U of A student Sherjeel Naeem was recently named a finalist for the 2024 Luce Scholarship. Naeem, a senior and native of Greenwood, is an honors anthropology and biology major in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

The Luce Scholarship Program, a nationally competitive program of the Henry Luce Foundation, provides recent graduates with funded, immersive professional experiences in an Asian country. After years of limiting applicants to those from select member universities, the Henry Luce Foundation recently opened the application to students and alumni from all U.S. colleges and universities.

The competitive process includes a written application and virtual interviews that examine career goals, leadership potential and commitment to social change. Naeem was one of only 34 applicants nationally who were invited to a finalist weekend in San Diego. 

To find a list of scholars, please visit the Henry Luce Foundation website.

“It was an incredible honor to be selected as a finalist for this year’s Luce Fellowship,” Naeem said. “I could not have gotten this far without the unwavering support of my advisers, as well as the love from my friends. I hope that I can pave the way for future U of A students to get involved with the Luce program."

After completing his undergraduate studies, Naeem plans to pursue a joint M.D./M.P.H. program and specialize in psychiatry. With a keen interest in expanding culturally appropriate access to mental health care, he hopes that this field will allow him to combine his unique experiences as a first generation American to work on mental health issues that stem from generational trauma. His honors thesis research examines issues in South Asian American mental health.

Naeem received both the Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship and the Chancellor’s Community Scholarship. As part of his commitment to refugees and the international community, he volunteered in Greece with a non-governmental organization assisting newly arrived Afghani refugees. On campus, Naeem serves as president of Students with Refugees, a cross cultural education mentor for international students, a student ambassador for the Multicultural Center and a mental health ambassador for the university’s Counseling and Psychological Services.

U of A students who are interested in applying for the Luce Scholarship should contact the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards at awards@uark.edu.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.