Alumni spotlight: Brains and brawn
For undefeated mixed martial arts fighter Madeline Schellman, winning in the ring isn’t just about throwing punches and landing kicks. It’s an equation.
“Fighting requires very complex thinking and problem solving, and I feel my brain working the same way it does with math,” said Schellman, who holds degrees in mathematics, quantitative methodology, and psychology. “In work, if I have a really complex data problem, I ask: ‘How am I going to get out of it?’ It feels the same as evading attacks and submission attempts from my opponents.”
With that approach, it makes sense she hasn’t lost a fight yet.
Since debuting in 2022, Schellman has won six major Muay Thai matches, numerous Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions, and two international MMA championships. She also holds one national title and three regional titles. Schellman will compete internationally with USA Muaythai later this year.
But before she conquered the body, Schellman (B.S. ’17, B.S. ’17, M.Ed. ’21, Ph.D. ’24) was captivated by the mind and its capacity to solve problems.