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Emory University recognized as a top Gilman Scholar producer
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Emory University has been recognized as a top Gilman Scholar producer among mid-sized universities, as announced at The Forum on Education Abroad’s annual conference in March.

“This recognition reaffirms Emory’s leadership in international education and exchange. Our commitment to ensuring that students can access life‑changing global experiences reflects what it means to be a globally engaged university,” says Jane Gatewood, vice provost for Emory Global Engagement. 

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program has been administered by the Institute of International Education since 2001. The program provides up to $5,000 in merit-based scholarships to outstanding American undergraduate students with high financial need to pursue credit-bearing academic studies and career-oriented internships abroad.

Since 2021, a combined 170 students from Emory College of Arts and Sciences and Goizueta Business School have been granted the scholarship.

Laura Boudon, assistant dean of undergraduate education and director of education abroad in Emory College, credits Emory’s history of being a Gilman Scholar producer to the outstanding support of staff members from the office of Education Abroad.

One of those staff members is program coordinator Obianuju Okeke, who has served as a champion for the Gilman Scholarship since beginning to work at Emory, helping students learn more about the program.

“Supporting students through the Gilman Scholarship process is one of the best parts of my role within Education Abroad,” says Okeke. “Our students have amazing stories and I'm happy to help tell them.”

In Goizueta Business School, Declan Clear, director of BBA international programs, supports prospective Gilman scholar applicants.

“The Gilman Scholarship empowers our students to pursue their dreams by providing critical financial support for transformative study abroad experiences,” Clear says. “Through this opportunity, they gain access to some of the world’s top universities, expanding their academic horizons while building the global perspective needed to succeed in an increasingly interconnected world.”

Sophomore Natalie Quintana participated in the 2025 Emory Brazil Study Abroad Program in São Paulo with support from the Gilman Scholarship.

“By providing the support for an experience that would have otherwise been financially impossible, the Gilman Scholarship allowed me to achieve a level of linguistic and cultural immersion I couldn’t gain within the Atlanta classroom,” says Quintana, who is majoring in politics, philosophy and law, as well as German studies. “This program in São Paulo enabled me to deepen my Portuguese skills while truly engaging with the complex history and vibrant arts scene of Brazil.”

Students can find more information online about the Gilman Scholarship and study abroad opportunities in Emory College of Arts and Sciences and the Goizueta School of Business


Photo by Sarah Woods, Emory Photo/Video.


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