Two UO students, Alexander Payne and Benjamen DoVale have been selected as recipients of the prestigious David L. Boren Scholarship as part of the National Security Education Program (NSEP).
The scholarship will provide support for their participation in study abroad programs during the 2013-14 academic year.
Payne, a double major in economics and international studies, will be studying Arabic language and diplomacy & policy at the University of Jordan in Amman.
DoVale, a double major in Chinese and political science will be studying Mandarin Chinese language at the University of Nanjing as part of the Chinese Flagship Program capstone year abroad.
“In today's global society, national security is more than just military concerns. It's also the mitigation of complex challenges such as migration, sustainability, disease, and economic development,” says Dennis Galvan, Vice Provost for International Affairs. “It is truly an honor that two of our students have been chosen to advance their studies in language and research areas that are critical to U.S. interests.”
The Boren Scholarship award can be up to $10,000 for a semester program, $20,000 for a year-long program, and $8,000 for a summer program. For the 2013-2014 application cycle, there were 947 total applicants from U.S. universities and 161 recipients.
At the University of Oregon, 20% of the applicants received the Boren Scholarship. In the past ten years, the University of Oregon has had 1-4 Boren recipients every year.
The Boren Scholarship is awarded by the Institute of International Education (IIE) on behalf of the NSEP to undergraduate students interested in studying languages that are critical to U.S. interests through immersion and intensive language study abroad programs.
Boren Awards
Boren Scholarships and Fellowships provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests, and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
About Study Abroad Programs in the University of Oregon
UO Study Abroad Office manages more than 190 study and internship programs in 90 countries worldwide. More than 1,200 students at the UO study or intern abroad each year through faculty-led, provider programs, or professional internships.
Chakris Kussalanant
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Chakris@uoregon.edu