January 21, 2020

Purdue students receive Gilman Scholarships from State Department

kathleen-doolittle Kathleen Doolittle
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Five Purdue University students have received Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships to internationally expand their experiences and expertise.

Purdue recipients of the U.S. Department of State’s Gilman Scholarships are Kathleen Doolittle, Kathryn Harville, Sharon Kulali, Kiara Smith and Camille Vann. These five undergraduates reflect the broad scholarship of Purdue as an institution, as they study across five different colleges in areas including language arts, artificial intelligence, neuroplasticity, global health and wildlife. The Gilman Scholarships enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to national security and economic competitiveness.

Doolittle is a junior pursuing majors in Spanish and brain and behavioral sciences in the colleges of Liberal Arts and Health and Human Sciences. Hailing from Munster, she received the scholarship to study in Argentina, where she will further her interest in language and neuroplasticity. Outside of her academic pursuits, Doolittle has played violin in the Purdue Symphonic Orchestra and the Philharmonic Orchestra.

kathryn-harville Kathryn Harville
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Harville, a senior pursuing a major in mechanical engineering technology in Purdue Polytechnic Institute, is from Plymouth. She is especially interested in the intersection of artificial intelligence with linguistics and psychology, and how those fields have an impact upon artificial intelligence in global contexts. Her goal is to create new technologies that can benefit not just this country, but the world at large. She plans to expand her expertise on a scholarship in Spain. She also enjoys the recreational side of technology as a member of Purdue Electric Racing, which competes in the Society of Automotive Engineers student electric formula series. 

sharon-kulali Sharon Kulali
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Kulali is a freshman in the College of Agriculture and the Honors College pursuing a major in biochemistry. She received the scholarship to travel to Tanzania to immerse herself in local culture and teach in its schools. With an eye on medicine and biochemistry research, she has continually fed a desire to improve global health, and raised funds for polio vaccines abroad through her local Rotary Club.  

kiara-smith Kiara Smith
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Smith is a sophomore in the College of Health and Human Sciences and the Honors College pursuing a major in health science preprofessional. She is working toward a career in global health to address disparities in the treatment of serious illnesses. With the Gilman Scholarship, she will travel to Mexico for a medical Spanish and public health program. Smith is also committed to science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, having served as a state delegate for 4-H STEM and presented on computer science education. That work was part of her internship with Purdue Extension, where she designed lesson plans on computer education for local youth. 

camille-vann Camille Vann
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Vann is a junior pursuing a major in wildlife in the College of Agriculture and the Honors College. She will study the charismatic species that serve as rallying points around conservation awareness when in Tanzania and Kenya. In Indiana, she has worked not just with wildlife but in many contexts, from an internship at The Pet Clinic of Brownsburg, to conducting research with dairy cows in a laboratory lead by Theresa Casey, associate professor of research.

Purdue students apply for the Gilman Scholarship through the National and International Scholarships Office (NISO), which is housed in the Honors College. “We are proud of these students for their focus on considering the global implications of their respective fields,” said Rosanne Altstatt, assistant dean in the Honors College and leader of the National and International Scholarships Office. 

Students who seek NISO support for their Gilman application have more than a 50% success rate. Those interested in applying for the Gilman scholarship should attend NISO’s January information session at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday (Jan. 22) in Honors College and Residences South, Room 1076.

Writer: Logan Judy, ljudy@purdue.edu

Media contact: Joseph Paul, 765-494-9541, paul102@purdue.edu

Source: Rosanne Altstatt, altstatt@purdue.edu

PHOTO CAPTION:

Kathleen Doolittle.

A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2020/kathleen-doolittle.jpg 

PHOTO CAPTION:

Kathryn Harville.

A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2020/kathryn-harville.jpg 

PHOTO CAPTION:

Sharon Kulali.

A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2020/sharon-kulali.jpg 

PHOTO CAPTION:

Kiara Smith.

A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2020/kiara-smith.jpg 

PHOTO CAPTION:

Camille Vann.

A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2020/camille-vann.jpg 

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