ATLANTA, Jan. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spelman College is proud to announce that Ava Noelle Johnson, C’2026, has been named a 2026-2027 Schwarzman Scholar, one of the most selective and prestigious graduate fellowship programs in the world. Johnson was one of 150 Scholars selected from over 5,800 candidates — the largest applicant pool in the program’s history. She is Spelman’s sixth Schwarzman Scholar since 2021.
The Scholars, representing 40 countries and 83 universities from around the world, will attend a one-year, fully-fundedmaster’s degree program in global affairs at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.
“I am deeply honored to be selected as a Schwarzman Scholar for the 11th cohort,” said Johnson, an economics major from Nashville, Tennessee. “My matriculation at Spelman College not only prepared me academically, but instilled in me the confidence, global consciousness, and leadership values that have made this opportunity possible. I am profoundly grateful to the professors, mentors, and the Spelman honors program for their unwavering support.”
Scholars are selected through a competitive application process designed to identify leadership potential, intellect and strength of character. Close to 400 candidates were invited to interview with panels of CEOs, government leaders, university presidents and non-profit executives, among others.
“Ava’s selection as a Schwarzman Scholar is a proud moment for Spelman,” said Dr. Michelle Hite, international fellowships and scholarships director and associate professor of literature, media and writing at Spelman. “To achieve at this level and at this moment in history speaks to both the rigor of her training and her confidence in meeting the world as it is. Her success reminds us of what remains possible, and necessary, right now.”
Starting in August 2026, the Scholars selected for the 11th cohort will engage in a graduate curriculum focused on leadership, global affairs and China. The students are taught by leading faculty from Tsinghua as well as from many globally recognized international universities, and attend lectures delivered by global thought leaders.
The program’s unique combination of coursework, cultural immersion and personal and professional development equips Schwarzman Scholars with a well-rounded understanding of China’s changing role in the world, critically important to leadership in any field in the 21st century.
“We are thrilled to welcome the 11th cohort to Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University,” said Xue Lan, Dean of Schwarzman College. “Their remarkable accomplishments herald a promising group of future leaders. I am eager to see them advance our commitment to global collaboration and transformative knowledge, as they work together to tackle this century’s greatest challenges and enrich our entire community.”
To view Johnson’s profile and learn more about the incoming class, visit www.schwarzmanscholars.org/scholars.
###
About Spelman College
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a leading liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, the College’s picturesque campus is home to 2,300 students. Spelman is the country’s leading producer of Black women who complete Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The College’s status is confirmed by the U.S. News & World Report, which ranked Spelman No. 39 among all liberal arts colleges, No. 19 for undergraduate teaching, No. 2 for social mobility among liberal arts colleges, and No. 1 for the 17th year among historically Black colleges and universities. Recent initiatives include a designation by the Department of Defense as a Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM, a Gender and Sexuality Studies Institute, the first endowed queer studies chair at an HBCU and a program to increase the number of Black women Ph.D.s in economics. New majors and minors have been added, including documentary filmmaking and photography, data science, refugee studies and gaming. Collaborations have been also established with MIT’s Media Lab, the Broad Institute and the Army Research Lab for artificial intelligence and machine learning, among others.
Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman, former Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Rosalind Brewer, political leader Stacey Abrams, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa D. Cook, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna president Audrey Forbes Manley, Harvard University professor and former Dean Evelynn Hammonds, actress and producer Latanya Richardson Jackson, global bioinformatics geneticist Janina Jeff and authors Pearl Cleage and Tayari Jones.
To learn more, please visit spelman.edu and @spelmancollege on social media.
About Schwarzman Scholars
Schwarzman Scholars is a one-year, fully-funded master’s degree program in global affairs at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. An unparalleled learning experience, it is the first scholarship of its kind created to respond to the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century and designed to prepare the next generation of global leaders.
Each year, up to 200 candidates from around the world are selected to join a diverse cohort. Schwarzman Scholars seeks candidates with leadership qualities and the potential to foster cross-cultural understanding. Scholars come from a wide variety of industries and backgrounds, such as business, technology, science, politics, healthcare, and more. Schwarzman Scholars’ dynamic curriculum—based on the pillars of China, leadership, and global affairs—is designed to provide Scholars with the knowledge, skills, and firsthand experience needed to navigate the complexities of the evolving global landscape. Through an immersive experience in China, Scholars spend a year living in Beijing, studying at the prestigious Tsinghua University under the guidance of leading academics and global thought leaders.
Schwarzman Scholars was established in 2013 by Founding Trustee Stephen A. Schwarzman. Inspired by his vision, Schwarzman Scholars aspires to create a global network of leaders who will shape the future.
For more information, please contact: [email protected].