Rice alum named Luce Scholar

Rice alumnus Kevin Schell ’11 is one of 18 Luce Scholars for 2014-2015. He was nominated by Rice and chosen for the nationally competitive fellowship program from 155 nominees who have a record of high achievement, outstanding leadership ability and potential for professional accomplishments.

The Henry Luce Foundation established the program to enhance the understanding of Asia among potential leaders in American society. Schell will receive a stipend while he completes two months of summer language training followed by 10 months of professional placement in an Asian country. Luce Scholars gain new perspectives and cultural insights on their host countries through immersive living and working experiences in Asia.

Kevin Schell

Schell has a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Rice, where he was a member of Brown College. After graduating from Rice, he joined McKinsey & Company’s Houston office as a business analyst working primarily with energy and industrial clients and recruiting and training new classes of business analysts. He is currently the management reporting associate in the financial group of New York’s Helmsley Charitable Trust.

In the short term, Schell wants to develop a deeper expertise in modeling power generation and transmission and understand how current technologies will affect the global mix of fuel sources and transmission infrastructure. In the long term, he aspires to a leadership position within a utility company and to shape domestic policy around power infrastructure development in the United States and Asia.

“I’m excited to have this opportunity,” Schell said. “The Luce is a unique fellowship, given its bent toward developing practical experience and its regional focus in Asia. Rice was incredibly supportive throughout the process, and I’m also looking forward to representing our school in the Luce program.”

The Henry Luce Foundation was established in 1936 by Henry R. Luce, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time Inc., to honor his parents, who were missionary educators in China.

Rice students and alumni who would like to be considered for the Luce Scholars Program should contact Madalina Akli, assistant director of fellowships and undergraduate research, at madalina@rice.edu or 713-348-3631.