ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Three Indian origin students named Luce Scholars
The competitive fellowship grants emerging U.S. leaders a 13-month immersive experience across Asia.
-
1759163132.png)
Anushka Pathak - Wed, 18, Mar 2026
- 16:58 EDT
- 25
L-R: Sahana Bhagat, Yash Rajpal, Shruthi Sriram / Courtesy: Henry Luce Foundation
The latest cohort of Luce scholars includes three Indian-origin students who will embark on a year of immersive professional placements and living experiences across Asia.
Sahana Bhagat of the University of Virginia, Yash Rajpal of the University of Pennsylvania, and Shruthi Sriram of Boston University are among the 16 students selected as 2026-27 Luce scholars by the Henry Luce Foundation.
Sahana, whose field of interest is international development, is an associate at BlueMark, where she specializes in impact assurance and verification for investments. She holds a BA in Global Security and Justice, with a minor in Social Entrepreneurship.
ALSO READ: Five Indian-origin writers named in UK’s Jhalak Prize longlists
Her professional background includes work at Quona Capital improving transparency for investments in the Global South. At BlueMark, she has assessed impact programs such as an income-sharing tuition model in Sub-Saharan Africa and a medical technology fund targeting women's health in underserved Asian regions.
She is currently developing an impact rating certification for Japanese banks. She has also led fundraising efforts, including heading a team of 15 students that raised US $75,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Yash, whose field of interest is technology and innovation, is a fourth-year student at the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Engineering & Applied Science. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in biophysics and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in bioengineering, with minors in chemistry and political science.
His work includes research on superabsorptive concrete in the Shu Yang Group, founding an Arduino Makerspace engineering program at three West Philadelphia high schools, and training over 70 EMTs on Penn’s Medical Emergency Response Team. He tutors organic chemistry and calculus and advocates for expanded high school access to medicine and engineering. He is the co-recipient of the Shah Family Prize.
Shruthi, whose field of interest is international law and human rights, is a 2024 magna cum laude graduate from Boston College with a BA in History and Economics. She currently serves as a senior project analyst at Mintz Levin, where she leads the firm’s Political Asylum and Domestic Violence Clinics.
Previously, she contributed to the Innocence Project on wrongful conviction cases and conducted research on civil liberties risks of surveillance technologies at the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project. At Boston College, she received the Carol Petillo Award and Scholar of the College honors for her thesis on transnational solidarity in the twentieth-century radical press.
“The 2026-2027 Luce Scholars cohort represents the best of the next generation: individuals who are curious, driven, and approach the world with a deep sense of responsibility,” said Aida Gureghian, program director for leadership, Henry Luce Foundation. “They are asking bold questions about justice, sustainability, and community—and are eager to listen and engage.”
The Henry Luce Foundation's Luce Scholars Program, established in 1974, is a competitive leadership development fellowship offering emerging American leaders a 13-month immersive experience in Asia.
It provides individually tailored professional placements, living stipends, and language training to deepen understanding of Asian countries, cultures, and people while fostering informed, compassionate, and interconnected U.S.-Asia relationships.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login