Rice has two recipients among inaugural cohort of Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Rice alumna Sonia Garcia ’14 and Lovett College senior Brandi Ransom have been named Knight-Hennessy Scholars. They will join the pioneer cohort of 49 winning scholars at Stanford University, where the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program aims to develop a new generation of international leaders by providing full funding to pursue a graduate education at the California university.

Lovett College senior Brandi Ransom, from Spring, Texas, will pursue a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at Stanford.

This is the inaugural year for the scholarship, which drew 3,601 applicants from across the globe. Garcia and Ransom are among 1 percent of high-achieving students chosen for their demonstrated leadership, independence of thought and civic commitment.

“The scholars we selected are not just outstanding academically,” said Jeff Wachtel, the program’s executive director. “Each exhibits the humility, kindness and empathy that establish the foundation for future cohorts of Knight-Hennessy Scholars and that we hope will redefine global leadership.”

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program funds up to the first three years of graduate education at Stanford. “We have selected students who believe strongly in the pressing need for better leadership across all disciplines and around the globe,” said John L. Hennessy, the Shriram Family Director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars.

The program is named after Hennessy, who served as Stanford’s president from 2000 to 2016, and after Nike Inc. co-founder Phil Knight, who is contributing $400 million to the program.

With an endowment of $750 million, the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program will be the largest fully endowed scholars program in the world. Women comprise 57 percent of the selected scholars, while 63 percent of the scholars will come from abroad, representing 19 different countries. Like Ransom and Garcia, 67 percent of the scholars will be pursuing their Ph.D. at Stanford’s School of Engineering.

Ransom, from Spring, Texas, will pursue a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at Stanford upon graduation from Rice, where she will earn two bachelor’s degrees — one in German studies and one in materials science and nanoengineering. Ransom aspires to a career in academic research in which she helps advance multi-stimulus and volatile systems of responsive polymers and improve manufacturing optimization in mass production.

“I have wanted to go to graduate school since I was 11, and this program makes that dream come true,” Ransom said. “My parents raised me, by example, to care about others, so the fact that this program has strong civic ties means a lot to me. To be considered alongside the other incredible candidates is mind-blowing.”

In addition to running for Rice as an NCAA Division I track and field athlete, Ransom is president of Rice’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers and lead organizer of TEDxRiceU. She spent summers as a computational biology research intern through a fellowship at Stanford, as a textile manufacturing research intern at RWTH Aachen University in Germany and as a photovoltaics research intern at the University of Tokyo in Japan. Ransom credits track and field assistant coach Funmi Jimoh, her teammates and professors for motivating her to “take advantage of every opportunity and to stand tall.”

“Rice gave me access to be able to prepare myself academically,” Ransom said, “but it was the incredible people I’ve been lucky enough to meet who developed me into the person who was selected for this award.”

Sonia Garcia ’14, from McAllen, Texas, will pursue a master’s degree in design impact at Stanford.

Garcia, from McAllen, Texas, will pursue a master’s degree in design impact at Stanford. She graduated from Rice in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and currently works for Accenture as a health strategy consultant.

“The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program is so much more than just a scholarship, it’s a program to develop and empower future leaders to solve the major challenges our world is faced with today,” said Garcia. “To be part of the inaugural class of such a powerful initiative means that we have a huge say in structuring the program and defining the culture and setting standards for future generations to come.”

Garcia is the founder and president of By the Future, For the Future, a nonprofit focused on engaging the young professional community to support and raise awareness for mental and behavioral health throughout Houston. She is passionate about transforming the way mental illness is treated and cared for, and while at Stanford, she plans to design and create solutions to radically improve psychiatric care.

“We are very excited and proud of Brandi and Sonia for being selected to this inaugural class of Knight-Hennessy scholars,” said Danika Brown, director of curriculum and fellowships at Rice’s Center for Civic Leadership. “This opportunity is for both of them to not only receive funding for graduate study at Stanford University, but to be part of a dynamic leadership program with a cohort of graduate students from across Stanford.”

For a complete list of the 2018 Knight-Hennessy Scholars, visit kh.stanford.edu/scholars.