Scholars

The Lohez Foundation is proud to announce its scholarship recipients for 2013-2014 – five outstanding young people who represent the current international “class” of Lohez Scholars. This stellar group includes our second set of scholars who will complete their joint graduate studies between institutions located in both France and China.

Annabelle Libeau, 2013
(France / Dual Degree: Sciences Po / Columbia University)

Annabelle Libeau is a dual-degree student at Sciences Po, Paris, and Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. She will soon obtain her Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree in International Finance with a focus on Emerging Markets.

Annabelle is a financial analyst with international experience in investment banking in developing countries. She also has an advanced degree in Finance and Business Ethics from NEOMA Business School (Reims, MS), France.

In the past she worked as an analyst in international finance and government.

She defines herself as a relationship-building person, passionate about forging strong personal links by sharing her expertise and cultural experiences. Her community engagement is devoted to facilitating the successful emergence of an enlightened community of social entrepreneurs. She sees her study year in New York as an exceptional opportunity to immerse herself in one of the most diverse and multicultural cities in the world.

Annabelle has also received the Rotary Foundation’s Global Grant and the Zonta Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship. She speaks French, English, Russian, and Spanish.

Jean-Sébastien Marre, 2013
(France / Dual Degree: Sciences Po / Fudan University)

Jean-Sébastien Marre is currently a graduate student within the Sciences Po/Fudan University dual-degree program on Europe and Asia in Global Affairs.

A deep believer in multiculturalism and the dialogue between cultures and civilizations, Jean-Sébastien believes that the best way to learn about and share the values of peace, fraternity, and international unity is through an education-based understanding of other cultures.

He was introduced to political science, international relations and law during his undergraduate studies, and he had the opportunity to discover the United States during an exchange program at Georgetown University, where, he says, he “became a member of an incredibly lively and diverse multicultural community.”

Seeking a career in diplomacy at the end of his studies, Jean-Sébastien believes his year spent at Fudan University will enable him to strengthen his knowledge of China’s international and domestic policies. Above all, he looks forward to gaining a deeper understanding of Chinese – and to a larger extent, East Asian – culture and society, including the legacies of historical Chinese civilization as they impact upon modern societal trends.

Jean-Sébastien will use the Lohez scholarship award to finance his short-term study at Seoul National University’s Winter Course on Human Rights and Asia in South Korea.

Elodie Nguyen Thanh Nhan, 2013
(France / Dual Degree: EPITA / Stevens Institute of Technology)

Elodie Nguyen Thanh Nhan is pursuing a dual-degree in Information Systems and Software Engineering between EPITA’s Graduate School for Computer Science and Advanced Technologies and Stevens Institute of Technology’s Howe School of Technology Management. She will obtain her joint degree in the spring of 2014.

Elodie recently completed a six-month internship in France at BNP Paribas Bank as an Assistant IT Project Manager.

Enrolling in a US-French dual-degree program that specifically featured Stevens as its American component was very attractive to Elodie. She views the program at Stevens as being totally in accordance with her initial education and her future career objectives.

She strongly believes that Stevens offers her a remarkable opportunity to learn more about Information Technology and its impact on people (including via Business Intelligence and Social Networking technologies), along with a greatly expanded vision of the knowledge that she has already acquired at EPITA.

She looks forward to studying in the United States, which will afford her an opportunity to begin her professional career in America.

Amy Wang, 2013
(USA / Dual Degree: Sciences Po / Columbia Law School)

Amy Wang is a second-year dual-degree student at Columbia Law School, pursuing a J.D. from Columbia and a French Master’s in Global Business Law from Sciences Po. She will spend her third and final year of law school in Paris through the Columbia Alliance Program in the 2014-2015 academic year.

Amy became fluent in French after participating in the Teaching Assistant Program in Épinay-sur-Seine, where she taught English.

In 2013, she worked as a Summer Associate at Stewart & Stewart, an international trade law firm in Washington, DC. She was recently awarded the Sidley Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship by Sidley Austin LLP, where she will serve as a 2014 Summer Associate.

In 2009, she served as a Congressional intern, attending hearings on behalf of US Senate staff. Amy participates in the Prisoners and Families Clinic, where she represents an incarcerated father fighting to retain his parental rights. She also helps teach a course on parental rights for incarcerated mothers at Bedford Hills, a women’s correctional facility.

Amy hopes to use her diverse experiences abroad and in politics to be an active member of the Jérôme Lohez Scholarship Foundation.

Keli Wang, 2013
(China / Dual Degree: Fudan University / Sciences Po)

Keli Wang studied in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China, which she notes is the location of the famous “ancient army” of Terra Cotta Warriors.

After intensive efforts, Keli was admitted to the prestigious Fudan University in Shanghai. During her undergraduate years, she absorbed the many experiences offered by campus life, learning not only about international relations, but also encountering many new friends from different backgrounds.

After earning her bachelor’s degree, Keli was admitted to the Europe and Asia in Global Affairs dual-degree master’s program, hosted jointly by Sciences Po and Fudan University.

She spent the last year in Paris, enjoying an “adventure in life and study” afforded by her time studying abroad. Keli now has a part-time internship, working for an energy-based NGO. Seeing a great future for NGOs in China, she hopes to devote her passion and efforts to the developing trend of NGOs in her home country.

2013 Jérôme Lohez Scholarship Award Selection Committee

The Lohez Foundation wishes to thank the members of its 2013-2014 Scholarship Selection Committee for lending their time, talents and expertise to the process of identifying our new gifted scholarship recipients. Below is a list of the committee members and their brief bios.

Professor Daniel Duchamp (Selection Committee Chairperson, Director, Computer Science Department, Stevens Institute of Technology)

Dr. Daniel Duchamp received the B.S.E. in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1982 and the Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University in 1988. He then joined Columbia University where he was an Assistant Professor then Associate Professor of Computer Science. In recognition of his groundbreaking work in mobile computing, in 1991 he was one of two computer scientists nationally named as a Young Investigator by the Office of Naval Research. In 1997, he joined AT&T Labs as a Principal Research Scientist. In 2000 he joined Stevens Institute of Technology as a Professor of Computer Science. In 2007 he was named Director of the Computer Science Department.

Professor Hong Bing (Associate Professor, Assistant to Dean School of Journalism, Fudan University, Shanghai)

Dr. Hong Bing, associate professor, received his Ph.D. in communication studies from School of Journalism, Fudan University. His research interests focuses on media sociology, international communication and China’s media reform. In 2007 he was the first Media Fellow sponsored by US. China Education Trust to be the visiting scholar in University of Maryland. He is now the director of Fudan-LSE Global Media and Communication and Fudan-Sciences Po Communication and Media double master degree program.

Mr. Stephane Bouniol (VP at Credit Suisse)

A founding board member and former Vice President of the Lohez Foundation, Stephane Bouniol is currently Vice President Managing the Java Application Platform for Credit Suisse Americas. His areas of specialty include web services architecture, production support experience (including trading floor support), team management, and project management, including large scale projects spread across the globe. His previous positions include Senior Unix System Administrator at DLJ and Unix Administrator at Stevens Institute of Technology.

Mr. Côme J. Dechery (Consultant Analyst at the Center for Conflict, Security and Development, The World Bank)

Mr. Côme Dechery is a young global leader in the making. A 2012 Lohez Scholar, during the 2011 academic year at Sciences Po, Côme served as President of the Paris Globalist, Sciences Po’s magazine of international affairs. This was a distinct honor for a young man pursuing a dual Master of International Affairs degree, awarded in May 2013 by Sciences Po and the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). During his undergraduate years at Sciences Po, Côme had the opportunity to spend a year abroad at the University of California-San Diego, where he pursued a graduate-level course of study. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with his bachelor’s degree in May 2010. In September 2013, Côme was appointed a Consultant Analyst at the Center for Conflict, Security and Development at The World Bank.

Ms. Sharen Glennon (Witness; Associate Director of Marketing, Wesley J Howe School of Technology Management, Stevens)

Sharen Glennon has more than 25 years of experience in marketing communications for nonprofit organizations, specializing in higher education programs at the graduate level. For the past dozen years she served as Assistant Director and then Associate Director of Marketing for the Wesley J. Howe School of Technology Management at Stevens Institute of Technology. Glennon has also acted as the Executive Coordinator of the Howe School Alliance for Technology Management. She holds a master’s degree in Management from Stevens Institute of Technology.

Professor Zhang Ji (Assistant Professor of Diplomacy at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University)

Dr. Zhang Ji is an Assistant Professor and a Research Fellow at Center for China-EU Relations, Center for Global Analysis and Center for Comparative Diplomacy Studies at Fudan University, Shanghai. He is the council member of Shanghai Institute for European Studies, reviewer of the Chinese Journal of European Studies, “Shanghai Pujiang Expert”. His research interests include the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy, French Foreign and Security Policy, China-EU relations, China’s Diplomacy, among other topics.

Professor Paul Rohmeyer (Director of the Master’s of Science in Information Systems program, Stevens Institute of Technology)

Dr. Paul Rohmeyer teaches graduate-level courses on Information Security Management and Network Management as a faculty member in the Wesley J. Howe School of Technology Management at Stevens. Paul has completed research in Information Security Management and Business Continuity Planning. He is also a senior-level consultant with expertise in IT Management, Project Management, Information Security, and IT Audit. Rohmeyer holds a B.A. in Economics from Rutgers University, a MBA in Finance from St. Joseph’s University, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Information Management from Stevens Institute of Technology. He has been trained by the U.S. National Security Agency on their Information Assurance Methodology (IAM) and holds the Project Management Professional (PMP) credential.

Ms. Dalia Shendi (Recording Officer; Liaison to Young Alumni, Stevens Institute of Technology)

Ms. Dalia Shendi serves the Lohez Foundation as Liaison to Young Alumni for Stevens Institute of Technology. She holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Stevens. Dalia has extensive experience working in biomedical research with organizations such as the United States Army, the Hackensack University Medical Center, and the Air Force Research Laboratory. Since 2012, she has also served as a volunteer at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City.

Professor Imola Streho (Centre d’études européennes, Sciences Po, Paris)

Dr. Imola Streho holds a doctorate in Law from the University of Paris II (Panthéon-Assas) and LLM from the College of Europe. She is associated scholar at the Centre d’études européennes at Sciences Po, Paris, where she is co-directing the Master in European Affairs since the academic year 2008/2009. Her research focus on trade in services within the EU and particularly on the evolution of the EU set of rules on free movement of services. She is currently working on two projects related to services. She also works on the European Judicial System, more specifically on its role as a judicial model for other regional organizations and an active participant in the global judicial dialogue.

Professor Elizabeth Roistacher (Committee Chairman)
Mr. Stephane Bouniol
Mr. Philippe Carls
Mr. Mark Denne
Mr. Jordane Elmassian
Ms. Paula Henin (2010 Scholarship Recipient)
Ms. Dening Lohez (Founder)
Ms. Nicole J. Moldovan <br/ > Ms. Barbara Wing
Dr. Alessia Lefebure (Witness), Director of Alliance Program

Professor Elizabeth Roistacher is an economics professor at Queens College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York. She previously served as deputy assistant secretary for economic affairs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and as a Brookings Economic Policy fellow. Professor Roistacher has also served as director of the Office of Honors and Scholarships at Queens College. Professor Roistacher received her Ph.D. in economics from University of Pennsylvania.

Antoine Desir (France / Dual Degree: École Polytéchnique, Palaiseau – Columbia University)

Mr. Antoine Desir is a mathematically gifted young man. After attending preparatory school at Louis-Le-Grand, Antoine was ranked 7th out of 83 in a national entrance competition to enter École Polytéchnique’s Mathematics and Engineering Science program.

In spring 2011, Antoine worked with Dr. William M. McEneaney in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University California San Diego, to study a method of reduction of the curse of dimensionality in optimal control, using a max-plus, or “tropical,” algorithm, in which the graph of the value function is approximated by a tropical polyhedron. This work led to publication, which is a high honor for a master’s-level student. Antoine also did research on Revenue Yield Management for Air France while he was a student at the Polytéchnique.

A French citizen of Vietnamese origin, Antoine has witnessed the extreme poverty of a developing country, and he has also lived in the Parisian milieu of elite students competing for spots in the French Grandes Écoles. Antoine understands what generosity and humane philanthropy mean. His father, a successful entrepreneur and prominent social activist in Vietnam, established a NGO called “Dust of Life,” to provide computers and Internet access to poor children. Antoine will follow his father’s example with a commitment to serve the needs of underprivileged communities.

Thomas Philippeau (France / Dual Degree: École pour L’Informatique et Les Techniques Avancées – Stevens Institute of Technology)

Mr. Thomas Philippeau worked at Accor, as a specialist in the creation and enhancement of new and existing information technologies. He was praised by his professors and supervisors as an open-minded and fast learner who adapts easily to various working methods and unforeseen constraints.

Thomas is very impressed by the diversity of the American population and culture, including the popular election in 2008 of an African-American as the nation’s president. He will enter Stevens Institute of Technology in the spring of 2011, and he looks forward to broadening his vision through the experience of an American graduate education. He hopes that his time in the United States will allow him to promote cultural exchange while here and especially after he returns to France.

Andres Lizcano Rodriguez (Colombia / Dual Degree: Sciences Po – Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs)

Mr. Andres Lizcano Rodriguez is a bright and creative individual whose actions are motivated by his desire to serve others.

From an intellectual family in Colombia, South America, Andres received a bilingual education in Spanish and German, and spent his childhood years in Germany.

A mathematically gifted pupil, Andres made the Top 15 for four consecutive years in the Colombian National Olympiad among high-school students nationwide. He then studied mathematics at Colombia’s Los Andes University, graduating with high honors. Meanwhile his desire to contribute to the cause of social justice also led him to pursue the study of law as a minor.

While studying abroad for one year at Montpellier, Andres co-founded the Montpellier Branch of a NGO called Foundacion YOCreo En Colombia. Colombia has been plagued by a decades-long armed conflict involving drug-trafficking and terrorism. Andres seeks to prove to the outside world that Colombia is also a country with a long and distinguished history, diverse cultural heritage, and immense economic potential.

Following the Latin-American intellectual tradition that takes cultural, political and philosophical inspiration from Europe, particularly from France, Andres is pursuing a dual master’s degree in International Development at Sciences Po in Paris and Columbia University in New York. He believes his French and American experiences will prepare him to take the risks that are needed to effect real change in Colombian society.

Inspired by Latin American cultural and political luminaries such as Gabriel García Márquez and Pablo Neruda, Andres’ career goal is to be a public intellectual and Colombia’s official representative (Ambassador) to the United States or France.

Andres is a native speaker of Spanish and German, fluent in French and English, as well as conversant in Italian and Portuguese.

The Scholarship Reception Ceremony Will Be Held May 14, 2012, at Maison Française, Columbia University.

The recipients for the 2010-2011 Jérôme Lohez September 11th Scholarship have been selected, and are as following:

• Paula Henin (France, London School of Economics – Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne – Columbia University Law School)
• Hélène Franchineau (France, Sciences Po – Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism)
• Alban Pétré (France, Ecole Pour L’Informatique et Les Techniques Avancees – Stevens Institute of Technology)

1. Paula Henin (France, London School of Economics – Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne – Columbia University Law School)

Ms. Henin’s academic brilliance was clear at young age. She was recognized by the Mayor de Sevres for outstanding results in the French Baccalaureate exam. Paula then went on to study International Relations and History at the London School of Economics (LSE). She specialized in the Middle East and public international law. Paula was among the top one percent of students in her year. Paula felt compelled to try to shed light on the situation in which there seems to be such misunderstanding and sometimes animosity between the west and the Arab world. Her dissertation thesis, “A French perspective on the British and American interventions in the Levant, May – November 1958,” was commended by the LSE’s Board of Examiners and awarded the Hue Wheldon Prize.

Paula has received a 2010-2011 Fulbright Foreign Student Scholarship to participate in a dual degree program at Columbia Law School and Univiersité Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne. She is a board member of the Columbia International Arbitration Association. Paula has a strong interest in international law; her ultimate goal is to work as a legal adviser for a major international organization, the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, or an international court or tribunal.

Ms. Henin speaks French, English, Spanish and Arabic and is a passionate guitar and saxophone player.

2. Hélène Franchineau (France, Sciences Po – Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism)

Ms. Franchineau completed a journalism program at Sciences Po Paris and programs in International Affairs and Chinese Language and Culture at Sciences Po Bordeaux.

Hélène then worked for Le Monde and Slate in Shanghai and Paris; she wrote news on the Shanghai World Expo, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and Muslim minority riots in Xinjiang province. In 2009 Hélèn interned at The Washington Times foreign desk where she covered policies on climate change.

Hélène plans to do multimedia journalism, which she considers to be the future of journalism. She chose to study in the United States because she believes it has been far ahead of European countries in developing this kind of journalism. She enrolled at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism this fall. She is interested not only in story-telling, but also in blogging, radio editing, photography and video, and social media.

Ms. Franchineau speaks French, English, and Chinese.

3. Alban Pétré (France, Ecole Pour L’Informatique et Les Techniques Avancees – Stevens Institute of Technology)

Mr. Pétré worked at Société Générale for the global head of Risk Assessment and Controls. He worked on the creation of a methodology to improve web-browsing control of Societe Generale system users and other security-related projects. He was praised by his professors and supervisors for his creativity and attention to details and his team spirit.

Alban visited New York for the first time in 2009 and fell in love with the city. He will enter Stevens Institute of Technology in spring, 2011. He looks forward broadening his vision through an American educational experience, and he hopes that his time in the United States will allow him to promote cultural exchange while here and when he returns to France.

The Award Presentation Gala will be held in spring 2011. More details will follow soon.

Jérôme Lohez 2010 Scholarship Selection Committee:

Professor Elizabeth Roistacher (Committee Chairman)
Captain Jordan Becker (2009 Scholarship recipient)
Mr. Stephane Bouniol
Mr. Philippe Carls
Mr. Mark Denne
Mr. Florent D’Halluin (2009 Scholarship recipient)
Mr. Brian T. Kelly
Mr. Vincent De Laggabe
Ms. Dening Lohez (Founder)
Ms. Barbara Wing

Professor Elizabeth Roistacher is an economics professor at Queens College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York. She has previously served as deputy assistant secretary for economic affairs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and as a Brookings Economic Policy fellow. Professor Roistacher has also served as director of the Office of Honors and Scholarships at Queens College. Professor Roistacher received Ph.D. in economics from University of Pennsylvania.

The recipients for the 2009-2010 Jérôme Lohez September 11th Scholarship have been selected, and are as following:

• Captain Jordan Becker (USA, Sciences-Po – Columbia University Exchange Program)
• Pauline Dochez (France, Ecole Polytechnique – Columbia University Exchange Program)
• Florent D’Halluin (France, Ecole Pour L’Informatique et Les Techniques Avancees – Stevens Institute of Technology)

1. Captain Jordan Becker (USA, Sciences-Po – Columbia University Exchange Program)

Mr. Becker graduated from Georgetown University School of Foreign Services in 2001. Mr. Becker then joined the United States Army. During almost a decade of active service in the U.S. Army, Mr.Becker was a paratrooper and Special Force team leader to lead combat patrols in Iraq, earning two Bronze Stars and achieving the rank of captain.

Captain Becker was selected by the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy at West Point to receive two-years of graduate study at the Columbia SIPA and Science Po graduate exchange program. Captain Becker then will be given three year assignment teaching undergraduate political Science courses and participating in the professional development of West Point cadets.

Captain Becker is beginning his graduate studies at Sciences Po this Fall. He has long been interested in the work and writing of Hubert Vedrine and believes the deeper understanding of France is essential to develop a strong, institutionalized relationship between Europe and the United States to ensure peace, security and prosperity in the 21st Century.

Captain Becker speaks fluently French, Italian and acquired working knowledge of Arabic and Kurdish languages during his commission in Iraq.

2. Pauline Dochez (France, Ecole Polytechnique – Columbia University Exchange Program)

Ms. Dochez completed three-year program in Economics, Computer Sciences, and Applied Math at Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France. Subsequently, she comes to Columbia University to begin graduate study in Engineering and Management systems with focus on the use of industrial engineering and operations research techniques in decision-making process.

Pauline is a highly intelligent, perceptive young woman. Not only she is a serious scientific researcher, but also an excellent writer and publicist for presenting her projects. While she was doing the researching project on women networks around the world, Pauline communicated with many women association around the world in English, German, Greek and Spanish in addition to her native French.

Pauline finds that American people have certain way of being proud of their achievements without boasting both sane and pleasant.

3. Florent D’Halluin (France, Ecole Pour L’Informatique et Les Techniques Avancees – Stevens Institute of Technology)

Mr. D’Halluin participates in graduate exchange program between EPITA and Stevens Institute of Technology. His subject matter is Computer Science. He worked on a finite state automation Library called Vaucanson. His professor commented that Florent is a talented orator, a good writer and above all a very fine human being aside of scientific subjects.

Mr. D’Halluin thinks a widely recognized diploma and local contacts and landmarks in the United States are highly valuable. He wants to keep an eager eye out for chances to make a change. “What better place is there than the land of opportunity?,” he asks.

The Scholarship Presentation Gala will be held at the French Consulate to New York on November 17th, 2009. More details will follow soon.