Students awarded Gilman scholarships

Four UIC students have been awarded U.S. State Department Benjamin A. Gilman scholarships to study abroad this fall.

The UIC recipients are among 850 American undergraduate students from more than 320 colleges and universities across the U.S. selected for the honor.

The Gilman International Scholarship Program, sponsored by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, aims to diversify the group of students who study abroad and their destinations. To be eligible for the award, students must demonstrate financial need by receiving a federal Pell Grant for their studies.

Scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply toward their study abroad program costs. Since 2006, UIC students have won more than 145 Gilman scholarships totaling approximately $585,000.

The latest UIC recipients, representing the colleges of education, engineering, and liberal arts and sciences, and their destinations are:

• Mahamed Barzanji, sophomore in computer science from Nashville, Tennessee, studying in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
• Evelyn Gachuz, Honors College junior in urban elementary education from Aurora, studying in Seville, Spain
• Jigar Gohel, sophomore in civil engineering from Lakemoor, studying in London
• Tony Li, senior in political science from Chicago (Bridgeport) studying in Taipei, Taiwan

The Gilman program is funded through the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000 and administered by the Institute of International Education’s Southern Regional Center in Houston. The program honors former U.S. Rep. Benjamin A. Gilman of New York, who was chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee.