Concentrations: History, applied mathematics and Egyptology
Hometown: Menlo Park, California 

Brown senior Eric Gottlieb is eager to volunteer that he has “weird academic interests.” 

“At Brown, I learned that I really enjoy the art of interpreting challenging, oftentimes laconic and internally inconsistent documents to figure out what they really say,” Gottlieb said. “I also learned that I wanted to do something practical — I wanted to be in a position where my work did things to make society more equitable and just.”

Between his primary passion of legal hermeneutics — the philosophy of how legal practitioners interpret and apply statutes — his extensive independent research on urban affairs and housing policy, and his interest in translating texts written in languages like Coptic, Biblical Hebrew, Middle Egyptian and Nahuatl, Gottlieb said he couldn’t think of a better way to pursue them than the Marshall program. 

As a Marshall scholar, Gottlieb will continue those routes of study as he pursues separate master’s degrees in history and socio-legal research methods at Cardiff University in Wales, with the goal of eventually becoming an appellate attorney or appellate judge. 

Gottlieb credits his time at Brown for molding him into the thinker he is today. 

“I felt comfortable really exploring my interests in an organic way because of Brown’s approach to liberal education,” he said. “I was exposed to different ways of thinking that I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise. I have faith that Brown’s ethos of self-discovery will stick with me in the U.K. and once I come back home to the U.S.” 

Concentration: Economics 
Hometown: Beijing, China 

The Schwarzman Scholarship holds a special place in Brown senior Jing Jing Yang’s heart — not just because the program will take her back to her hometown of Beijing, but because her father spent his undergraduate years studying at Tsinghua University. 

“Having grown up in an international environment before arriving at Brown, my background has led me down a lifelong journey of ‘thought importing-and-exporting’ between China and the West,” Yang said. “Schwarzman — with its diversity, explorative nature and collaborative culture — is an amazing platform for me to build lasting connections with scholars from all over the world.” 

Yang will earn a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in economics when she graduates this spring. Over her time at Brown, she has offered language and cultural mentorship to Chinese-American adoptees as the president of China Care, organized sustainable investing conferences, and consulted for nonprofits and startups. She also co-founded a startup company that enabled smaller content creators to scale and monetize their social media presences — an experience she said laid the groundwork for her career aspirations in product design and business strategy. 

As a Schwarzman scholar, Yang will pursue those passions as she immerses herself in global affairs and leadership coursework. But most importantly, she said, she’s looking forward to spending the next year with a close-knit, dynamic group of scholars, learning about their own interests, backgrounds and industries. 

“One thing I love about Brown is its culture of finding common ground — whether in extracurriculars and friendships or in its multidisciplinary academic work — and I’m looking forward to bringing this mindset with me to the Schwarzman program,” Yang said. 

Concentration: International and public affairs (security track) 
Hometown: Pawtucket, Rhode Island 

When Michael Ochoa learned he had made the cut for the Pickering Fellowship, his reaction was utter disbelief. 

“I stood up to bear-hug my friend, and then got on my knees to thank God, because I had been aiming for the Pickering Fellowship since I got to campus as a first-year student,” Ochoa said. “It was surreal to know I actually achieved my dream after so many years of hard work.” 

Those years included countless hours conducting research at Brown’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, where he’s been pursuing a concentration in the security track of international and public affairs; studying French and Arabic; and deeply embedding himself in the work of Brown’s Undocumented, First-Generation College and Low-Income (U-FLi) Student Center, all toward the eventual goal of joining the Foreign Service. 

As a Pickering Fellow, Ochoa aims to earn a master’s degree in international affairs, become a political officer — a negotiator within the Foreign Service who interprets host country politics and advises on international issues — and dedicate himself to a lifelong career of addressing instability while advocating for greater equity within the national security apparatus. 

“My parents fled to this nation to escape violence — they left Colombia without money, English or documentation, yet I witnessed how the American system improved our lives,” Ochoa said. “As someone blessed enough to make it this far, I want to play my part in elevating underrepresented voices at the decision-making table to strengthen our foreign policy with the power of diverse perspectives.”