Maxwell J.D. VanLandschoot '22 Named Schwarzman Scholar

The economics major will embark on one year of graduate study at Tsinghua University in Beijing. He’s the first Reedie to receive the honor.

Maxwell J.D. VanLandschoot '22 is among the 151 candidates selected for the 2023 Schwarzman Scholars program, which funds a one-year master’s degree in global affairs at Beijing’s Tsinghua University. Maxwell, an economics major whose thesis sought to understand risk perceptions of nuclear energy in the Pacific Northwest, is the first Schwarzman Scholar from Reed.

The program, modeled after the Rhodes Scholarship, was launched by Blackstone investment firm co-founder Stephen Schwarzman. Its aim, per the admissions brochure, is “to build a global community of future leaders who will serve to deepen understanding between China and the rest of the world.” In addition to their global affairs coursework, scholars receive Chinese language instruction, participate in cultural immersion activities, and are paired with mostly Beijing-based mentors. 

At Reed, Maxwell served as a reactor operator and mentor at the Reed Research Reactor and started the college’s chapter of the American Nuclear Society. He was also president of the Finance and Investment Club and a disability advocate for students with speech impediments, as well as captain of the CFA Challenge team and a Quest writer. He was recently profiled in the September 2022 annual "What is a Reedie" feature. 

Maxwell, who grew up in Denver, Colorado, joins the eighth cohort of Schwarzman Scholars. Selected from a pool of nearly 3,000 applicants, they represent 36 countries and 121 universities and will begin their studies in August 2023.

Tags: Awards & Achievements, International, Life Beyond Reed