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SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AMONG 3,500 RECIPIENTS OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE BENJAMIN A. GILMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP, SUPPORTING AMERICAN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WITH HIGH FINANCIAL NEED TO STUDY OR INTERN ABROAD 

Syracuse University has been recognized by the U.S. Department of State for producing 20 Gilman recipients this Spring 2025 cycle. In total, the Syracuse recipients received over $60,000 in scholarships for study in the summer and fall 2025 and spring 2026.

Join us in congratulating some of the recipients:

• Afnan Akinyele, Norway, Denmark, Germany, France
• Autumn Clarke, United Kingdom
• Maymouna Dibassy, Norway, Denmark, Germany, France
• Coco Fang, Spain
• Syarra Goldstein, Jordan
• Abbi Johnson, Italy
• Kimberly Lucas, Spain
• Dalia Scolnick, United Kingdom, Italy
• Paris Smith, Spain
• Aramata Trawalley, United Kingdom
• Oliver Tricarico, Italy

The U.S. Department of State has awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to 3,500 American undergraduate students from all 50 states and the District of Columbia in spring 2025 to study abroad in over 170 countries. Over 70 percent of selected Gilman Scholars are from rural areas and small towns across the United States, and 55 percent are first-generation college students.  Gilman Scholars are U.S. undergraduate students with high financial need as federal Pell Grant recipients.  The Gilman Program received a record high of 17,000 applications across the 2024-2025 academic year.   

This group of Gilman Scholars from Syracuse University will represent the United States overseas and will return to communities across the United States with the global networks and foreign language skills needed to support U.S. economic and national security interests.

The governments of France, Germany, through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), New Zealand, and Wales, as well as the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) in Portugal and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), provided additional scholarships to Gilman scholars to study in these locations.  

Established by the U.S. Congress, the Gilman Scholarship is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is aided in its implementation by the Institute of International Education.  The next application cycle will be launched in August 2025.  To learn more about the Gilman Scholarship, visit gilmanscholarship.org.  

“Bonjour! Good day! How is your family?”

With winding cobblestone streets and half-timbered houses along picturesque canals, Syracuse University students wake up every morning in a fairy tale setting as they live an authentic French adventure studying abroad in Strasbourg, France.

In this historic European city—nestled on the border of France and Germany—students have the unique opportunity to live with local host families offering unparalleled insight into French life and culture. This immersive experience not only sharpens their language skills but also opens minds and broadens perspectives, making the Strasbourg study abroad program a truly unforgettable experience.

Read more about the Strasbourg Student Experience

Beginning May 15, students can apply for spring 2026 study abroad programs through Syracuse Abroad. From bustling cities to small towns across the globe, the University opens the door to over 60 study abroad destinations—ensuring every student can experience their ideal semester abroad.

For the second year in a row, Syracuse Abroad was ranked No. 8 in Study Abroad by U.S. News & World Report. Students attending programs at centers in Florence, Italy; London, England; Madrid, Spain; Santiago, Chile; and Strasbourg, France, will be immersed in environments designed to foster global engagement, immersive learning and new perspectives.

Learn more about new programs, application requirements, deadlines and more: Applications for Spring 2026 Abroad

Thirty-five students have been chosen as the 2025-26 Syracuse University Remembrance Scholars, 20 of which are Syracuse Abroad program alumni and Global Ambassadors.

The scholarships, now in their 36th year, were founded as a tribute to—and means of remembering—the students studying in London and Florence through Syracuse University who were killed in the Dec. 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Those students were among the 270 people who perished in the bombing. The scholarships are funded through an endowment supported by gifts from alumni, friends, parents and corporations.

Remembrance Scholars are chosen in their junior year through a competitive selection process. Applicants submitted an essay and a reflective response in multimedia, artistic, musical or written format as part of a comprehensive application. The application evaluation committee is composed of University faculty and staff and current Remembrance Scholars. The $5,000 scholarships are awarded on the basis of community impact, leadership, creativity and thoughtful academic inquiry.

The study abroad alum scholars are:

Ellie Allen of Newton, Massachusetts, a citizenship and civic engagement major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, a policy studies major in the Maxwell School and College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Summer Program: The European and Global Internship Program in Brussels and Global Ambassador

Jacqueline Arbogast of Warwick, New York, a television, radio and film major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications; Madrid Center

Belinda Chan of Brooklyn, New York, a social work major in the Falk College; World Partner: University College Dublin 

Tommy DaSilva of Newark, Delaware, a public health major in the Falk College; a policy studies major in the Maxwell School and A&S, and a citizenship and civic engagement major in the Maxwell School; London Summer Session and Global Ambassador

Nick Dekaney of Syracuse, New York, a broadcast and digital journalism major in the Newhouse School; London Center

Ava Downey of Newport Beach, California, a linguistics major in A&S, an international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; World Partner: Amideast Area and Arabic Language Studies in Morocco and Global Ambassador

Leah Farrell of New Milford, Connecticut, a citizenship and civic engagement major in the Maxwell School and policy studies major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Strasbourg Center

Abbey Fitzpatrick of Pacific Grove, California, a history and political science major in the Maxwell School and A&S; Florence Center and Global Ambassador

Olivia Fried of Clinton Corners, New York, an international relations major in the Maxwell School and A&S and magazine, news and digital journalism major in the Newhouse School; Santiago Center and Global Ambassador

Olutoyin Green, of Long Island, New York, a health humanities and political philosophy major in A&S, a law, society and policy major in the Maxwell School, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; World Partner: SIT South Africa: International Relations in the Global South and Global Ambassador

Alani Henderson of Syracuse, New York, a political science major in the Maxwell School and A&S and a law, society and policy major the Maxwell School; London Center and Global Ambassador

Wafiq Khondkar of New Hyde Park, New York, a biotechnology and philosophy major in A&S and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Madrid Summer Session

Joy Mao, of Cary, North Carolina, a policy studies major in the Maxwell School and A&S, a television, radio and film major in the Newhouse School, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; London Center

Valeria Martinez-Gutierrez of Laredo, Texas, a geography and sociology major in the Maxwell School and A&S; an environment, sustainability and policy major in the Maxwell School, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; London Center

Marc Pantano of Newington, Connecticut, a marketing and supply chain management major in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management; Madrid Center and Global Ambassador

Zachary Setzkorn of Overland Park, Kansas, a geography and history major in the Maxwell School and A&S, a social studies education major in the Maxwell School and School of Education, and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; London Center and Global Ambassador

Ethan Shavelson of Parkland, Florida, an acting major in VPA; London Center: Acting at Shakespeare’s Globe 

Nathan Torabi, of Visalia, California, a political science major in the Maxwell School and A&S; a citizenship and civic engagement and law, society and policy major in the Maxwell School, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Florence Center

Jacquelyn Trotman of Edison, New Jersey, a retail management major in the Whitman School, an advertising major (creative track) in the Newhouse School, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Florence Center

Anya Von Wolff of San Francisco, California, a fashion design major in VPA; World Partner: London College of Fashion

Twelve seniors have been named as the 2025 Syracuse University Scholars, the highest undergraduate honor the University bestows, 7 of which are study abroad alumni!

The Syracuse Abroad alumni named 2025 Syracuse University Scholars are:

• Charlotte Ebel, a public relations major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, a women and gender studies and German language, literature and culture major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Managing Global Sports Communications, Summer 2023.
• Abigail Greenfield, a history major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, a political philosophy major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Madrid Center, Fall 2023 and Florence & London Summer session, Summer 2022.
• Sierra Kaplan, a political science major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, a health humanities major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Exploring Central Europe, Fall 2023.
• Emmy Njue, a finance and business analytics majors in the Whitman School of Management; Madrid Center, Spring 2024.
• Morgan Opp, a chemistry and biology major in the College of Arts and Sciences; Madrid Summer Session, Summer 2023.
• Yifan Shen, an architecture major in the School of Architecture, a music history and cultures major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program; Florence Center, Spring 2023 and London Center, Fall 2023.
• Sophia Znamierowski, a biology and neuroscience major in the College of Arts and Sciences, and member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program, World Partner: DIS Copenhagen, Fall 2023.

Michael “Mike” Venutolo ’77 and his wife, Kim, vividly remember sharing an eight-hour bus ride through the 110-degree desert in the United Arab Emirates with a half dozen engineering students from Syracuse University. Mike had helped design a novel two-week internship experience to expose the students to issues involved in producing and transporting potable water hundreds of miles across the desert. It was the kind of experiential learning that the Venutolos have supported through their philanthropy. The kind that directly and rapidly transforms the student experience.

His appreciation for international experiences and experiential learning is reflected in Venutolo’s most recent philanthropy, pledging nearly $1 million to create or support:

• Kim and Michael Venutolo ’77 Fund for Experiential Learning to support students studying abroad and the London Center program with particular focus on community and cultural engagement through program-sponsored travel,
• Kim and Michael Venutolo ’77 Fund for Professional Development to augment the activities of ECS clubs and societies specifically oriented to building professional skills, networking and education through their activities, including student travel to conferences,
• Kim and Michael Venutolo ’77 Undergraduate Endowment Scholarship to provide scholarship and financial assistance to deserving ECS undergraduates,
• Kim and Michael Venutolo ’77 Fund for Remembrance and Lockerbie Exchange to support trips to Lockerbie, the Lockerbie Academy and other remembrance related activities and
• Invention Accelerator Fund, which supports undergraduates as they design, prototype and pitch their inventions.

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The Tyler Center for Global Studies has awarded a $20,000 grant to Syracuse Abroad and the Syracuse Office for Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE). Tyler Center Fellowships will fund international travel (up to $5,000) for undergraduate research and creative projects. 

Learn more about this fellowship: Tyler Center for Global Studies

Among the students studying in the Syracuse Abroad London program this semester are three undergraduates who were selected for unique research opportunities as Lender Global research fellows. Since the semester began, they have engaged in hands-on learning by visiting famous environmental sites and examining social justice topics focused on the environment.

The Lender Global program expands existing Lender Center for Social Justice student research opportunities, offered on campus or at sites in the U.S., by broadening the scope of social justice research to include examinations with global dimensions. The research is customized to students’ interests and location. London is the inaugural site for the Lender Global program, which was announced last fall.

Read more: Lender Global in the UK

Syracuse University’s Lender Center for Social Justice and Syracuse Abroad have chosen the Santiago, Chile, program as the next location to host a new globally focused student research initiative.

The Lender Global program was launched last year to offer students innovative research opportunities to examine social justice issues from a global perspective. The first cohort is studying environmental issues at the Syracuse Abroad center in London now. In Santiago, student fellows will study the impact and consequences of the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, which lasted from 1973 to 1990, during which more than 3,000 people died or disappeared, 200,000 suffered exile and 27,000 were tortured.

Three student fellowships will be awarded to students who plan to study abroad in Santiago during the 2025-26 academic year. All students who have been accepted to study there via the OrangeAbroad portal will be invited to express interest in the fellowship project.

Learn more about the Lender Center Research Fellowship

A Syracuse University senior and an alumna were recently chosen for prestigious graduate fellowships that prepare students for careers in the Foreign Service.

Linda Baguma ’25, an international relations and political science major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences, has been named a 2025 Rangel Fellow and studied abroad in South Africa. Alexandria Johnson ’24, an international relations graduate from the Maxwell School and College of Arts and Sciences, has been selected as a 2025 Pickering Fellow and studied abroad at Syracuse Strasbourg Center.

Read more about Linda and Lexie