First Four Botstiber Scholars From Africa Arrive at Penn State

298px-Pennsylvania_State_University_seal.svgFour students from Africa have arrived on the campus of Pennsylvania State University as the first cohort of the Botstiber Scholars Program at the university. The university received a grant this spring from the Dietrich W. Botstiber Foundation of Media, Pennsylvania, to launch the program.

The four students from African nations have been awarded full scholarships at Penn State. The scholars will also receive mentoring and internship opportunities. Preference is given to students who have expressed an interest in returning to Africa once they have completed their education. The first cohort includes two students from Ghana and one each from Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

Penn State teamed up with Education USA Advisors and Peace Corps volunteers to identify a large group of high-performing secondary students in sub-Saharan Africa. Then, a group of Penn State faculty, officials from the Botstiber Foundation, and Penn State admissions officers chose the first scholarship recipients from applicants residing in more than 15 countries.

adewumiThe program hopes to expand in future years. Michael Adewumi, vice provost for global programs at Penn State, said that “the Botstiber Foundation is providing a life-changing opportunity to young scholars in Africa to study at Penn State. It will not only transform their lives, but the ripple effect on their communities cannot be underestimated. We are pleased to partner with the foundation in this transformational opportunity.”

Dr. Adewumi is a graduate of the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in gas engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

Howard University Achieves R1 Status While North Carolina A&T State University Falls Short

Howard University has received the prestigious R1 Carnegie Classification, making the institution eligible for major federal grants. NCA&T University narrowly missed the achievement, averaging just three less annual doctoral graduates than the classification's requirements.

Three Black Scholars Selected for Endowed Faculty Positions

The new endowed professors are Eddie Chambers at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Stefanie Dunning at the University of Rochester in New York, and Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire at Harvard University.

North Carolina Central University Establishes Early Assurance Program With the UNC School of Pharmacy

Students at North Carolina Central University now have the opportunity to apply to an early assurance program for the doctor of pharmacy degree program at the University of North Carolina's Eshelman School of Pharmacy, the top-ranked pharmacy school in the United States.

Five Black Administrators Taking on New Roles at HBCUs

The appointments are Anthony Neal at Florida A&M University, Tara Cunningham at Dillard University in New Orleans, David Camps at North Carolina A&T State University, Michael Meyers at Paine College in Georgia, and Sidney Brown at Tuskegee University in Alabama.

Featured Jobs