Travel abroad provides an excellent opportunity to consider one's personal identity in a new cultural context. The Diversity Ambassador Scholarship program supports the diversification of students who study abroad by providing awards to students from diverse backgrounds and identities, many of whom are traditionally underrepresented on study abroad programs.

Chosen from thousands of applicants from colleges and universities across the U.S., twelve University of Iowa undergraduates were awarded the competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The recipient of multiple student funding research awards while at Iowa, Briana Smith attributes many of her successes to her time at Iowa and the support she received from faculty and staff mentors.

President of the Society of Black Graduate and Professional Students, college advisor for the Alpha Theta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and soon to be graduate in May 2022 with an MFA in creative writing, fiction. Michaeljulius Idani’s resume is covered with opportunities far and wide that he’s been afforded at the University of Iowa. All of this he has accomplished while conducting international research funded by the Stanley Graduate Award for International Research, an award he received in 2021.

Megan Lederman, who received a BA in English and creative writing from the University of Iowa in May 2019, is the winner of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Award to Vietnam for 2022-23.

Camellia Pham, a University of Iowa student graduating in May 2022 with a BA in comparative literature and Chinese and a 2021 recipient of a Stanley Undergraduate Award for International Research, took an unconventional, yet effective, path to completing her research project.

Greta Becker, a UI Carver College of Medicine student, is the winner of a Fulbright Study/Research grant in Public Health to Vietnam for 2022-23.

Tartil Ali, who will receive a Master of Clinical Anatomy from the University of Iowa in May 2022, is the winner of a Fulbright Study/Research grant in Public Health to Morocco for 2022-23.

Anna Correa, who will receive a Master of Public Health in community and behavior health from the University of Iowa in May 2022, is the winner of a Fulbright Study/Research grant in Public Health to India for 2022-23.

Kristin Vogel, a recipient of the Stanley Merit-Based Scholarship, Joel D. and Sandra Barkan Scholarship, and the Naomi Gunderson Scholarship for Foreign Language Study Abroad, studied abroad in Ecuador in Fall 2021 through the SIT Ecuador Development, Politics, and Languages program.

Mastura Ibnat, who will receive a BA in English and international studies from the University of Iowa in May 2022, is the winner of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Award to Taiwan for 2022-23.

Tessa Reed, who received a BA in global studies and Spanish from the University of Iowa in December 2021, is the winner of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Award to Spain for 2022-23