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Two Notre Dame alumnae named 2022 Yenching Scholars

University of Notre Dame alumnae Ann Hermann, class of 2022, and Susan Peters, class of 2021, have been named 2022 Yenching Scholars. This is the second time that Notre Dame has had multiple Yenching Scholars in the same year.

University of Notre Dame alumnae Ann Hermann, class of 2022, and Susan Peters, class of 2021, have been named 2022 Yenching Scholars. This is the second time that Notre Dame has had multiple Yenching Scholars in the same year. The University has had nine Yenching Scholars overall.

Selected from among hundreds of applicants worldwide, Yenching Scholars participate in an interdisciplinary master’s degree program in China studies at the Yenching Academy of Peking University, which brings together young people with a demonstrated talent for leadership and innovation.

The award covers tuition as well as living, travel and study expenses.

Like previous winners, Hermann and Peters worked closely with the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE) to apply for the scholarship. CUSE promotes the intellectual development of Notre Dame undergraduates through scholarly engagement, research, creative endeavors and the pursuit of fellowships.

“Congratulations to Ann and Susan on becoming Notre Dame’s eighth and ninth Yenching Scholars in seven years,” said Jeff Thibert, the Paul and Maureen Stefanick Director of CUSE. “Though much of the credit for this success should go to Ann and Susan, I’d like to thank the faculty members, advisers and other mentors who assisted them with their applications and guided them through the experiences that made them competitive applicants for the Yenching Academy. I’d especially like to thank Emily Hunt, the CUSE adviser who works with Yenching applicants, for all the work she put in to this process. Notre Dame is lucky to have her.” 

Hermann, of Dubuque, Iowa, double majored in computer science and Chinese. Peters, of Scottsdale, Arizona, majored in international economics with a concentration in Chinese. Hermann will research comparative tech policy and social media algorithms in the U.S. and China, while Peters will research the effects of recent changes in China’s “cram,” or test-prep, school policies.

Alumna Margaret “Greta” Rauch, class of 2022, also was offered a Yenching Scholarship but declined it to pursue a doctorate in history at Boston University instead.

The Yenching Scholarship is an annual award, with the application/interview process occurring over the fall and early spring. Winners are announced each spring.

This year’s cohort includes 97 international students and 28 Chinese students. Winners represent 104 schools and 27 countries and regions.

For more on this and other scholarship opportunities, visit cuse.nd.edu.

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