Six recent UConn graduates were selected as finalists for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The program provides grants for individually designed study and research projects or for English teaching assistantships around the world. Students meet, work, live with, and learn from people in the host country, sharing daily experiences.
Continue reading in UConn Today . . . .
A record-breaking 31 UConn students have been awarded a Gilman Scholarship in the latest cohort of the prestigious academic award. The award is congressionally funded through the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs at the State Department.
The funding supports expanding student participation in study abroad programs and encourages travel to diverse locations around the globe, along with intensive language study and internship experiences.
The 31 UConn students, who will study in 14 different countries, will receive a total of nearly $94,000 in scholarship funds through the Gilman program. A total of 40 UConn students have earned Gilman awards in the last two cohorts, this one and October 2024, for a total of more than $121,500 in scholarship funding.
Students applying for Gilman Scholarships work with advisors in UConn’s Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships (ONSF) and Experiential Global Learning (EGL). Rachel Gleicher, an advisor in EGL, and Michael Cunningham, assistant director of ONSF and UConn’s Fulbright program advisor, are UConn’s two Gilman certifying advisors.
“We are very excited that the Gilman program has selected so many UConn students this cycle,” says Cunningham. “It’s a testament to the quality of our students and to the hard work that they put into their applications.”
Continue reading in UConn Today . . . .
The program recognizes and supports outstanding students in NSF-supported disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited institutions in the United States
Three students with ties to the University of Connecticut have recently earned National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships (NSF-GRFP). The trio includes one current graduate student and two recent alumni, one of whom is currently enrolled in UConn’s Research and Mentoring for Postbaccalaureates Program (RaMP).
The oldest graduate fellowship of its kind, the NSF-GRFP was first awarded in 1952. The program recognizes and supports outstanding students in NSF-supported disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited institutions in the United States. In addition to a three-year annual stipend of $37,000, plus another $16,000 paid to the student’s home institution, fellows have access to a wide range of professional development opportunities over the course of their graduate careers.
Andy Zhang ’26 (CLAS, CAHNR) has been selected as a Key into Public Service Scholar by the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation’s oldest academic honor society and a leading national advocate for the value of liberal arts and sciences education.
The program annually recognizes 20 exceptional arts and sciences students with a demonstrated interest in pursuing careers in local, state, and federal government. This year, over 800 students applied for the honor.
Zhang, an economics and environmental sciences major, will receive a $5,000 scholarship and will participate in a Washington, D.C., conference providing training, mentorship, and opportunities for reflection on pathways to active citizenship.
“This award perfectly aligns with a lot of my interests given that it has a strong focus on liberal arts, public service, and natural sciences,” says Zhang, who was inducted into UConn’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa as a junior. “It is a wonderful opportunity as I look towards my future.”
University of Connecticut junior Caitlin Noonan ’26 (ENG), a chemical engineering major, has been named a 2025 Goldwater Scholar. The Goldwater Scholarship is considered the nation’s premier scholarship for undergraduates studying math, natural sciences, and engineering. Schools can nominate a maximum of four students per year, and Noonan is among just 441 students selected nationally for the award this year from a pool of more than 5,000 applicants.
Read more in UConn Today . . .
Mariam Vargas ’25 (CLAS) has been named a Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship recipient. Vargas was selected among the 1,267 candidates who applied for the program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by Howard University. She is the UConn’s first ever-recipient of a Rangel fellowship.
The program supports individuals who want to pursue careers in the foreign service of the U.S. Department of State and was established in 2003. The program was named to honor Charles Rangel, who represented New York City in Congress from 1971 to 2017.
The Rangel Fellowship will support Vargas through a two-year master’s degree in an area of relevance to the foreign service. It will also provide extensive professional development opportunities, including internships, mentors, and skills training.
Continue reading at UConn Today . . . .
Tae’Niajha Pullen ’25 (CLAS), an Africana studies major, has been named a 2024-2025 Newman Civic Fellow.
The distinction was given by Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities working to advance the public purposes of higher education, to students from 38 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico who were recommended by their campus president or chancellor.
The fellowship is a yearlong program that recognizes students who stand out for their leadership potential and commitment to creating positive change in communities. It is named for the late Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact’s founders, who was a tireless advocate for civic engagement in higher education.
Continue reading in UConn Today . . . .
University of Connecticut junior Neo Lin ’25 (CLAS), an Honors chemistry major from Madison, has been named a Goldwater Scholar. The Goldwater Scholarship is considered the nation’s premier scholarship for undergraduates studying math, natural sciences, and engineering. Schools can nominate a maximum of four students per year.
Read more in UConn Today . . .
A total of 10 students with ties to the University of Connecticut have recently earned National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships (NSF-GRFP). Those 10 include three undergraduates, three graduate students (including two who earned their undergraduate degrees at UConn) and four UConn alumni.
The oldest graduate fellowship of its kind, the NSF-GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding students in NSF-supported disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited institutions in the United States. In addition to a three-year annual stipend of $37,000, plus another $12,000 paid to the student’s home institution, fellows have access to a wide range of professional development opportunities over the course of their graduate careers.
Continue reading on UConn Today . . .
Each year, UConn nominates one student for the Beinecke Scholarship, which is awarded to juniors who aspire to enter a master’s or doctoral program in the arts, humanities or social sciences after they complete their undergraduate degree. This year’s nominee is Makenzie Smith ’25 (SFA), of Guilford, New Hampshire. Makenzie is a University Scholar majoring in Art History. Particularly interested in the intersection between art and human rights, she is conducting individualized research pertaining to the joining of these disciplines and their unexpected meeting point within the walls of art institutions. At UConn, she is an intern at the William Benton Museum of Art, where she works researching and writing wall labels for an upcoming collection rotation. In the Spring of 2024, she will be co-curating an exhibition around the theme of Storage, collaborating with her colleagues in the practicum, UConn’s Design Center, and contemporary artists from the U.S. and abroad. In her free time, Makenzie enjoys reading and knitting her friends and family imperfect (but heartfelt!) hats and mittens. Upon graduating, Makenzie will pursue a Ph.D in Art History, specializing in contemporary art and activism.
Congratulations to Makenzie and all of UConn’s 2024 national scholarship nominees!