UW Students Receive Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad

Eighteen University of Wyoming students were awarded scholarships by the U.S. Department of State to study abroad in 2022-23.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program awarded nearly 1,500 outstanding and diverse U.S. undergraduate students with scholarships to participate in study-abroad programs in more than 80 countries worldwide. The recipients represent 452 U.S. colleges and 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

The Department of State is supported in the program’s implementation by the Institute of International Education. At UW, the students are supported by the UW Global Engagement Office and the Education Abroad Office.

UW recipients, listed by hometown, are:

Casper -- Michael Pieper graduated in December 2022 with a B.S. in wildlife and fisheries biology and management and a minor in zoology. In summer 2022, he participated in a UW faculty-led program in Kenya titled “Ecology and Conservation of African Savannas,” organized by Professor Jacob Goheen, of the UW Department of Zoology and Physiology.

Cheyenne -- Fox Nelson is a senior majoring in anthropology and minoring in honors and museum studies. He completed the UW faculty-led program “Shakespeare in England and Italy” in summer 2022, organized by Associate Professor Peter Parolin and Professor Leigh Selting, both of the UW Honors College.

Cheyenne -- Devin Romberger, a senior majoring in psychology and minoring in honors, studied in Tokyo, Japan, during the spring 2022 semester at Toyo University with the International Student Exchange Program, one of UW’s major exchange partners.

Chillicothe, Texas -- Becca Lovell, a senior majoring in history with a minor in Native American and Indigenous studies, completed the UW faculty-led program “Nazi Germany and the Holocaust” in summer 2022. Led by UW Assistant Professor Adam Blackler, the program explored the history of Nazi Germany in cities throughout Germany and Poland.

Cody -- Mason Baum is a senior double majoring in marketing and journalism, with a minor in international studies. He will study at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, in spring 2023 through Arcadia Abroad, one of UW’s many program providers.

Englewood, Colo. -- Hannah Hagen is a senior majoring in kinesiology and health promotion and minoring in sociology. During summer 2022, she completed the UW faculty-led program “International Social Welfare -- A British Perspective” in London. The program was led by Associate Professor Neely Mahapatra and Associate Lecturer Carolyn Haney, both faculty members in the UW College of Health Sciences’ Division of Social Work.

Fort Collins, Colo. -- Eva Meyer is a senior majoring in international studies with a regional concentration in Europe and the former Soviet Union, a global concentration in sustainable development and the environment, and a minor in French. She studied in Toulouse, France, during summer 2022 with a UW program provider, the Council for International Education Exchange. The program emphasized improving French language skills.

Gillette -- Saad Khan, a junior majoring in international studies, studied Japanese at Tokyo International University during fall 2022 with the International Student Exchange Program. In addition to the Gilman Scholarship, he received funding through the Department of State’s Critical Need Language Award.

Gillette -- Jesus Lopez, who is double majoring in accounting and Spanish, will study in Barcelona, Spain, during the spring 2023 semester with the Barcelona Study Abroad Experience, one of UW’s many partner program providers.

Jackson -- Alejandro Jimenez-Vazquez is a senior majoring in outdoor recreation and tourism management with a concentration in cultural and international tourism. He is studying during UW’s J-term this month in Puerto Montt, Chile, as part of a group led by Melanie Matthews, of the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources. Titled “Exploring Critical Issues in Conservation and Development in Patagonia,” the program focuses on socioecological issues in conservation and development.

Laramie -- Noah Riffee, a sophomore majoring in computer science, will participate in an exchange to the University of East Anglia in Norwich, United Kingdom, during the spring 2023 semester.

New Smyrna Beach, Fla. -- Zachary Hunt is a senior majoring in history and computer science, with a minor in Japanese and honors. He is currently on a direct exchange for the 2022-23 academic year at Saitama University in Saitama, Japan. In addition to the Gilman Scholarship, he received funding through the Critical Need Language Award.

Rapid City, S.D. -- Avendah Lowe, a sophomore majoring in art, spent the entire fall 2022 semester in Florence, Italy, where she took coursework in art and graphic design at the Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute.

Redmond, Ore. -- Joanna Burgi, a senior majoring in social work with a minor in international studies, took classes at the American University of Rome in Rome, Italy, during summer 2022 through a UW partner provider called ISA Veritas Christian Study Abroad and Missions.

Riverton -- Autumn Chavez is a junior majoring in international studies with a regional focus in Asia and the Pacific Rim, and a global concentration in international cultural and social issues. She will study in Japan during summer 2023 as part of the UW faculty-led program “Modern Japanese Society and Culture.” The program is led by Noah Miles, a UW Japanese instructor, and takes students to several major Japanese cities.

Rock Springs -- Sasha Bentley is a senior majoring in elementary education with a concentration in the creative arts, and minoring in honors. She will study abroad with the Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching, a collaboration of universities that provides education majors an opportunity to complete their student teaching abroad. She will student teach in Wyoming for the first half of the spring 2023 semester and will complete her student teaching at an elementary school in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Rock Springs -- Fabian Martinez graduated in December 2022 with a B.A. in communication and a minor in honors. He spent the spring 2022 semester in Seoul, South Korea, at Sungkyunkwan University on a direct exchange.

Sheridan -- Bailee Wilson graduated in December 2022 with a B.S. in kinesiology and health promotion. She participated in the summer 2022 UW faculty-led program “International Social Welfare -- A British Perspective,” led by Mahapatra and Haney, both in the Division of Social Work, in London.