Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau

Illinois a 20-year top producer of Gilman Scholars

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is among the top producers of a scholarship program that enables students from lower income backgrounds to study or intern abroad. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs this week recognized Illinois for the 242 students who have received awards from the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program over the past 20 years.

Since the program’s inception in 2001, more than 34,000 Gilman Scholars have studied or interned in more than 155 countries around the globe.

 “The University of Illinois is brimming with bright young minds who are eager to explore and learn from the rest of the world through studying abroad, so we work to remove any financial barriers that may stand in their way,” said David Schug, the director of the National and International Scholarships Program. “Together with the support of the Office of Student Financial Aid and the team of campus study abroad offices, we look forward to assisting hundreds more students in venturing overseas with the support of Gilman Scholarships.”

The State Department announced its lists of top-producing institutions in celebration of the 20-year anniversary of the Gilman program. The program has reshaped study abroad to make it more accessible and inclusive for American students by providing scholarships to outstanding U.S. undergraduate students who, due to financial constraints, might not otherwise participate.

The top 20 institutions in four categories were honored: small, medium and large institutions, and associate degree-awarding institutions.

“There are so many incredible resources available on campus to help prepare your application,” said Illinois senior Lynne Pavletic, who was recently offered a Gilman Scholarship. “Gilman also provides detailed descriptions of what you need to showcase in your written responses and provides you with tips and reminders throughout the application process. There are so many people here to help you succeed.” 

Applications for study abroad in summer 2022, fall 2022 and/or spring 2023 are due March 1.

Editor’s note: For more information, contact David Schug, National and International Scholarships Program director, 217-333-4710; topscholars@illinois.edu

Read Next

Announcements Marcelo Garcia, professor of civil and environmental engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering.

Illinois faculty member elected to National Academy of Engineering

Champaign, Ill. — Marcelo Garcia, a professor of civil and environmental engineering in The Grainger College of Engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

Social sciences Male and female student embracing on the quad with flowering redbud tree and the ACES library in the background. Photo by Michelle Hassel

Dating is not broken, but the trajectories of relationships have changed

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — According to some popular culture writers and online posts by discouraged singles lamenting their inability to find romantic partners, dating is “broken,” fractured by the social isolation created by technology, pandemic lockdowns and potential partners’ unrealistic expectations. Yet two studies of college students conducted a decade apart found that their ideas about […]

Engineering Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Nishant Garg, center, is joined by fellow researchers, from left: Yujia Min, Hossein Kabir, Nishant Garg, center, Chirayu Kothari and M. Farjad Iqbal, front right. In front are examples of clay samples dissolved at different concentrations in a NaOH solution. The team invented a new test that can predict the performance of cementitious materials in mere 5 minutes. This is in contrast to the standard ASTM tests, which take up to 28 days. This new advance enables real-time quality control at production plants of emerging, sustainable materials. Photo taken at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (Photo by Fred Zwicky / University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

Researchers develop a five-minute quality test for sustainable cement industry materials

A new test developed at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign can predict the performance of a new type of cementitious construction material in five minutes — a significant improvement over the current industry standard method, which takes seven or more days to complete. This development is poised to advance the use of next-generation resources called supplementary cementitious materials — or SCMs — by speeding up the quality-check process before leaving the production floor.

Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau

507 E. Green St
MC-426
Champaign, IL 61820

Email: stratcom@illinois.edu

Phone (217) 333-5010