Two MIT undergraduates and one MIT alumna were named Schwarzman Scholars and will be awarded a year of study and leadership training at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Over 3,000 candidates from 135 countries competed for 100 spots in the 2016 inaugural class. Recipients were selected based on rigorous criteria that included not only outstanding academic qualifications but also leadership potential, character, and the desire to understand other cultures.
The Schwarzman Scholars program is designed to prepare the next generation of global leaders. It is guided by the philosophy that, “Whether in politics, business, or science, the success of future leaders around the world will depend upon an understanding of China’s role in global trends.”
The 2016 MIT Schwarzman Scholars are:
Annabeth Gellman '13
Annabeth Gellman graduated from MIT in 2013 with a degree in civil engineering and a concentration in Mandarin. She currently works as an analyst with PA Consulting Group, where she researches the operational efficiencies of emergency services and medical infrastructure. She hopes to eventually head the international division of a technology company, capitalizing on her prior experience working internationally. Gellman is an active volunteer whose recent service includes tutoring disadvantaged teens with Let’s Get Ready in New York and with Action Tutoring in London. At MIT, she participated in the exchange program with Cambridge University; competed with the varsity fencing team; served as social chair in student government; and taught children in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and China.
Alex Springer
Alexander Springer is an MIT senior majoring in mechanical engineering. His goal is to produce technologies for the developing world that can transform people’s lives. Springer was recognized by the MIT De Florez Design Competition for his design of an inexpensive voice-activated system to control wheelchairs, a project which he conceived and built from off-the-shelf hardware. Springer has also built an anemia diagnostic device for use in rural Nicaragua to diagnose patients quickly and cheaply, and he built an amphibious bicycle that can travel on land and water. Springer has served as the secretary for the student-run non-profit StartLabs, and created Startup Bash, a business plan competition for MIT and Harvard University students. He is currently the business director for MIT Design for America, which promotes creating social impact through design and engineering.
Kelsey Jamieson
Kelsey Jamieson is a senior majoring in chemical engineering. She plans a future career engineering solutions to the energy crisis and advocating for the environment. Since 2012, Jamieson has been a researcher in MIT’s Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology, where she helped develop a biomedical tool to sequentially release proteins from films to promote wound healing. Jamieson is the student president of her dorm, New House. During several summers, she has volunteered as a math tutor for academic camp programs for disadvantaged students conducted by her high school alma mater, Philips Academy. In addition to her passion for engineering, Jamieson is a professional harpist and devoted cook.
