FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jazmyn Burton
404-798-5212
jburton8@spelman.edu
Spelman College was recently recognized by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for having produced the most Gilman Scholarship recipients over the past twenty years in the category of Small Institutions with less than 5,000 Students.
Since 2001, more than 200 students from Spelman have received a Gilman award.
“We are very proud of our accomplishment. As the No.1 top producer of Gilman winners Spelman has been very intentional in promoting the Gilman Scholarship as an important financial strategy for increasing access to study abroad among under-represented students," said ‘Dimeji R. Togunde, Ph.D., vice provost for global education and professor of international studies. "In addition to supporting our mission to engage students with the many cultures of the world, students who become Gilman scholars gain intercultural skills that are needed to be successful in a competitive global society."
Throughout its twenty-year history, the Gilman Program has reshaped study abroad to make it more accessible and inclusive. Since the program’s inception in 2001, more than 34,000 Gilman Scholars from all U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories have studied or interned in more than 155 countries around the globe.
Based on 20 years of data, the top 20 institutions in four categories are being honored: small, medium, and large institutions and associate-awarding institutions. Colleges and universities in twenty-seven states, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico, are represented, as well as 33 Minority Serving Institutions.
As the recent Department of State and Department of Education Joint Statement of Principles in Support of International Education noted, “All Americans need to be equipped with global and cultural competencies to navigate the ever-changing landscapes of education, international business, scientific discovery and innovation, and the global economy.”
To learn more about the Gilman and Gilman-McCain Scholarships and how their diverse alumni are pursuing impactful careers in the government, non-profit, and private sectors, contact eca-press@state.gov and visit www.gilmanscholarship.org. The website includes a full list of the institutions by category, and additional information on the Gilman Program’s 20th anniversary.
The Gilman competition is administered at Spelman College through the Gordon-Zeto Center for Global Education.
About Spelman College
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a leading liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, the College’s picturesque campus is home to 2,100 students. Spelman is the country's leading producer of Black women who complete Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The College’s status is confirmed by U.S. News & World Report, which ranked Spelman No. 54 among all liberal arts colleges, No. 24 for undergraduate teaching, No. 4 for social mobility among liberal arts colleges, and No. 1 for the 15th year among historically Black colleges and universities. The Wall Street Journal ranked the College No. 3, nationally, in terms of student satisfaction. Recent initiatives include a designation by the Department of Defense as a Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM, a Gender and Sexuality Studies Institute, the first endowed queer studies chair at an HBCU, and a program to increase the number of Black women Ph.D.s in economics. New majors have been added, including documentary filmmaking and photography, and collaborations have been established with MIT’s Media Lab, the Broad Institute and the Army Research Lab for artificial intelligence and machine learning. Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman, Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Rosalind Brewer, political leader Stacey Abrams, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna president Audrey Forbes Manley, actress and producer Latanya Richardson Jackson, global bioinformatics geneticist Janina Jeff and authors Pearl Cleage and Tayari Jones. For more information, visit Spelman College.