Eighteen UO students have earned national merit scholarships to study and research abroad.

Seven students will travel under the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, five will have a longer stay abroad through a Fulbright award, and five will study in Asia as part of the Boren Scholarship program.

Gilman Scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply toward study abroad program costs. The program aims to diversify the students who study abroad and the countries and regions where they go. 

Students receiving a federal Pell Grant from two- and four-year institutions are eligible to apply. Eligible students can apply for a Gilman award to defray the costs of study, internship or research abroad. 

During the 2017 summer term, UO Gilman recipients will participate in study abroad programs and internships in China, Italy, Taiwan, Tanzania and the United Kingdom. This year’s recipients are:

• Natasha Willow a Chinese language major from Portland, who will study in Taiwan
• Anne Peters an international studies major from Rochester, Michigan, who will study in Tanzania
• Jose Amesquita, a journalism and computer science major from Phoenix, who will study in China
• Larryn Zeigler, a political science major from Culver City, California, who will study in the UK
• Trenton Goodman, a cinema studies major from Pekin, Illinois, who will study in Italy
• Randi Besio, a pre-business major from Springfield, who will study in Italy
• Joan Hicks, a psychology major from Carson, California, who will study in Tanzania
• Zach Sherrod, an architecture major from La Grande, who will study in Italy

Fulbright recipients this year will be teaching English and conducting research in Argentina, Benin, Denmark, Ireland, Portugal and Sweden.

Among the UO Fulbright recipients this year is Crystal Brown, a doctoral candidate in political science who will travel to Scandinavia.

“I am excited to spend next year abroad in Denmark and Sweden exploring the impact integration polices have on immigrants and refugees,” Brown said. “Not only do I get to conduct my research, I get to live north of the wall in two great countries with extensive histories.” This year’s UO Fulbright recipients are:

• Breanne Schnell, an English, journalism and media studies major from Corvallis, who will teach English in Argentina
• Aaron Honn, a humanities major from Eugene, who will teach English in Benin
• Crystal Brown, a doctoral candidate in political science from Chicago, who will do research in Sweden and Denmark
• Kathryn Carpenter, a master’s candidate in linguistics and language teaching, who will teach English in Portugal
• Kevin O’Hare, a doctoral candidate in political science from Zanesville, Ohio, who will do research in Ireland and Portugal

This year’s cohort of five Boren Scholarship recipients — a new record for the UO — will visit China, India, Japan and South Korea. All students will be focused on honing their language skills and researching national security issues.

Boren Scholars represent a vital pool of highly motivated individuals who wish to work in the federal national security arena. In exchange for funding, Boren Scholars commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation. This year’s recipients are:

• Kirsten Ray, a master’s candidate in international studies from Topanga, California, who will study in India
• Gwyn Snider, a major in planning, public policy and management and East European and Eurasian studies from Corvallis, who will study in China
• Jacob Biber, a Chinese language major from Sisters, who will study in China
• Erin Feebeck, a political science major from Portland, who will study in Japan
• Celina Maldonado, a linguistics and psychology major from Tampa, Florida, who will study in South Korea

Snider and Ray received the Boren Graduate Fellowship to conduct research, and Biber, Feebeck and Maldonado received the Boren Undergraduate Scholarship to study abroad.

“We are particularly pleased by the strong showing of Oregon students in these national competitions for international engagement and study this year,” said Tom Bogenschild, executive director of Global Education Oregon. “These results underscore Oregon’s growing reputation for excellence in international engagement. Congratulations are in order to all of these outstanding students.”