Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship: 2019 Diversity Abroad Annual Conference

  • 03/20/19

WASHINGTON, DC – For the second year, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship has announced its “Top Producing” institutions at the Diversity Abroad Annual Conference. Top producing institutions are highlighted for their success in sending the most first-generation college students, racial or ethnic minority students, students with disabilities, and students studying in STEM fields to study abroad. Institutions that sent the most Gilman Scholars to the largest number of different overseas destinations also receive recognition for their role in broadening geographical diversity.

Ahead of the official announcement of 2019 Top Producers, three of last year’s winners presented their successful strategies to promote inclusive study abroad opportunities. The panel was moderated by Theresa Gagnon, program officer for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). The panelists, Danielle Edmonson (Global Living and Learning programs manager, Georgetown University), Tom Hospod (study abroad advisor, University of Rhode Island), and Michelle Ayazi (study abroad advisor, University of California, Berkeley) discussed techniques to reach their own diverse populations to promote study abroad and the Gilman Scholarship, engage alumni in promoting the Gilman Scholarship, and strategies to maximize limited resources to meet institutional goals. The panelists also shared best-practices and examples on ways institutions can increase their overall numbers and reach specific populations including racially and ethnically diverse students, students with disabilities, STEM students, and/or first-generation college students.

On March 5th, Ambassador Jennifer Galt, principal deputy assistant secretary of ECA, announced this year’s Gilman Top Producing and Greatest Growth institutions. Topping this year’s list of four-year institutions sending the highest number of Gilman Scholars abroad are Berea College (KY); Emory University (GA); and University of California, Berkeley (CA). Portland Community College (OR) topped the list of associate’s colleges. Grand Valley State University (MI) took the top spot in sending the most veterans on a Gilman Scholarship, a spotlight this year.

Click here for a full list of the institutions by category, including designations for the Greatest Growth in Gilman recipients over the last year.

Featured

  • Porter Family Center

    Porter Family Center for Innovation and Academics

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Porter Family Center for Innovation and Academics has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Designing the Bridge Between Inclusivity and Independence in K–12 Schools

    Fostering independence is fundamental to learning and development for K–12 students. It offers many proven benefits, such as enhanced confidence, problem-solving, decision-making, and social skills. However, this foundational objective loses its impact if it’s not accessible and adaptable to all students. Inclusivity plays a critical role in cultivating independence and healthy autonomy for students, fostering positive student learning outcomes by uniting pedagogy with the physical learning environment.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.