resistance, including E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and MRSA.

The scientists were able to further test two of the six compounds for toxicity in mice, as the other four didn’t dissolve in water. The two they tested seemed safe; the next step is to test the drugs in mice infected with A. baumannii to see if they work in a living body, Zou said.

The six compounds are vastly different from each other and from existing antibiotics. The researchers don’t know how their antibacterial properties work at the molecular level, but exploring those details could yield general principles relevant to other antibiotic development.

“This AI is really designing and teaching us about this entirely new part of the chemical space that humans just haven’t explored before,” Zou said.

Zou and Swanson are also refining SyntheMol and broadening its reach. They’re collaborating with other research groups to use the model for drug discovery for heart disease and to create new fluorescent molecules for laboratory research.

The study was funded by the Weston Family Foundation, the David Braley Centre for Antibiotic Discovery, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, M. and M. Heersink, the Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub, and the Knight-Hennessy scholarship.

For more news about responsible AI in health and medicine,  sign up  for the RAISE Health newsletter.

Register  for the RAISE Health Symposium on May 14.

• Rachel Tompa Rachel Tompa is a freelance science writer.

About Stanford Medicine

Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu .

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Exploring ways AI is applied to health care

2024 Truman Scholars

The Foundation reviewed 709 files from 285 institutions. Students were nominated by their institution based on their records of leadership, public service, and academic achievement. Our Finalist Selection Committee selected 193 students from 136 institutions to interview with the Foundation’s Regional Review Panels between March 1 and April 4. The complete listing of the 2024 Truman Scholarship Finalists can be found in our News section .

In 2024, we selected 60 outstanding college students from 54 institutions as Truman Scholars. Read more about them in our Press Release . Biographies, provided by the Scholars, appear below.

Kaylyn studies social policy and legal studies and recently returned from Ecuador where she held a Gilman Scholarship. Kaylyn is co-president of the Undergraduate Prison Education Partnership, was selected as a Debarry Civic Scholar, was among GLAAD’s 20 Under 20 LGBTQ+ Activists in 2021, and testified in front of Illinois General Assembly to help unanimously pass a bill to reform sexual assault law. She was appointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to serve on the Illinois Council on Women and Girls, serves on the advisory board for the National Organization for Victim Advocacy, and serves on the advisory board for The Harbour, a youth homeless shelter. She interned with KAN-WIN, a nonprofit for Asian survivors of domestic violence, and will work for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawai’ians, and Pacific Islanders in spring of 2024. Last summer, Kaylyn worked at the US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights. She is a Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Resolution Pipeline Fellow and will work in the US Embassy in South Africa this summer. From keynotes to panels, she has spoken across the country about her experiences as a survivor of domestic and sexual violence.    

Daniel Arakawa

Born and raised in the Aloha State of Hawai'i, Daniel is double-majoring in political science and sociology. Inspired by his interest in the criminal justice system and commitment to addressing its inherent disparities, he is dedicated to pursuing a career in public service that allows him to work directly with those affected by these disparities. He intends to pursue a JD focusing on criminal law and prosecutorial experience. While serving in the Lieutenant Governor’s Office and subsequently joining the Governor’s Office of Hawai'i, he developed his passion for public service and an understanding of the political process by working closely with and supporting underserved communities. After graduate school, he plans to continue his commitment to service as an Assistant United States Attorney and aspires to serve as a federal judge. In his spare time, Daniel enjoys cooking, lifting weights, and practicing jiu-jitsu (no-Gi, of course).    

Daniel Block

Daniel is pursuing a double-major in environmental studies and American studies, with a minor in legal studies. He plans to pursue a JD/MEM from Yale, focusing on novel greenhouse gas regulations and the Clean Air Act. Currently, Daniel works as the farm and program director at Zumwalt Acres, a leading carbon-negative farm in rural Illinois that is rooted in Jewish values of justice. His role involves fostering consensus among scientists, farmers, and government agencies to equitably transition the Midwest agricultural landscape toward sustainability. Through connecting farmers to Zumwalt Acres' $5 million US Department of Agriculture Climate Smart Commodities Grant, Daniel has seen how federal policy plays a key role in the transition to a carbon-negative society. Motivated by this, he aims to push the administrative state to adopt innovative, just, and market-based regulatory solutions to climate change. Daniel also serves as the senior content editor for the Brandeis Undergraduate Law Journal, where he authored an article on gender affirming care and religious liberty, with another forthcoming on the administrative state and the major questions doctrine. Daniel is an incoming summer intern for the Honorable Judge Lee Rudofsky of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.

Jackson Boaz

Jackson is completing his studies in communications, legal institutions, economics, and government. After growing up in a small town in rural Northern California, he has spent the last half-decade moving around the country working on campaigns, from city councils to presidential races and everything in between. This work has brought him to California, Iowa (three times!), Georgia, Ohio, Rhode Island, and now Washington, DC. He intends to pursue a JD, with a focus in constitutional law, and has a particular interest in democratizing the federal grantmaking process. More specifically, he is passionate about expanding access to technical assistance for small towns and rural communities that need the most support in discovering and applying for much-needed federal dollars. Jackson currently works in digital communications for Representative Adam Schiff’s campaign for the US Senate, as well as in the Congressman’s official office. Past work includes staff roles on the campaigns of US Senator Jon Ossoff, California Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire, Iowa State Senator Zach Wahls (IA 13), Congresswoman Cindy Axne, and many more. When he is not working, Jackson is an avid cook and likes to prepare elaborate dinner parties for friends.

Christian Boudreaux

Christian has always been fascinated by the ocean. He is currently majoring in biology and minoring in environmental studies, Spanish, and chemistry. His goal is to work as a marine biologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He is a passionate environmental advocate and works to promote environmental service in his community. As a freshman, he started an aquatic conservation organization at his institution and became the leader of a tree-planting organization. From leading efforts to clean Mississippi’s waterways and remove invasive species with Aqua Culture, to maintaining a large tree farm and organizing plantings at various locations in his community, Christian has connected hundreds of volunteers with meaningful projects to make a positive environmental impact across his state and in his hometown of Oxford. Aspiring to earn a PhD exploring the genetic components underlying stress tolerance and survival in marine organisms, he plans to continue empowering communities to care for their marine environments and to create management and conservation strategies that can be implemented into meaningful policy. In his free time, Christian enjoys playing soccer, taking photos, kayaking, camping, SCUBA diving, and anything and everything that has to do with nature. 

Allison Boyd

Originally from Washington, Indiana, Allison is a first-generation college student majoring in aeronautical engineering technology and pursuing airframe and powerplant certifications. Once certified, she can conduct, inspect, and supervise air vehicle inspection and maintenance activities, giving her a unique perspective on aircraft maintenance procedures and publications. She intends to pursue an MS in computational analysis and public policy with the goal of ensuring safe and reliable aviation transportation. In 2022, Allison interned on the Lunar Surface Integration team at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Johnson Space Center, where she developed an interest in policy and its impact on safety regulations. On campus, Allison is devoted to serving her local aviation community. She is president of ATEaM, director of activities for Purdue Aviation Day, an ambassador for the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology, and a member of the Aviation Technology Student Council. As Purdue Aviation Day’s director of activities, Allison created initiatives to lower barriers for students entering the aviation workforce, including creating a scholarship and collaborating with the Federal Aviation Administration to increase recruitment opportunities in the Midwest. Her long-term goals are to address aerospace workforce development and tackle aviation safety challenges.

Paul is a student of philosophy and religion. Shaped by his justice-impacted background, he is committed to advocating for marginalized communities, particularly the formerly incarcerated. Paul aspires to a PhD exploring the philosophy of science and cognitive science, with the goal of bridging his research and teaching to influence policy. His seeks to contribute to substantial criminal justice reform through collaboration with prestigious think tanks. Paul honed his research skills in a computational biology summer internship at Princeton University via the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program. He also serves as an instructor with the First Year Rutgers-Camden Experience Program, as well as a member of the Vice Chancellor's External Affairs Program. Beyond his scholarly pursuits, Paul enjoys exercise and fostering connections with his university peers. 

Elizabeth Caldwell

Elizabeth is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in genetics with a minor in biochemistry. Inspired by her lived experience with an understudied genetic disability, she intends to pursue an MD/MPH and bridge the gap between patient care, policy, and rare disease research. On campus, Elizabeth serves as the co-founder and president of Tigers 4 Accessibility, Clemson’s first disability-focused student group, organizes an annual campuswide Accessibility Awareness Week, and serves on the University’s Accessibility Commission to voice the concerns of students with disabilities. Elizabeth has also conducted extensive rare disease research at Clemson and St. Jude in an effort to alleviate the research deficit on such conditions. She is an active volunteer at the local Free Clinic, where she founded and fundraised for its Mobility Aid Program, which provides durable medical equipment to patients with financial need. Elizabeth plans to dedicate her career to advocating for accessible, equitable healthcare for patients, particularly those with disabilities, and seeking greater understanding of understudied genetic disorders.

Anna Dellit

Anna double-majors in legal studies and Black studies, with a minor in Asian American studies and a certificate in civic engagement. She serves as a lead tutor in Chicago's juvenile detention centers, bringing college preparatory materials to incarcerated students while developing her mentorship pedagogy. Additionally, she conducted research with the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching to center minoritized student perspectives at a predominately white institution. She remains involved with her hometown of Portland, Oregon, through work with those experiencing houselessness with Blanchet House of Hospitality, and carries that perspective to her advocacy for affordable housing with Evanston’s Connections for the Homeless. Cognizant of how education, race, and poverty operate in context with one another, Anna intends to pursue a JD with an emphasis on civil rights to uproot mass incarceration as a symptom of poverty and anti-Blackness. After studying abroad in Vietnam as the first person in her family to return since the Fall of Saigon, and interning with the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon, Anna hopes to bring a transnational lens to her legal and advocacy work and create further space for Black and Asian solidarity. 

Grant Dillivan

Grant studies criminal justice and psychology. Their understanding of the American criminal justice system and the disproportionate imprisonment of the mentally ill have compelled them to focus on a career in correctional psychology. Grant intends to pursue a PsyD in clinical psychology with a concentration in forensic psychology. They are particularly interested in expanding substance abuse treatment available to incarcerated populations. Previously, Grant interned in the Wyoming Department of Corrections (WDOC) central office. They also conduct independent research on public perceptions of private prisons, and how education affects these perceptions. Grant has presented his research findings at the University of Wyoming Thyra and Keith Thompson Honors Convocation, the annual American Psychology-Law Society Conference, and the annual Rocky Mountain Psychology Association Conference. Grant enjoys reading and spending time outdoors in the Mountain West. One of Grant’s most interesting facts is meeting convicted serial killer Robert Joseph Silveria, Jr. – AKA “The Boxcar Killer” - during his WDOC internship. 

Juan is a dedicated individual currently pursuing his bachelor's degree in social work and intends to pursue an MSW. Despite facing abuse, foster care, and a period of incarceration in his past, Juan has overcome this adversity and currently serves as a behavioral health case manager and senior peer recovery support specialist, where he provides crucial support to individuals in need. Juan is a first-generation, nontraditional college student, who is passionate about substance abuse awareness. He served as the student representative on the Substance Abuse Coalition at Rose State College, where he organized a panel discussion, shared his story, and gathered professionals to educate students on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. Beyond academia, Juan is a dedicated single father of two and an active member of his community, where he coaches soccer and volunteers with youth programs. His commitment to service extends to volunteering at the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and aiding post-prison placement. Involved in charitable endeavors like the Oklahoma City Rescue Mission, Juan's journey illustrates the transformative power of resilience and service. His unwavering dedication serves as a beacon of hope, inspiring others to overcome obstacles and effect positive change. 

Alex Drahos

Alex majors in international relations, political science, and urban studies as a Foundation Fellow. He is passionate about reimagining urban systems and structures to better align with human sociology, psychology, and physicality. Alex intends to pursue an MPA focused on urban innovation with the goal of leading a city in implementing equitable policies to improve livability and social connection. This interest prompted him to create a $75 million regional economic development plan with the Center for Advancing Innovation, propose civic infrastructure legislative outreach strategies for a coalition of 100 local nonprofits/governments, and advise a Georgia county commissioner on affordable housing and transportation policies. Leading teams as a University Innovation Fellow, Alex has prototyped smart city technology products, modeled urban economic impact for the National Hockey League, and designed sustainable transportation systems for Delta Airlines. On campus, he researches urban public spaces and hate crimes in post-conflict societies, redesigns class curricula with active learning pedagogy, and helps lead the Georgia Political Review . Alex enjoys backpacking, political history books, playing cello, and board game nights.

Jane Drinkwater

Jane studies political science and digital product (UX) design. Volunteering in low-income communities showed her technology’s vital role in connecting people to government services. Ever since then, she has had a goal to make online government tools more user-friendly so that barriers like disability, digital literacy, age, socioeconomic status, and language do not inhibit Americans’ access to government programs. She is currently a research fellow at the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy and serves as the president of her university’s UX Design Association. In addition to researching the usability of Orem City and Utah County websites, Jane has developed extensive technological experience as the lead UX designer of a software startup (PROPOR) and a language-learning platform (the Missionary Training Center). In the summer of 2024, she will be a user research intern at Vivint. She plans to pursue an MPP/PhD in psychology with a focus on public sector technology. When she has free time, Jane loves to make music and ski in Utah’s beautiful mountains.    

Adelaide Easter

Hailing from Salina, Adelaide studies agricultural economics and global food systems leadership with minors in leadership and international agriculture. Through 4-H, she presented the problem of feeding an estimated 10 billion people by 2050 to the US Department of Agriculture, sparking her passion for food security. Adelaide intends to pursue an MS in food and agriculture law to work at the intersection of policy and development, making agriculture more equitable and addressing the root causes of hunger. Her academic journey is enhanced by her advocacy work. As a Flinchbaugh Food & Agriculture Policy Fellow, she interned at the state and federal levels, including with Kansas Grain Sorghum, National Sorghum Producers, and US Senator Jerry Moran's office (co-founder of the Senate Hunger Caucus), furthering her knowledge of agricultural policy and international food assistance issues. Serving as the basic needs director for student government and a member of the leadership team for Food Security Scholars, Adelaide was motivated to create the Student Basic Needs Coalition to address food insecurity and promote access to resources like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Additionally, Adelaide enjoys supporting K-State sports and spending time with friends at the local coffee shop.

Desaree Edwards

Originally from Mississippi, Desaree is a first-generation college student studying neuroscience and human rights advocacy. After high school, she enlisted in the US Navy as a Nuclear Machinist’s Mate and was handpicked for the initial integration of women into submarines, becoming the first enlisted nuclear-trained female submariner in the Atlantic Fleet. Aboard the USS FLORIDA (SSGN 728), she deployed three times and served as her division leading petty officer and as a sexual assault victim advocate. The challenges she and other female crewmembers faced during the integration motivated her to separate from the Navy and pivot towards a career in advocacy. Combined with her personal experiences, Desaree’s work as a legal assistant for a Judge Advocate General and her internship at a criminal defense firm sharpened her focus towards combatting human trafficking. She seeks to earn a JD with an emphasis on public interest law. Desaree is passionate about advocating for adult survivors of human trafficking by increasing awareness and victim identification, strengthening legal advocacy and support services, and developing survivor-centric policies. In her spare time, she enjoys hosting crawfish boils, making friends with the crows in her neighborhood, and cuddling her lab, Sandy, and pit bull, Ramses.

Ray Epstein

Ray is double-majoring in English (with a concentration in creative writing) and communication and social influence. She has been a committed activist organizing to prevent sexual violence since middle school, and has since become the founding president of Temple University’s chapter of It’s On Us: Student Activists Against Sexual Assault. Through a partnership between her student organization and Uber, Ray secured $350,000 in free rides for Temple students needing to escape vulnerable situations. She currently occupies the first LGBTQ+ Caucus Chair position at It’s On Us National, where she is developing programming to better represent the experiences of queer survivors. As vice president of Planned Parenthood Generation Temple University, she is spearheading an initiative to bring emergency contraceptive vending machines to her campus. She is also an ambassador for Callisto, an encrypted matching system for survivors of sexual violence, and a campus lead for the Every Voice Coalition, where she promotes survivor-based legislation in Pennsylvania. Previously, she interned at Take Back the Night Foundation, Network for Victim Recovery of DC, and Break the Cycle. She intends to pursue a JD and support survivors through further legislative efforts. 

Gavin is an aspiring research meteorologist and climate science communicator. Growing up in rural Southeast Missouri, he was exposed to all types of weather which fascinated him at a young age. He is passionate about the social and economic vulnerabilities exacerbated by extreme weather events, particularly in the American Mid-South. He intends to pursue a PhD in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma focusing on behavioral insights surrounding severe weather preparedness and communication strategies. Gavin intends to inform public policy through the lens of the National Weather Service’s mission to protect life and property in the United States. He has enjoyed volunteering as a SkyWarn Storm Spotter with the National Weather Service and previously interned at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, presenting his research at the American Geophysical Union’s annual fall meeting. Gavin is a first-generation college student at Dartmouth College, where he enjoys fishing, club golf, and taking daily weather observations at the Shattuck Observatory. 

Bitaniya Giday

Bitaniya is a first-generation Ethiopian American residing in Seattle. As a community organizer, she hopes to dismantle internalized carceral logics through storytelling, community care, and healing to incite imaginative capacities for abolition. Her first collection of poems, Motherland , explores her experiences as a first-generation Black woman, reflecting her own family’s path of immigration across the world. As a cultural worker and university student, she works to restore autonomy to history’s originators by researching Black women’s erasure and contradictory relationships to historical geographies. She was heavily involved in the community design and implementation of Restorative Community Pathways a multimillion-dollar juvenile pre-court diversion program based in King County. She also serves as part of Wa Na Wari’s Black Spatial Histories cohort, learning community-based oral history and Black memory work.

Eli Glickman

Eli studies political science and is interested in national security and emerging technologies. As the grandson of a sailor in the US Navy and a mathematician who worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory, he aims to work at the intersection of national security and science and technology. He intends to pursue a master’s degree in security studies with an emphasis on nuclear weapons policy. Eager to expand opportunities for students to engage with national security and foreign policy issues, Eli co-founded and leads the Alexander Hamilton Society at Berkeley and established a fellowship for ROTC and non-ROTC students to bridge the civil-military divide on campus. He was a 2023 Hertog War Studies Scholar at the Institute for the Study of War, interned for both US Senator Tom Cotton and the Coalition Defense of Taiwan Project at the American Enterprise Institute, and is an undergraduate research fellow at the Berkeley Risk and Security Lab. Eli is also an assistant debate coach at the College Preparatory School in Oakland and an Eagle Scout.

Axel Hawkins

Axel is a first-generation college student majoring in history with a minor in political science. Her roots, coming from a family that was lifted out of generational poverty by union jobs in rural, isolated Port Royal, Kentucky, inspired her to pursue a career in the labor movement. She began volunteering with Communications Workers of America (CWA) in 2016, joined as a member herself in 2021, and became a CWA NextGen Lead Activist for Public Sector Workers in 2023. She has also served as both treasurer and vice president of her university’s student government association, and was recently elected president, becoming the first openly LGBT person to win this office. She has also served as a delegate to the 2022 Georgia Democratic Convention, an ex-officio member of the Henry County Democratic Committee, chairwoman of the Young Democrats of Georgia Labor Caucus, and is finishing her second term as president of GCSU Young Democrats. She plans to pursue a JD and work to create pro-union policies to benefit America’s working families. She is also a member of the Delta Gamma fraternity, a devotee of all things “Sex and the City,” a perfume collector, and an avid Dolly Parton fan. 

Lezlie Hilario

Born to Dominican immigrants in Perth Amboy, Lezlie is a first-generation college student pursuing a double-major in political science and global interdisciplinary studies, along with minors in peace and justice and public administration. Lezlie's academic focus is driven by her aspiration to empower low-income communities of color in urban areas through the nonprofit sector. Her policy interests encompass advocating for diversity in K-12 curriculum, expanding college readiness programs, and championing equitable voting laws, particularly within communities of color. At Villanova, Lezlie is actively involved in various leadership roles. She is a cheerleader on the Villanova cheer team, serves as co-president of the Latin American Student Organization, and is a member of the leadership team for BIPOC, a multicultural student-athlete group on campus. Lezlie is an alumna of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, where she worked on Capitol Hill in the US House of Representatives. This summer, she will participate in the Public Policy & International Affairs Program's Junior Summer Institute at Princeton University, further preparing herself for graduate school. Post-graduation, Lezlie aims to pursue an MPA while engaging in community organizing efforts in her hometown. 

Adaure Iwuh

Adaure is a public health honors student in Detroit. Prior to this, she spent several years in Malawi, studying nursing and midwifery at Malamulo College of Health Sciences. Her clinical experiences as a midwife in high-demand, low-resource settings inspired her to pursue systemic work that could improve maternal and child health through policy and institutional reform. Adaure uses her personal, professional, and academic experiences to engage in understanding political institutions and how they interact with sociocultural questions that affect health and societal wellbeing. Adaure was a Mayoral Fellow for the City of Detroit, where she conducted vector and disease surveillance and community health education in the Environmental Health division of the Detroit Health Department. After the fellowship, she continued to work at the Detroit Health Department, where she now pursues outreach efforts in housing, environmental health, and process improvement. She plans to earn an MPH/MPP in community health sciences and health policy to address policy and research gaps at the intersection of housing and maternal health. She is committed to coordinating community-facing activities in Detroit that promote sustainability and efficiency in public health practice.

Rincon Jagarlamudi

As the proud son of two immigrant parents, Rincon majors in biochemistry with minors in medicine, health, and society and data science. On campus, Rincon is the co-president of Next Steps Ambassa’dores, which is the dynamic peer support group for Vanderbilt’s inclusive higher education program for neurodiverse individuals, and serves as the campus policy chair for Active Minds, a group committed to heightening awareness and supporting mental health on college campuses. He founded the flagship ambassador site for the nonprofit Hip Hop Public Health, using hip-hop music and culture to break down cultural barriers to health literacy and equity in Nashville. Rincon intends to enter medical school and earn an MPH degree post-graduation. He aspires to pair his existing role as a disability rights advocate with his eventual status as a physician to care for patients with neurodevelopmental conditions. Outside of advocacy and service, Rincon can be found watching Formula 1 races, singing karaoke, or playing pickup basketball with friends. 

Elijah Kahlenberg

As an aspiring academic and civil servant, Elijah is currently pursuing a degree in government, Middle East studies, and Jewish studies. Elijah intends to specialize in legal, historical, and policy matters impacting conflict de-escalation and conflict resolution in the Middle East. Accordingly, Elijah has undertaken and led various grassroots peace initiatives pertinent to the Middle East. In the summer of 2022, he worked out of a Palestinian farm on behalf of the Roots peace movement, the only organization in the West Bank erecting joint initiatives for mutual understanding and reconciliation between local Jews and Palestinians. For the past two years, Elijah has led Atidna International, an organization establishing joint frameworks for dialogue and peacebuilding between Jewish/Israeli and Arab/Palestinian students on college campuses as the organization’s founder and president. From The Forward to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, Elijah’s peacebuilding initiatives have been heralded in both print and televised media. He also writes extensively about Middle East and North African politics. To prepare for his future endeavors, Elijah hopes to pursue a joint JD/PhD concentrating on international law, Middle East studies, and international security.

Alyssa Kemp

Alyssa is an environmental engineering student with minors in interdisciplinary problem-solving and climate change. Originally from Cavalier, a rural town in northeast North Dakota, she is passionate about improving climate change resilience and economic development in rural communities. Alyssa's career goal is to become an environmental attorney, focusing on securing cleaner, more affordable energy, revitalizing rural areas, and collaborating with environmental justice partners to drive change. On campus, she is currently a Nina Henderson Provost Scholar, where she builds capacity in local workforce development organizations to implement climate transition job training programs. Additionally, Alyssa develops and teaches undergraduate engineering curricula that incorporate social and environmental justice lessons to empower future engineers to advocate for equitable and sustainable solutions in their professional practice. She has conducted research on community-based heat mitigation techniques, the impacts of increased flooding on various social vulnerabilities, and the use of community gardens to promote access to healthy foods, reduce flooding, and improve economic development. In her free time, Alyssa volunteers at a local after-school program, where she introduces high school students to careers in technology. She also enjoys hiking, stargazing, and cooking with friends.    

Lisa Kopelnik

Lisa studies in the politics honors program and double-majors in economics. As a first-generation American born to Ukrainian-Jewish immigrants, she is deeply committed to public service and making change through law and the justice system. She aspires to focus her career on expanding civil rights, promoting restorative justice, and uplifting values aligned with our democracy. She is passionate about facilitating dialogue across difference and civil discourse, believing that seeking common ground and understanding is a necessary starting point to bringing about change. As the chair of the University Judiciary Committee, she adjudicates Standards of Conduct violations with a focus on restorative and educational approaches that promote safety, freedom, and respect for all students. She cultivated her passion for civil rights as an intern with Equal Rights Advocates, a gender justice policy and legal nonprofit organization based in San Francisco. As a legal intern, she worked with attorneys to provide legal aid to women seeking justice and accountability in discrimination cases, and worked on California policy to provide legal and economic support for women. In her free time, she enjoys attending Jewish community events and spending time with her friends and family. 

Aravind Krishnan

The son of Indian immigrants, Aravind studies molecular & cell biology, healthcare management & policy, and statistics. His backgrounds in community health and basic science motivated him to pursue a career focused on addressing health disparities in under-resourced communities through advancing care for infectious diseases, due to their disproportionate impact on these populations. He intends to pursue an MD/PhD focused on immunology and communicable diseases, and subsequently hopes to work with the National Institutes of Health on continuing this research and also translating his findings by implementing community-informed interventions, with the aim of developing his own lab with these foci. Aravind founded ToxiSense, a research organization focused on creating more cost-effective, sustainable, rapid diagnostics for bacterial toxin contamination and infection. He also helps lead the Shelter Health Outreach Program, an organization of over 100 students alleviating health disparities faced by Philadelphians experiencing homelessness and other barriers to care. They do so through city-wide hypertension screening clinics, partnerships with Penn Medicine and Penn Dental to provide on-site care, case management, community health research, and a permanent free clinic in West Philadelphia. Aravind thanks his mom and dad for being his greatest inspirations, and all his other mentors that have supported him along the way.

Pranav Krishnan

Pranav studies political science and economics and is interested in international security, foreign policy, and strategic competition in an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape. On campus, he leads the Alexander Hamilton Society for Foreign Policy, is an editor for the Wisconsin International Review , and volunteers with the Missing in Action - Recovery and Identification Project, as well as Service to School. Previously, he worked as an international development researcher for Dane County and interned at the Center for American Progress and the US Department of Defense. He plans to pursue an MSc in international relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science before attending law school and seeking a career in public service to promote principled and prudent American engagement abroad in championing democracy, human rights, and international law.

Kayle Lauck

Kayle studies political science with minors in politics, philosophy, and economics, and education, schooling, and society. She has completed research assistantships focused on rural development, domestic agricultural policy, coastal resiliency, Native American history, and stream ecology. Kayle is passionate about improving rural mental healthcare access and worked with South Dakota State University Extension to distribute mental healthcare vouchers and coordinate suicide prevention training. She also co-founded South Dakota College Connections, an organization dedicated to aiding South Dakota high school students navigate the college admissions process. Kayle's commitment to rural development brought her to Washington for the National Farmers Union Legislative Fly-In, where she advocated for small farmers and sustainable agricultural policies. She continued that work during a 4-month internship with the US House Committee on Agriculture. Kayle has also studied and volunteered in Poland, Israel, and Ireland, to further understand histories of oppression, environmental peacebuilding, and agricultural sustainability. While on campus, Kayle has served as a sustainability co-chair in her student government and co-founded the Agricultural Student Association. Kayle intends to return to South Dakota and work to remedy the diverse issues that harm rural populations throughout her home state.

Julie Ann Laxamana

Born and raised in Guam, Julie is majoring in criminal justice and minoring in biology. She intends to pursue an MPA to further her public service around her region and the national community. On campus, she is currently the student regent member on her university’s Board of Regents, and served as treasurer for the Public Administration and Legal Studies Society Club for three years. She uses these platforms to amplify and address her community needs of homelessness and recidivism. In the local community, she serves as legislative secretary for the 34th Guam Youth Congress, and is a recipient of the 2024 Congressional Gold Medal. Julie will intern at the White House this summer. She strives to foster and promote social justices in the interest of those whose voice have been muted in the participation of policy. Julie’s goal is to grow into an educated individual who is worthy of public trust, and who solves problems with the highest ethical consideration while practicing the principles of democracy. When she is not serving the public, she enjoys watching movies, playing with her cats, and taking pictures.

Reese Lycan

Born and raised in Lexington, Reese is a biochemistry and molecular biology major at the Honors College with minors in computer science and public health. As director of government relations, Reese oversaw the crafting of policy proposals that were presented to city, state, and national officials, based in part on a student insight survey she created. She led a student advocacy mission to Washington, where she championed to White House and Congressional leaders for improved resources for first-generation and immigrant students, stricter legislation regarding sexual assault and hazing, and increased higher education support. Reese’s passion for advocacy intersects with her passion for healthcare. She volunteers weekly in her city’s emergency department and is published in the Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry Journal as a member of the Simoska Research Lab, where she researches mechanisms of bacteria that affect immunocompromised patients. These experiences have inspired her pursuit of an MD/MPH for a career in medicine and public health policy. Her goal is to work as a physician for underserved populations to build a foundation to lead healthcare policy reform and advocate for rural Appalachia at the federal level. 

Kelsey Monaghan-Bergson

Kelsey studies behavioral sciences, concentrating in sociology, with a minor in diversity and inclusion. Motivated to capitalize on the unique strength of American diversity to outthink US adversaries, particularly through neurodiversity as a key force multiplier, she aims to reform the US Department of Defense (DOD) accessions and retention policy. Her goal is not only to accept neurodiverse (ND) individuals into the military, but also to break down stereotypes and promote greater acceptance and empowerment in society as a whole. She aspires to pursue a master's in social innovation with a concentration in neurodiversity studies before serving as an information operations officer in the US Air Force (USAF). She plans to continue her joint research on astro psychiatric artificial intelligence and apply her education across the full spectrum of military operations to influence relevant actors' perceptions, behavior, and actions through gray zone tactics. Kelsey is an action officer for the USAF's ND Initiative, a DOD Intellectual Edge Alliance Fellow, and a Certified Professional Innovator from the University of Michigan College of Engineering. Outside of the military, Kelsey loves drawing, hiking, Garfield the Cat, and Pokémon.

Alexandra Mork

Alexandra studies political science and history. On campus, she served as editor-in-chief of the Brown Political Review , the largest political publication in the Ivy League.  Currently, she is conducting research on voter registration in high schools as a fellow for the Taubman Center for American Politics. Motivated by her interests in education, democracy reform, and criminal justice issues, she has interned for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, the Center for American Progress, the Rhode Island Center for Justice, Organize New Hampshire, Public Citizen, and Loyola’s Project for the Innocent. She also serves as a tutor for system-impacted students in Rhode Island and a coach for debate students in California. Particularly passionate about access to legal services for low-income people, she founded the Student Legal Association Supporting Housing, which organizes Brown student volunteers to assist Providence tenants in their eviction proceedings. Alexandra hopes to earn a JD/MPA to pursue her interest in legal justice and ultimately work as a civil rights appellate lawyer. 

Jackson Morris

Born and raised in Omaha, Jackson studies biomedical engineering with a minor in applied math and statistics. His experiences as a disabled student and observation of the lack of representation in STEM professions has led him to advocate for the rights and aspirations of disabled Americans. He is especially interested in improving higher education for disabled students. As part of a Biomedical Engineering Design Team, he is creating a better ventricular catheter for hydrocephalus patients and will be leading his own team next year. Jackson is a Lime Connect Fellow and gratefully serves his peers as vice president of the his university’s student government association, co-chair of its university-wide student advisory body, and chair of advocacy and activism for Advocates for Disability Awareness. After graduation, Jackson plans to pursue a JD with an emphasis in disability law. In his free time, he performs acrobatics, runs, and enjoys hanging out with his friends and Design Team.

Laila Nasher

Born in Aden, Yemen, and raised by a single mother in Detroit, Laila is an immigrant whose experiences push her to fight for impoverished communities like her own. Having grown up beneath the poverty line and as a product of school closures, Laila believes education is a fundamental civil right. She plans to pursue a JD/EdM and aims to protect access to an equitable K-12 education through legal and public office in her home city. Over the past eight years, Laila has dedicated herself to understanding how education inequity differently impacts disparate communities like her own. She bridges the gap between policy and people by both working with local policymakers and mentoring young Detroiters. Laila runs bazaars for Yemeni migrant women and is currently creating a scholarship to encourage Yemeni-American girls to pursue college. At Harvard, she studies history and anthropology, is a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, and acts as a liaison between the campus’s first-generation students and administration. Through this role, Laila has founded some of Harvard’s most impactful first-generation student initiatives. In her free time, you can find her trying new cafes and reading.     

Yudidt Nonthe Sanchez

Originally from Mesa, Yudidt is a first-generation college student studying public service and public policy. She comes from Indigenous descent from the Otomi people from Mexico. After graduating high school, Yudidt interned in Washington, volunteered as a missionary in Brazil, and studied international relations as a US Department of State Gilman Scholar in Sydney, Australia. She served as student body president at Mesa Community College and interned at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum and Smithsonian National Zoo. As a community organizer for the Arizona Education Association, Yudidt advocated for higher pay for teachers. She is a former IGNITE National Fellow, Andrew Goodman Ambassador, and Smithsonian Young Ambassador. She intends to pursue a JD at Arizona State University with an emphasis on gender equity and immigration policy. Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of women leaders, she aspires to serve as Mesa’s first Latina mayor. In her spare time, Yudidt likes to visit her friends who live in other countries and regularly volunteers at College Bound AZ, which helps students apply for college. She enjoys practicing yoga and likes to listen to Billie Eilish.

Tej is studying molecular biology, healthcare management & policy, and statistics. Inspired by his experiences as an advocate and volunteer, Tej seeks to make healthcare systems more equitable and cost-effective. Focused on health economics, radiation oncology, and human-algorithm collaboration in clinical care, his research has been published in Nature Medicine , JAMA Health Forum , Journal of National Cancer Institute , IJROBP , and Journal of Clinical Oncology . Tej co-founded the Social Equity Action Lab, a youth-led think tank that brings together students, institutional partners, and policymakers across the country to inform legislation on key issues such as America’s mental health crisis, value-based payment reform, and healthcare decarbonization. On campus, he is the director of the Locust Bioventures group, coordinator for the Netter Center High School Pipeline Program, and policy/outcomes researcher for the Shelter Health Outreach Program. He also interned with the Mongan Institute for Health Policy and Institute for Healthcare Improvement, working on projects covering Medicare Part D policy and alternative payment models. Following graduation, Tej intends to pursue an MD/MPP and leverage insights from medicine and policy to improve nationwide care delivery.

Yadira Paz-Martinez

Originally from Clinton, North Carolina, Yadira is the proud daughter of Mexican blue-collar and farmworker immigrants. She is studying public policy with a minor in history and a certificate in human rights. As a first-generation low-income student, Yadira serves as the Duke Student Government vice president for equity and outreach, addressing equitable fees, aiding DACA students, and advocating for marginalized students. Yadira is also the co-president of Duke Define America, leading a team that supports immigrants at Duke, in Durham, and beyond. Advocating for farmworker justice, she was an Into the Fields intern for Student Action with Farmworkers and currently serves on their theater committee. In the summer of 2023, Yadira worked for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in the office of US Representative Yadira Caraveo and learned about systemic barriers within the agricultural industry. She is also a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, researching the socialization of farmworkers in rural North Carolina based on the influences of geopolitical power that impact their experiences. Yadira aspires earn a JD to advance labor rights for farmworkers and low-wage workers.

CJ Petersen

Born and raised in southwest Iowa, CJ is hard of hearing and grew up using American Sign Language at home. Living at the intersection of the LGBTQ+ and disability communities, CJ strives for inclusion and acceptance for all who want to participate in the political process. Whether he is running for Iowa Senate, leading a rural queer working group, or clerking for Representative Sami Scheetz in the Iowa Legislature, strengthening civic engagement among rural Iowans is the priority for CJ. He is pursuing a degree in political science while serving as communications director for the Iowa Auditor of State, Rob Sand (IA 05). CJ and his husband live on a small farm in rural Audubon County, where they are active members of the Iowa Farmers’ Union and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. CJ is passionate about working toward climate solutions as part of a robust rural economic development agenda.

Jay Philbrick

Jay is passionate about evidence-based policy to promote equitable economic opportunity. He currently studies economics, applied mathematics, and computer science. Growing up in rural Maine, Jay saw firsthand the life-changing impact of public investment in education and defense. Inspired by this, he has interned with the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, the US State Department's Office of Monetary Affairs, and in Maine's Governor's Economic Recovery Committee, helping save Americans nearly $4 billion and guiding $1 billion in effective investments in broadband and workforce development. Jay has also conducted research at Yale Law School, the Federal Reserve, and Brown University, focused on evaluating retirement, rural development, and social safety net policies. He has presented his research to executive and legislative branch policymakers, as well as academics. Jay also stays involved politically, serving on his county and state political party committees, a Maine gubernatorial campaign, and as a presidential elector in 2020. He intends to pursue a JD and a PhD in economics to analyze and implement evidence-based policy as a researcher and policymaker in Maine. In his free time, Jay enjoys playing trivia, promoting inclusion, running, and traveling with friends and family.

Marley Ramon

Raised in Albuquerque, Marley is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in political science and art, with a minor in English as a National Merit and National Hispanic Scholar. Merging traditional and unconventional backgrounds for a legal occupation, each discipline intertwines to drive her focus on presentation and individual expression within the political world. Leading university groups focused on representing student voices, Marley is passionate about nurturing a sustainable community and does so as her university’s chief editor and Phi Sigma Alpha political science honor society president. Inspired through her work interning with the executive director of the Democratic Party of New Mexico, Marley intends to pursue her JD with concentrations in constitutionality and civil rights. Previously, Marley interned with the Air Force Research Laboratory. Outside of class, Marley enjoys writing creative fiction and poetry, making jewelry, and playing water polo for her university. 

Thomas Riggs

TJ Riggs is a student activist studying political science and Spanish. He has spent his life moving both internationally and around the United States, inspiring his interest in the ways different communities overcome setbacks. His freshman year, he was tasked with reviving Samford University’s chapter of Amnesty International, which served as his introduction to the world of human rights activism. TJ became involved with death penalty advocacy in Alabama and was asked to serve as Amnesty International’s Alabama state death penalty abolition coordinator. In his role, he has worked closely with local legislators, partner organizations, and international human rights groups to advance the fight for abolition in the state. Outside of his activism, TJ is a varsity policy debater for his university’s team and has earned three consecutive bids to the National Debate Tournament. TJ also serves as the head coach of a youth outreach debate program through ImpactAmerica. He intends to pursue a JD and continue his death penalty work through both legislative activism and on-the-ground legal representation. In his free time, TJ enjoys spending time with friends, researching for debate, and visiting local restaurants

Camila Rios-Picorelli

Camila is majoring in secondary education with a concentration in history and social sciences and a minor in human rights studies. Since childhood, she knew she wanted to be a teacher and dreamed of someday opening her own school. Her background in education, combined with her human rights studies, inspires her to work to make a quality education accessible for everyone. Camila intends to pursue a master's degree with an emphasis in educational psychology and learning design. Camila is particularly interested in how people learn, including how best to design curricula, materials, and learning spaces to better support that learning process. As part of her honors thesis, she is creating a manual to guide educators in Puerto Rico to incorporate social-emotional learning in their classrooms. 

Edwin Santos

Edwin, from Northern Virginia, is a first-generation Salvadoran-American majoring in legal studies within the Politics, Policy & Law Scholars Program. He is also in the Community-Based Research Scholars Program and the School of Public Affairs Combined Program concurrently earning his MPA. On campus, he co-founded Latinos En Acción, which is a chapter of United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth network and serves as student body president. Off campus, he is involved in organizations centered around immigration, such as the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition and Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), and gained experience in state and federal government. Edwin has been selected for the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship, the Henry Clay College Student Congress, and the Public Policy and International Affairs Junior Summer Institute at UC-Berkeley. He plans to attend law school to become an attorney and support low-income families at the intersection of criminal and immigration law. Years later, he hopes to serve his community as an elected official dedicated to creating inclusive and representative policies.

Diego Sarmiento

Born and raised in Santa Ana, Diego Antranik is the proud son of Bolivian and Mexican immigrants. From a young age, his mom, dad, and aunt instilled in him the value of public service, education, resilience, and community. Over the past four years, Diego has mobilized thousands of his neighbors to engage and vote in local politics through community organizing. Interning at the Orange County Board of Supervisors’ office, Diego helped push forward an unprecedented homelessness prevention program. The pilot program provides $400 a month to 100 single-parent households and senior citizens on the brink of losing their homes. Diego hopes to continue the fight to give his community a political voice through his “Santanero Voter Initiative,” a program to increase voter turnout among Latino youth. He is committed to a life of public service, believing that politics should be responsive to everybody, not just large corporations, and that every person is entitled to basic needs such as healthcare, housing, and a life of dignity. Diego studies political science and public affairs and intends to pursue a JD/MA in economics.

Isaac Seiler

Isaac is driven by a love for public service and a commitment to community. His career in advocacy began when he organized hundreds of students to protest his former college’s decision to fire a professor for officiating a gay wedding. Isaac organized protests, events, and petitions, working to support and protect queer students along the way. He then pursued a year in politics and government, starting as a congressional campaign intern before being promoted to oversee digital operations and strategy. Isaac played a pivotal role in a landslide victory. At just 20 years old, he went on to direct the creation of a new congressional office and served as communications director, building an entire program from the ground up in a matter of months. Isaac also has substantial formal research experience, writes for student publications, and consults for political campaigns. He is completing his BA in sociology and political science and plans to earn his JD to enforce tax law and drive tax reform. Isaac intends to eventually run for public office, working to represent his community and advocate for positive change.

Albiona Selimi

Albiona is pursuing a major in political science, with minors in justice and women’s studies. As a daughter of Macedonian-Albanian immigrants, she grew up knowing the value of an individual’s vote in America. Her interest in voting rights and civic engagement inspires her to advocate for voting rights in her future legal career. She intends to pursue a JD with an emphasis on public interest and social justice. On campus, Albiona previously served in student government and currently serves the university as student regent on the University of Alaska Board of Regents. In her free time, she loves to read, scrapbook, and listen to podcasts. 

Jahneé Smith

Jahneé is a dedicated community organizer and cultural worker, passionate about empowering youth. Currently a full-time youth organizer at Miami Homes for All, Jahneé mobilizes youth with firsthand experience of housing insecurity. They have organized around homelessness nationwide through internships with organizations like The Bronx Defenders and Causa Justa: Just Cause via the Center of Third World Organizing’s Movement Activist Apprenticeship Program. Committed to combating discrimination based on having a criminal record, Jahneé actively contributes to Beyond the Bars as a member, advocating for fair access to employment and housing. As a 2023 Changemaker with The Alliance for LGBTQ+, they led a banned book and people’s history campaign, establishing little libraries of banned books across Miami-Dade County Public Schools zones. Expressing art and passion through zines and poetry with Art for the People South Florida, Jahneé integrates personal experiences as a homeless, justice-impacted, queer, Latine individual to challenge the status quo. Majoring in global studies and women and gender studies, Jahneé aspires to earn an MPA and a PhD in community well-being.    

Jaiden Stansberry

Growing up in the National Park Service encouraged a dedication to natural resources for Jaiden. She is currently studying forestry with a minor in fire sciences and management and has worked as a wildland firefighter for the National Park Service for the past two years. Her experience inspired her to focus on prescribed fire implementation and challenges. She intends to pursue an MS in natural resources stewardship with a concentration in forest sciences to expand her knowledge of the influence of policy in forest management. Jaiden is particularly interested in designing prescribed fire programs for the National Park Service to support natural disturbances on a landscape while mitigating fuel to protect property and life. She hopes to encourage collaborative efforts between National Parks and local tribes to perform burning in areas with cultural significance. In her free time, Jaiden can be found flyfishing the Blackfoot River and traveling to different National Parks.

Sophia Stewart

Sophia studies political science, foreign area studies, and Japanese. Her background in policy development and personal understanding of sexual crimes has compelled her to focus her undergraduate studies and research on sexual crimes and justice. She intends to pursue an MS in data science. Sophia is focused on data collection and effective prevention education and plans to use her further education to support the development of these goals. Sophia has previously conducted research on sensitive-subject surveying to evaluate the effectiveness of current military sexual crime prevention efforts with the Office of Labor and Economic Analysis, as well as conducting personal and team research projects with both the Academy and Stamps Foundation. Sophia also enjoys Brazilian jiu-jitsu, volunteering with children and young adults with learning disabilities via The Resource Exchange, and supporting the Academy’s Public Affairs projects. 

Anitvir Taunque

Anitvir is currently studying biomedical science and is passionate about health literacy, particularly how it impacts the ability of patients to receive and follow through with prescribed medical care. He founded the Columbus chapter of Red Saree, a nonprofit organization devoted to raising awareness for and decreasing the prevalence of heart disease within ethnically diverse communities. For the last several years, Anitvir has also been an involved volunteer in multiple free clinics and spent a summer abroad in India volunteering at a mission hospital surgical center. He built ServUS, a sustainability start-up devoted to empowering and incentivizing students to engage in service. He is currently pursuing a fellowship through the Asia Foundation’s LeadNEXT ambassadors program focused on global leadership and collaboration. He hopes to pursue a combined MD/MS with a concentration in health policy management to guide health literacy decision making. In his free time, Anitvir enjoys playing basketball, playing chess, and trying all kinds of different food.

Alex Taylor

Born and raised in Baton Rouge, Alex is majoring in political science. He serves as vice president of the Columbia Political Union, program coordinator for the Eric H. Holder Jr. Initiative, and justice intern for the Brennan Center for Justice. During his freshman year of college, Alex co-founded "Reachout!" an initiative to empower marginalized high school students with the resources to create competitive college resumes. A current Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholar, Alex has a broad interest in movements to end mass incarceration. His background in prison volunteering, interning as an investigator for The Bronx Defenders, and researching death penalty litigation at Columbia Law School inspires him to pursue a career in criminal justice reform. He plans to pursue a JD with an emphasis on progressive prosecution. After graduating, he aspires to work as an assistant district attorney with an emphasis on appeals and helping youth offenders in his hometown. In his free time, Alex enjoys cooking, attending jazz shows, and reading science fiction novels. 

Born in Queens to migrant workers and then living several years in Asia, Wena’s experiences drive her political and legal advocacy for migration labor and diasporic communities as well as an understanding of the uniqueness of transnational identities. A proud first-generation student, Wena studies race & ethnicity studies and history with a specialization in political economy. She is a Laidlaw Scholar and serves as a university senator. Educated in New York City Public Schools, she has served as a director of the educational equity nonprofit IntegrateNYC and been involved in local elections. Inspired by the immigrant street vendors who nourish the hearts of New Yorkers, she has worked since high school with the Urban Justice Center’s Street Vendor Project on policies to accommodate licenses and legal resources for vendors. Her dedication to labor rights has been nourished by experiences as a White House intern, Columbia Law Review DEI director, and a research assistant exploring the legal history of immigration. Wena intends to pursue a JD/MPP to reconcile the gaps in labor law that have historically excluded protections for migrant workers. In her free time, she enjoys writing prose, practicing the Chinese harp, and building intergenerational friendships with street vendors on food crawls around NYC.

Mikayla Tillery

Mikayla majors in urban studies and Black studies and commits her time to housing justice advocacy and racial justice activism. She hopes to pursue a career that makes material differences for those disadvantaged by housing discrimination, neighborhood segregation, and redlining. She has worked to transition Black first-year students to Stanford through New Student Orientation programming, produced policy memos on tenant protections that influence the US Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and other legislators to center frontline, renter communities in the energy transition, and served on the Stanford Board of Trustees to advocate for equitable land use. These experiences teach her that a future where affordable, climate-conscious housing as a human right is within reach. In her free time, she enjoys pottery, reality television, and traveling.

Grace Truslow

Grace is a dedicated honors student majoring in political science and minoring in sustainability. She aspires to earn a JD and to work in the federal government as an environmental lawyer, ensuring equity in land use policy implementation. She is particularly interested in applying lessons from the past to create a future of community-informed infrastructure development during the green energy transition. Originally from Rhode Island, her interest in public service was sparked through environmental work in local advocacy, nonprofit, and research spaces. In Washington, Grace has expanded her policy knowledge in transportation, financial services, energy, and agriculture through a multitude of internship opportunities, including with US Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg, US Senator Jack Reed, and former Representative David Cicilline. During the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, she reviewed grant applications for the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program and assisted in developing a report on the US Transportation Decarbonization Blueprint. Grace is an active member of her academic community as a leader of the University Honors Peer Advising Program, an editor for the Undergraduate Review , and an undergraduate research assistant. 

Lee Waldman

Lee is pursuing a degree in sociology and the study of women, gender, and sexuality to inform his activism in housing justice. He is a founding member of Ithaca’s Youth Action Board, a group of young people working to fight youth homelessness in their community. Lee, along with his team, won the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program grant, a multimillion-dollar grant dedicated to elevating youth voice in service provision. Lee has been a central force in grant execution, helping found a Temporary Living Project and a Permanent Supportive Housing Project for youth in need of assistance in Tompkins County. He focuses on the safety of LGBTQ+ disabled youth, as protecting marginalized populations is the root of equitable policy. Lee is a community advocate and a member of the Ithaca Continuum of Care, a network of organizations and stakeholders working together to end homelessness. In his role, he uplifts the voices of people with lived experience of homelessness, ensuring that people at the heart of policy are not lost in the discussion. Lee plans to pursue an MSW/MPP with the goal of achieving a radically safe future for his community.

Ella, an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, is from Crookston, Minnesota. She studies public policy. Her community-based advocacy centers around the 15 nuclear missile silos housed on her Tribe’s reservation, which will soon be modernized, generating extensive environmental, public health, and safety concerns. To raise awareness about this injustice, Ella published an investigative podcast series “The Missiles on Our Rez” with Scientific American . She also works for Nuclear Princeton and Princeton’s Program on Science and Global Security, where she investigates nuclear assaults against Tribal communities. Ella previously served on the Minnesota Young Women’s Initiative Cabinet and the National Council of Urban Indian Health Youth Council. Outside the classroom, she aims to grow institutional support for Native students. She served as president of Natives at Princeton and led Princeton’s Indigenous Advocacy Coalition, where she worked with the administration, alumni, and students to hire Native faculty and organize events. She intends to pursue a JD with an emphasis on federal Indian law and environmental justice. After graduating, she will pursue community-engaged policy and journalism to empower Tribes to enact legislation that aligns with their wants and needs.

Trenton White

Trent is a driven first-generation Roan Scholar, majoring in political science with a minor in public administration. Fueled by a deep-seated passion for public service and a keen interest in higher education policy, he aspires to build a career in politics and law. Trent envisions pursuing a JD with a focus on public policy, ultimately aiming to empower underserved individuals in the Appalachian region by providing legal counsel, safeguarding the rights of the marginalized, and helping develop legislation to enrich educational opportunities within rural communities. Trent has worked tirelessly to foster a positive campus environment and provide greater opportunities for students. He founded and currently serves as president of his university’s mock trial team, and is also president of the student government association. He interned with the Johnson City Chamber of Commerce, where he gained insights into the intricate workings of local governance, and served as a constituent services intern for US Senator Bill Hagerty – a role that reflects his commitment to understanding and addressing regional needs at the federal level. Beyond his academic and professional pursuits, Trent enjoys spending quality time with friends and indulging in a shared passion for horror movies.

Mielad Ziaee

Mielad is passionate about eliminating health disparities among racially and economically marginalized communities. Coming from an immigrant family in Texas, he aims to leverage research to inform – and reform – health policies and systems. He conducts health equity research as a National Institutes of Health All of Us Research Scholar and collaborates with hospital leadership at the Kennedy Krieger Institute on food insecurity research as a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention John R. Lewis Scholar. Noticing gaps in his research on how large institutions respond to community needs, Mielad advocates at a systemic level, currently serving as Governor Greg Abbott’s appointed student regent of the University of Houston System. He is also the first youth member of the board of directors of the American Red Cross, Houston Chapter. Mielad intends to pursue an MD/PhD with a focus on data-driven health policy and management. He hopes to ensure all Americans can access healthcare regardless of their background. In his free time, Mielad enjoys morning runs, baking, and visiting farmers markets.    

Zane studies sociology, political science, and gender, sexuality & women’s studies. Their interdisciplinary background has helped inform their understanding of social justice and equity. Zane intends to pursue a JD/MA in human rights studies, eventually working in public interest law to protect the interests of queer communities and dismantle the inequity inherent in our current systems. They are putting themself through school and are the first of their siblings to attend college. Zane is currently working on a thesis that investigates and subverts recent legislative attacks on the queer community. In 2023, they were awarded the Brennens Summer Research Fellowship from the University of Vermont in order to study how to make queer history more accessible to demographics impacted by recent legislative bans on it being taught in schools. They are currently interning at the Vermont Statehouse for a state senator, and are a Dru Scholar and a Pedro Zamora Scholar. Zane enjoys yoga, gardening, and curating inclusive social settings.

Some entries have been edited for length or clarity.