Jae Kim named Rhodes Scholar, Rice’s first recipient in a decade

By Abigail Chiu     12/3/24 11:40pm

Rice senior Jae Kim was named a 2025 Rhodes Scholar, the only recipient from a Texas university and the first Rice student to receive the award since 2015. The Rhodes Scholarship is awarded to 32 American students annually to study at Oxford University for up to three years.

“I’ve always wanted to have a global impact in my future career, but it wasn’t until very recently that I really came to understand the Rhodes Scholarship as a means of doing so,” Kim, a Brown College senior, wrote in an email to the Thresher. “[It’s] a bit crazy to me that there are students that come into college having this as a goal.”

“I applied for the Rhodes Scholarship because I believe that you miss all the shots you don’t take, but I’m still in disbelief about receiving it,” Kim wrote. “When the judges first called my name as one of the two scholars [from District 8], I remember instinctively standing up in shock.”

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Kim worked with the Texas Consortium for the Non-Medical Drivers of Health to develop their online program index, a digital repository and resource list geared toward researchers and providers. Consortium researchers study conditions where people live and work that affect health risks and outcomes. 

Jacquie Klotz, one of Kim’s supervisors and program manager for the consortium, said that although Kim never mentioned the scholarship, she always knew he would do impressive things. 

“I’ve rarely handed things to him that don’t get better after he’s worked with them. So on top of being intellectually curious, he’s very driven and very passionate about the work he does,” Klotz said. “I had no doubts about Jae doing something that would have a major impact. I’m very happy and proud of him for taking that to the Rhodes Scholarship because it’s just the first step on his journey.”

Kim currently serves as the president of the Student Association and has previously served as president of Brown College.

Sara Davidson, current Brown president, worked under Kim as Brown’s internal vice president last year. She said she has seen him grow and embrace his ability to make an impact.

“I’ve seen Jae go through many shades of hair. I’ve seen him when he was green. I’ve seen him blonde. I’ve seen him now with his ombré thing we’ve got going on,” Davidson, a senior, said. “I’ve seen him be unafraid to take on new challenges and even say that he wants to do something unconventional. He knows that Rice has built him up to have those resources, and also to be excited for the unconventional because it’s going to lead him to something that he’s going to  love.”

At Oxford, Kim plans to pursue dual Master of Science degrees in environmental change and management and evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation.

“Beyond academics, I hope to build valuable connections during my time at Oxford that would allow me to pursue effective collaborations on climate [and] health issues in a future career,” Kim wrote. “Although the work that I want to do has not changed pre- [and] post-Rhodes Scholar, the scope and scale at which I am able to visualize myself having this impact has shifted greatly.”

Kim said he plans to pursue an MD and a master’s in public health after returning to the United States and ultimately a career as a climate health advocate. 

“I want to develop and advocate for climate policy that preserves human health at the local, national and global levels,” Kim wrote. “I will work with local communities to mitigate the very real human cost of climate change, campaign for social interventions and policy changes at the national level and build coalitions for the global stage. My mission is to bring to the world’s attention how human health and the health of the planet are inextricably connected.”

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