The Office for Education Abroad is pleased to announce that eight students were selected to receive the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study or intern abroad during spring semester 2020.  These students are among more than 800 American undergraduates from 335 colleges and universities across the United States selected to receive this prestigious scholarship.  Students who agreed to release their names are listed below.

Armani Johnson, Interdisciplinary Humanities
Culture, Portuguese Language & Business in Brazil

Chika Manu, Human Biology
Conservation Medicine in New Zealand

Emily Parker, Zoology
Cape Eleuthera Institute in the Bahamas

Sierra Perez, Neuroscience
Foundations of Neuroscience in Italy and the UK

Lucas Prasuhn, Zoology
Conservation Medicine in New Zealand

Aalayah Spencer, Astrophysics
John Cabot University in Italy

Al-Nisa Vaughn, Psychology
San Francisco University of Quito in Ecuador

The Congressionally-funded Gilman Program broadens the U.S. student population studying and interning abroad by providing scholarships to outstanding undergraduate Pell Grant recipients who, due to financial constraints, might not otherwise study abroad.  Since the program’s establishment in 2001, over 1,300 U.S. institutions have sent more than 28,000 Gilman scholars who represent the rich diversity of the United States to 145 countries around the globe.

“The Gilman Program aims to make study abroad, and its career advantages, more accessible and inclusive for American students.  These diverse American students gain critical skills overseas that expand their career options and ability to make an impact in their home communities,” said Heidi Manley, the Chief of USA Study Abroad at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.   

Manley also noted that the program particularly focuses on supporting first-generation college students, students in the STEM fields, ethnic and racial minority students, students with disabilities, students who are veterans, students attending community colleges and minority serving institutions, and other populations underrepresented in study abroad, as well as broadening the destinations where scholars study or intern.

The Gilman Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education (IIE).