Luce Scholar is a recipient of a cultural exchange and vocational fellowship sponsored by The Henry Luce Foundation, a private foundation established by Time, Inc. founder Henry R. Luce.
Founded in 1974, The Luce Scholars Program provides stipends and internships for eighteen young Americans to live and work in Asia each year. The program's purpose is to increase awareness of Asia among future leaders in American society.
Those who already have significant experience in Asia or Asian studies are not eligible for the Luce Scholars Program. Candidates must be American citizens who have received at least a bachelor's degree and are no more than 29 years old on September 1 of the year they enter the program. Nominees should have a record of high achievement, outstanding leadership ability, and a clearly defined career interest with evidence of potential for professional accomplishment.
Luce Scholar candidates may be nominated by one of over 70 colleges and universities. Applications are submitted by eligible institutions in early November. The Luce Foundation cannot accept applications submitted directly to the foundation.
After interviews with the foundation's staff, finalists meet with one of three selection panels who choose the eighteen Luce Scholars. Placements and support services for the Luce Scholars are provided by the Asia Foundation, an organization with field offices throughout Asia. The program begins in August and concludes the following July. The 2010-2011 Luce Scholars competition attracted interest from 159 candidates, a record number of nominations representing 63 participating institutions.
Luce Scholars have backgrounds in virtually any field other than Asian studies; including medicine, the arts, business, law, science, environmental studies, and journalism. Placements can be made in the following countries in East and Southeast Asia: Cambodia, China and Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Terry B. Adamson (Emory, 1975), Executive Vice President, National Geographic Society
Scott Ageloff (Carnegie Mellon, 1978), Dean, New York School of Interior Design
Robert Butkin (University of Pennsylvania, 1978), State Treasurer, Oklahoma
Robert S. Dohner (Harvard, 1974), Director, East Asia Office, United States Department of the Treasury
Gary Edson (Stanford, 1977), Deputy National Security Advisor to President George W. Bush
Paul Gigot, Editor of the Editorial Page, The Wall Street Journal
David Grogan (Williams College 1975), Deputy Editor, Discover Magazine
David Huebner (Princeton, Yale JD, Luce Scholar 1984-1985), current U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa
Justin Hughes (Oberlin, 1988) William H. Hannon Professor of Law, Loyola Law School, and chief US negotiator for the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances (2012) and the Marrakesh Treaty for the Blind (2013).
John E. Marcom (Princeton, 1979), Senior Vice President, Yahoo
Jonathan S. Miller (Yale, 1975), General Manager, American Repertory Theatre
Alan Murray (University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, 1977), former Washington Bureau Chief, CNBC, Executive Editor, The Wall Street Journal, President of Pew Research Center
Michael L. Riordan (Washington University in St. Louis, 1979), founder and former CEO and Chairman, Gilead Sciences
Lynn Sharp (Smith College, 1976), John G. McLean Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
Robert Zoellick (Swarthmore College, 1975), President, World Bank and former Trade Secretary and Deputy Secretary of State
Steve Spinner (Wesleyan, 1991), Adviser to Obama Campaign, Founder Sports Potential
Zim Ugochukwu (University of North Carolina Greensboro, 2011), Founder Ignite Greensboro
Meghan O'Sullivan (Georgetown, 1991), Senior fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and former White House Deputy National Security Adviser on Iraq and Afghanistan
Joshua Freedman (Stanford 2014), Economic Growth Fellow at the New American Foundation and Forbes Contributor on the Political Economics of Higher Education
