Schwarzman Scholar
New environments have always fascinated Lydia Haile ’22, a Coloradan and first-generation college student whose curiosity led her to Pomona and now is taking her across the globe.
Haile is pursuing a master’s degree in global affairs from Tsinghua University in Beijing, thanks to the one-year scholarship. At Tsinghua she will attend lectures, travel and deepen her understanding of the world’s second-most populous country.
“I’m excited to immerse myself in an environment I would not find myself in otherwise,” Haile says. “I’m at a stage in life where I can just pack up and move, simply for the sake of learning.”
A neuroscience major, Haile was chosen as one of 150 scholars from 4,200 applicants. After graduation, she became an operations specialist at the Obesity Medicine Association and helped launch the nonprofit Global Medical Relief for Tigray (GMRT) to address health care needs in Tigray, Ethiopia, raising funds for medical supplies for a hospital affected by the 2020 conflict.
Being of Tigrayan descent herself, Haile views her involvement with GMRT as an opportunity “to utilize my skills to enact long-lasting change.”
As a Schwarzman Scholar, Haile hopes to leverage her diverse background to develop interdisciplinary solutions spanning global affairs, medicine, technology and language.
“This opportunity is invaluable,” she says, “There’s so much I have yet to experience, and by gaining a broader perspective, I simply can’t lose.”
Find out more at pomona.edu/news/2024/06/24-schwarzman-scholar-lydia-haile-22-embraces-opportunity-live-and-learn-abroad.
Udall Scholar
For someone entering her junior year, Arianna Lawrence ’26 has already built an impressive resume. She interned with the Coalition for
Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), the New York City Commission on Human Rights and the San Francisco Environmental Department. She is an EcoRep in Pomona’s sustainability office and a student manager of ReCoop, helping students recover and reuse clothing, furniture and other items. And now, she’s been recognized for her sustained involvement and potential for environmental leadership by being named one of 55 Udall Scholars for 2024, earning a $7,000 scholarship.
“I’ve always been interested in environmentalism, in how inequities can manifest in physical spaces,” says Lawrence. “I’m from Brooklyn. Nobody [there] has backyards. Nobody has green spaces.” What Lawrence did have in her New York community, though, was a high school where she could pursue a major. She chose Law and Society, with an interest in environmental organizing.
Lawrence remembers being inspired by the 2019 New York City Climate Strike, where tens of thousands marched for climate action. The next summer, as a rising high school senior, she interned with the Natural Resources Defense Council and joined a youth coalition for the United Nations Environmental Program, focusing on youth involvement in environmental policymaking.
At Pomona Lawrence majors in public policy analysis with an emphasis on environmental issues, aiming for a career in urban planning, zoning law or environmental litigation. “It’s exciting to figure out my niche in environmentalism and policy,” she says.
Find out more at pomona.edu/news/2024/05/29-udall-scholarship-recognizes-pomona-student-environmental-involvement.
Goldwater Scholar
Daniel Gao ’25, a molecular biology major, was awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, established by Congress in 1986 for students in science, engineering and mathematics. This year 437 Scholars were selected out of a pool of over 5,000 students.
Since his sophomore year Gao has conducted research in the lab of chemistry professor Malkiat Johal, using surface-chemistry tools to look at “receptor-ligand interactions” that are involved in blood clotting. They are also probing the physiological significance of the interactions beyond the chemistry.
Gao’s interest in blood clotting began at a young age when his grandfather experienced a stroke. “That was the sort of alarm,” he says. “It’s a very niche type of work, but it’s been a big passion of mine.”
Gao sought out Johal because he was interested in the convergence of the biology of blood clotting with Johal’s background in surface chemistry. “Having the different perspectives brings a lot to the table in terms of the interdisciplinary aspect of our research,” says Gao.
Along with conducting research this summer, Gao applied to M.D.-Ph.D. programs with the goal of beginning a program in fall 2025.
The future physician hopes to create new tools for diseases, particularly in the realm of blood clotting. “A big part of being an M.D.-Ph.D. is [to] translate basic science into clinical tools,” says Gao. “That’s something I want to do: being proficient in both, and having both perspectives.”
Find out more at pomona.edu/news/2024/06/06-daniel-gao-25-named-2024-goldwater-scholar.