Recent UR Graduate Griffin Trau Selected as Schwarzman Scholar

Trau Will Study in China Through This Prestigious, International Fellowship
December 6, 2021
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — Griffin Trau, a 2018 University of Richmond graduate from Arlington, Virginia, has been selected as a Schwarzman Scholar, one of the world’s most prestigious graduate fellowships.

The Schwarzman Scholarship is a year-long program where students from around the globe study China's role in the world while pursuing a Masters of Global Affairs at Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Trau, who is UR’s second Schwarzman Scholar, is among 151 recipients selected from more than 3,000 applicants from around the world. Scholars are selected through a rigorous application process designed to evaluate academic ability, leadership potential, and strength of character.

Trau works as an analyst and policy lead at the Government and Public Services practice of Deloitte Consulting where he currently serves in the federal COVID-19 response. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in leadership studies and International Studies: World Politics/Diplomacy. He also received a Master of Liberal Arts exploring national identity from UR’s School of Professional & Continuing Studies. Trau kicked on the Richmond Spiders football team, earning first team all-America honors from the Associated Press in 2016.

During his time at UR, Trau studied abroad in Wellington, New Zealand, and Prague, Czech Republic, and received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Grant. As a Schwarzman Scholar, Trau hopes to enrich his understanding of Chinese national identity as it relates to foreign policy.

“This opportunity will allow me to further explore how identities inform U.S. and Chinese society to foster relations that meet the needs of both societies and quell fears that drive us apart,” Trau said.

“Griffin is the epitome of a Schwarzman Scholar: he seeks to understand interactions of governments and people across cultures, driving to become a leader in bridging these divides,” said Dana Kuchem, director of the Office of Scholars and Fellowships. “He has already inspired current Spiders to follow in his footsteps with the Fulbright, and I am confident he will engage future students in the Schwarzman program as well.”

The program starts in August 2022. To learn more visit schwarzmanscholars.org.

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