The Critical Language Scholarship Program provides fully-funded group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment activities overseas each summer for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students. CLS Program languages include Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish, and Urdu. Learn more about the Critical Language Scholarship.
Below are UI recipients of Critical Language Scholarships from the past several years:
| Year | Name | Hometown | UG/G | Language | Area of Study |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Emma Anderson | Boone, IA | Undergraduate | Persian | BA International Relations, Political Science |
| 2025 | Brenda Gao | Iowa City, IA | Undergraduate | Japanese | BS Psychology |
| 2025 | Malvika Khadiya | Cedar Falls, IA | Undergraduate | Russian | BA Political Science, Ethics & Public Policy |
| 2025 | Mairen Thompson | Tipton, IA | Graduate | Japanese | MAT World Language Education |
| 2024 | Maya Anikiej | Elmhurst, IL | Undergraduate | Korean | BBA Finance |
| 2024 | Adelaide Brooks | Ankeny, IA | Undergraduate | Arabic | BA International Relations and French |
| 2024 | Kim Lybrand | Ashland, MO | Undergraduate | Korean | BA Music |
| 2024 | Kahiwa Sachs | Milwaukee, WI | Undergraduate | Arabic | BA International Relations |
| 2024 | Shefa'a Tawil | Cedar Rapids, IA | Undergraduate | Arabic | BS Psychology |
| 2023 | Abigail Fowler | North Liberty, IA | Undergraduate | Japanese | BA International Studies |
| 2023 | Ryann Hubbart | Clinton, IA | Undergraduate | Arabic | BA International Studies and Economics |
| 2022 | Ryann Hubbart | Clinton, IA | Undergraduate | Arabic | BA International Studies and Economics |
| 2022 | Kyler Johnson | West Des Moines, IA | Undergraduate | Portuguese | BA English and Creative Writing |
| 2022 | Lauren Philips | Council Bluffs, IA | Undergraduate | Persian | BA International Studies and French |
| 2022 | Nitya Rayapati | Austin, TX | Graduate | Urdu | Iowa Writer's Workshop |
| 2022 | Lauren Salloum | West Des Moines, IA | Undergraduate | Arabic | BA International Studies and French |
| 2022 | Grant Welk | Ames, IA | Undergraduate | Hindi | BS Biochemistry |
| 2022 | Marissa Schooley | Allerton, IA | Undergraduate | Chinese | BA International Studies and Chinese |
| 2022 | Ruth Dversdall* | Undergraduate | Japanese | ||
| 2022 | Katherine Malkusak* | Undergraduate | Arabic | ||
| 2021 | Anna Correa | Clive, IA | Graduate | Hindi | MPH Community and Behavioral Health |
| 2021 | Isabelle Davis | LeClaire, IA | Undergraduate | Turkish | BA International Studies |
| 2021 | Abigail Martin | St. Peters, MO | Undergraduate | Arabic | BA International Relations |
| 2021 | Sarah Schlosser | North Canton, OH | Graduate | Hindi | MFA Book Studies |
| 2021 | Aastha Chandra | Cedar Falls, IA | Undergraduate | Hindi | BS Biomedical Sciences |
| 2021 | Isabel Hogg* | Cedar Rapids, IA | Undergraduate | Portuguese | BS Public Health |
| 2020 | Holly Harris | Waterloo, IA | Undergraduate | Portuguese | BA International Studies |
| 2020 | Joseph Sailor | Rolfe, IA | Undergraduate | Russian | BA International Studies, Russian |
| 2019 | Alex Bare | Walcott, IA | Undergraduate | Arabic | BA International Relations |
| 2019 | Eli Bratsch-Prince | Ames, IA | Undergraduate | Arabic | BA Political Science |
| 2019 | Abby Rinaldi | Tampa, FL | Graduate | Mandarin | MA Journalism |
| 2019 | Mark Schoen | Cedar Rapids, IA | Undergraduate | Bahasa | BS Economics |
| 2019 | Angel Trachta | Cedar Rapids, IA | Undergraduate | Korean | BA International Studies |
| 2018 | Shane Weitzman | Leominster, MA | Graduate | Hindi | PhD Anthropology |
| 2018 | Alex Bare | Walcott, Iowa | Undergraduate | Arabic | BA International Relations |
| 2018 | Eli Bratsch-Prince | Ames, Iowa | Undergraduate | Arabic | BA Political Science |
| 2018 | Alex Duff | Volga, Iowa | Undergraduate | Chinese | BA Chinese Language and Literature, Accounting |
| 2017 | Alexis Finer | Iowa City, IA | Undergraduate | Indonesian | BS Human Physiology |
| 2017 | Shane Weitzman | Leominster, MA | Graduate | Hindi | PhD Anthropology |
| 2016 | Patricia Hartland | Putney, VT | Graduate | Hindi | MFA Literary Translation |
| 2015 | Brittany Callahan | Ypsilanti, MI | Undergraduate | Russian | BA English |
| 2015 | Mandy Conrad | Graduate | Arabic | PhD counseling psychology | |
| 2015 | Elaine Mou | West Des Moines, IA | Undergraduate | Chinese | BA computer engineering |
| 2015 | Destinee Gwee | Iowa City, IA | Undergraduate | Chinese | BA biochemistry and Chinese |
| 2015 | Stephanie Rue | Cleveland, OH | Graduate | Korean | MFA University of Iowa Center for the Book |
| 2015 | Laura Wang | Cedar Rapids, IA | Undergraduate | Chinese | BA English and Chinese |
| 2014 | Rebekah Frumkin | Libertyville, IL | Graduate | Hindi | MFA Writers' Workshop |
| 2014 | Patrick Taffe | Mediapolis, IA | Undergraduate | Russian | BA, ISBA |
| 2014 | Lauren Sillman | Ames, IA | Undergraduate | Punjabi | BA |
| 2014 | Maria Sumner | Washington, MO | Graduate | Indonesian | MA Linguistics |
| 2014 | Jeffrey Ding* | Iowa City, IA | Undergraduate | Chinese | BA Int. Relations |
| 2013 | Rachel Milligan | Philadelphia, PA | Graduate | Chinese | MFA Poetry |
| 2013 | Onalee Yousey | North Branch, MN | Undergraduate | Arabic | BA, ISBA, Political Science |
| 2012 | Brandon Jennings | Burlington, IA | Undergraduate | Arabic | International Relations |
| 2012 | Merideth McFarland | Iowa City, IA | Undergraduate | Arabic | Language & Literature, Western European |
| 2012 | Navid Zarrinnal | Graduate | Arabic | PhD Religious Studies | |
| 2012 | Eleanor King | Graduate | Japanese | PhD Anthropology | |
| 2011 | Addie Leak | Graduate | Arabic | MFA Translation | |
| 2011 | Michelle Quill | Graduate | Bangla | PhD Anthropology | |
| 2011 | Rebecca Kreitzer | Graduate | Chinese | PhD Political Science, East Asian/Australian | |
| 2011 | Jacqueline Cieslak | Undergraduate | Hindi | Language & Literature, South Asian | |
| 2009 | Dustin Eaton | Graduate | Hindi | Religious Studies | |
| 2009 | Brian Miller | Graduate | Turkish | PhD History |