News Release

Local angles: Ahoskie, Beech Mountain,
Cary, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Durham,
Elizabeth City, Elkin, Kill Devil Hills,
Marion, Norlina, Pilot Mountain, Pinnacle,
Wilkesboro; Barrington, Ill.; Easton, Md.;
New York, N.Y.; and Windham, N.H.

13 undergraduates to study abroad
on scholarships created by donors

CHAPEL HILL - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently awarded more than $22,000 in need- and merit-based study abroad scholarships to 13 undergraduates.

The students, from a variety of majors including nursing, psychology and international studies, will travel to places including Taipei, Taiwan; Dschang, Cameroon; Moche Valley, Peru; and Paris.

UNC's study abroad office in the College of Arts and Sciences currently offers more than 300 study abroad programs in more than 70 countries. At least 1,600 Carolina undergraduate and graduate students go abroad each year - the sixth highest number among research universities nationwide, according to the latest Institute of International Education report.

Carolina also has the highest rate of undergraduates studying abroad among public research universities, with more than 36 percent of undergraduates receiving academic credit for study abroad programs.

"Students realize that obtaining a global perspective through study abroad is more important than ever in light of the rapidly changing international situation, and we are able to offer a wide range of programs to respond to their diverse interests and needs," said Dr. Robert Miles, who directs UNC's study abroad office. "For many Carolina students, however, participation in a study abroad program would not be financially possible without the scholarships supported by generous donors who believe in the benefits of an international experience."

All UNC students who study abroad earn academic credit for their work. Students interested in study abroad programs and scholarships should contact the study abroad office at (919) 962-7002 or visit http://studyabroad.unc.edu/studyabroad.cfm.

The scholarships are supported by six endowment funds established by private donors. They are part of more than $18 million raised to support study abroad programs and scholarships during the Carolina First Campaign, a $2 billion, multi-year, private fund-raising campaign to support Carolina's vision of becoming the nation's leading public university.

The scholarships, donors and recipients for 2006 summer and fall study abroad programs are listed below, with hometowns in bold.

Bejarano-Benning Study Abroad Scholarship for Latin America
Leslie Benning of New York, a 1979 Carolina graduate, and her husband, Dr. Rafael Bejarano, established this scholarship in 2003. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation matched their gift. The fund provides at least one scholarship annually for study in Latin America.

The recipient is Tiffany Thompson, a sophomore nursing major from Cary, who will study as an exchange student for the fall semester at Monterrey Tech Cuernavaca in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Michael L. and Matthew L. Boyatt Award
Michael Boyatt, a 1956 Carolina graduate from Beech Mountain, established this fund in 1996 with his son, Matthew, of Durham, who received undergraduate and law degrees from Carolina in 1997 and 2002, respectively. The fund provides merit-based study abroad awards for undergraduate students majoring in international studies or history. Recipients are:

• Michael Turner, a junior international studies major from Elizabeth City, who will spend the 2006-2007 academic year at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel.
• Erica MacKenzie, a junior biology and international studies major from Barrington, Ill., who will spend the fall semester at the School for International Training's Culture and Development program in Dschang, Cameroon.

Anthony and Hope Harrington Study Abroad Scholarship
UNC alumnus Anthony Harrington, the former U.S. ambassador to Brazil, and his wife, Hope, of Easton, Md., created the fund supporting this award with a gift in 2004. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation matched their gift. The Harringtons established the scholarship to honor former Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, who taught at UNC in 1974 and 1975. Lagos received an honorary degree from UNC in 2001. The fund awards scholarships annually for study abroad in Latin America. Recipients are:

• Laura Rincón, a junior international studies major from Windham, N.H., will spend the fall semester in Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Rincón will study with the Sustainable Development and Social Change Program organized by the Center for Global Education at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. At UNC, Rincón's work will fall under the APPLES Service Learning Program.
• Raphael Ruiz, a junior anthropology and international studies major from Marion, who will participate this summer in the South American Archaeology Field School program in Moche Valley, Peru.

Joe Henry Jenkins and Jenny C. Jenkins Study Abroad and International Experience Fund
This fund was established in 2004 to honor members of the Jenkins family, longtime residents of Dare County and eastern North Carolina. Awards from the fund will support study abroad or international experiences for undergraduates from eastern North Carolina. Recipients are:

• Meredith Binkley, a sophomore biology major from Kill Devil Hills, who will spend the fall semester in Paris as part of the North Carolina Semester in Paris program.
• Lauren Pierce, a junior psychology major from Ahoskie, who will study during the fall semester at the Lorenzo de Medici Institute in Florence, Italy.
• Katie Sisler, a junior political science major from Ahoskie, who will spend the fall semester in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as an exchange student at the University of Ulster.

Charles Garland Johnson Sr. Scholarships
Carolina alumni Mary Anne Johnson Dickson and Neal Johnson of Charlotte established the fund supporting these awards in 2002 to honor their late father, a banker and community leader in Elkin. The fund offers need- and merit-based study abroad scholarships to undergraduates from Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties. Recipients are:

• Blythe Gough, a sophomore international studies major from Pinnacle, who will participate this summer in the International Partnership for Service Learning/UNC APPLES Service-Learning program at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, in Guadalajara, Mexico.
• Mary Anderson, a sophomore from Pilot Mountain, who will take part in the UNC summer program in Paris.
• Brenna Johnston, a sophomore psychology major from Wilkesboro, who will study this summer at the Lorenzo de Medici Institute in Florence, Italy.
• Evan Sloop, a junior Spanish and international studies major from Wilkesboro, who will spend the fall semester in Quito, Ecuador, at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito.

Horace J. Shumate Memorial Scholarship
Carol Shumate of Chapel Hill established the fund supporting this award in 2001 in honor of her late father, who worked in the foreign operations division of Loffland Brothers Drilling Co. for 24 years. A contract negotiator, Horace traveled to remote locations around the world.

The fund provides at least one scholarship annually for study abroad or participation in foreign exchange programs. In celebration of Horace Shumate's career, the fund targets students who wish to pursue new academic or personal interests through international experiences.

The recipient is Uriah Ferruccio, a junior political science and Asian studies major from Norlina. Ferruccio will study during the fall semester at the National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan.

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Study abroad contact: Dr. Robert Miles, (919) 962-7002 or bob.miles@unc.edu
News Services contact: L.J. Toler, (919) 962-8589