NYU Shanghai Student Wins NYU's Marc and Ruti Bell Public Service Scholarship

NYU Shanghai senior Ariana Alvarez ’23 became the first student to receive NYU’s Marc and Ruti Bell Public Service Scholarship. The program, funded by the NYU College of Arts and Science, will provide Alvarez with up to $8,000 to support her senior year study.

“I feel very honored to receive this scholarship. It will help me delve into my interests and passion of using Computer Science technologies and address their cross-disciplinary applications in industry for social good to better support others,” said Alvarez, a Computer Science major and a Chinese Language and Social Science minor. 

At NYU Shanghai, Alvarez has spent most of her spare time working as a community volunteer, using assistive technology to design accessible products for people with disabilities and teaching English to migrant workers’ children. “Since I saw this kind of inequity and imbalance in access to education and infrastructure, I want to use my skills and knowledge to create things that can impact other people's lives.”

_{Ariana Alvarez (in white shirt) conducting interviews during the “Assistive Technology” course to find out how she and her team could better help their users with disabilities at the NYU Shanghai IMA lab in 2019}

"Ariana is a true leader both in and outside of the classroom. In the time that I have gotten to know her, Ariana’s academic abilities match her passion for critical issues at the intersection of public service, Sino-US relations, and technology,” said Assistant Professor of Practice in Political Science Ivan Rasmussen.

“My advice to other students who also want to apply for the scholarship is to do a lot of introspection. Think about why you want to dedicate at least part of your life to public service and what your true passion is,” Alvarez said. 

The scholarship is awarded annually to 20 students from the NYU community who plan to pursue a career that advances the public good. Applicants need to complete an online application and submit a statement of purpose that explains what factors and past experiences are motivating them to pursue public service.

Ariana Alvarez was also awarded the United States Foreign Affairs Information Technology (FAIT) Fellowship last year. After graduation, she will work as a Foreign Service Information Management Specialist in the U.S. Embassy or Consulate for five years.