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Lynsey Gaudioso selected as 2010 Luce Scholar

Posted 4/9/2010

The Henry Luce Foundation has named 18 Luce Scholars for 2010-2011, including Vanderbilt University senior Lynsey Gaudioso.

The program provides stipends, language training and individualized professional placement in Asia. Each scholar spends July and August studying the language of the placement country, and the work assignments run for approximately 10 months from September until July of the following year.

The Luce Scholar program is unique among American-Asian exchanges because it is intended for young leaders who have had limited experience of Asia and who might not otherwise have an opportunity in the normal course of their careers to come to know Asia. The program is designed as a cultural experience first and foremost.
   
Gaudioso attempted to save a neighborhood forest at the age of nine and has been interested in environmental issues since. A recipient of the Chancellor’s Scholarship at Vanderbilt, she designed her own interdisciplinary major in environmental science and policy, in addition to a second major in mathematics.

Although her early Montessori education and Native American heritage provided the spark for her passion, it was her semester abroad in Australia that inspired her to envision her future in environmental research, policy and education. The global differences in environmental management and policies she observed prompted her to accept an internship with South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, where she drafted policy proposals and conducted research related to the environmental impact of marine invasive species, and later at The Climate Project, a nonprofit organization that works to educate the public about the harmful effects of climate change.

Gaudioso is currently working on an independent study on how culture affects environmental initiatives, and expects to graduate with honors in May.

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. The foundation builds upon the vision and values of four generations of the Luce family: broadening knowledge and encouraging the highest standards of service and leadership. A not-for-profit corporation, the Luce Foundation operates under the laws of the State of New York and aims to exemplify the best practices of responsible, effective philanthropy.

The Luce Foundation pursues its mission today through the following grant-making programs: American Art; East Asia; Luce Scholars; Theology; Higher Education and the Henry R. Luce Professorships; the Henry R. Luce Initiative on Religion and International Affairs; Public Policy and the Environment; and the Clare Boothe Luce Program for women in science, mathematics and engineering.

Contact: Missy Pankake, (615) 322-NEWS
missy.pankake@vanderbilt.edu

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