The University of Tulsa’s Center for Global Engagement has announced that 11 students have been awarded a combined total of $34,500 in grants through the competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. This is the highest number of recipients on record for UTulsa and marks a significant achievement for the students and the university, providing crucial financial support for their academic endeavors abroad.
The 11 award recipients will pursue diverse international study opportunities, with seven students receiving grants for travel courses and four students earning awards for semester, summer or year-long programs.
In addition to the base scholarship, two students received supplemental awards for high-priority global areas and fields:
- One student received the Gilman-STEM Supplemental Award for study in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics field.
- One student received the Gilman-DAAD Supplemental Award, in partnership with the German Academic Exchange Service, for study in Germany.
“Winning this award is an incredible honor and a meaningful affirmation of the work I’ve put into my academic and personal growth. It represents both the recognition of my potential and the trust that others have in my ability to make the most of this experience,” said recipient Andrea Taylor, a sophomore Spanish and biochemistry major from Tulsa who will travel to Spain next year. “The opportunity to go abroad means expanding my perspective in ways that aren’t possible inside a classroom. It gives me the chance to immerse myself in a new culture, challenge myself in unfamiliar environments and develop independence, adaptability and global awareness.”
Other recipients are:
- Oswaldo Atilano, a nursing junior from Tulsa, who will study in Peru
- Angel Gutierrez, an international engineering and language student from Mounds, who is headed to Thailand
- Kasra Iranpour, a mechanical engineering junior from Edmond, who will study in Belgium and the Netherlands
- Michelle Jones, a music senior from Broken Arrow, who will study in Italy
- Vung Kop, a business information systems junior from Jenks, who will study in India
- Aiva P. Liman, a cybersecurity sophomore from Houston, who will study in China
- Jennifer Luna, a psychology senior from Jenks, who will study in China and Japan
- Bristie Rahman, a cybersecurity senior from Sapulpa, who will study in China
- Harrison Schwichtenberg, a biology senior from Tulsa, who will study in Thailand
- Alexis Watson, an international science and language student from Wichita, Kansas, who is headed to Germany
The Gilman International Scholarship Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate students receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at two-year and four-year institutions. The program aims to broaden the student population that participates in study abroad and the countries and regions where they study. On average, 65% of Gilman recipients are from rural areas and small towns across the United States, and half are first-generation college or university students.
For more information on UTulsa study abroad and funding opportunities, please email globalengagement@utulsa.edu.