UNT among first recipients of 100,000 Strong grants

Thursday, January 23, 2014 - 18:05
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DENTON (UNT), Texas -- The University of North Texas is among the first group of U.S. higher education institutions selected to receive grants as part of President Obama’s 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative. During the announcement in Washington, D.C., Secretary of State John Kerry revealed the four U.S. higher education institutions selected for the grants. 

UNT will use the $60,000 grant to support approximately 30 undergraduate and 20 graduate U.S. students participating each year in field courses, research and internships in Chile, including at the pristine UNESCO Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve at the southern end of the Americas. These resources will more than triple the number of students participating in UNT’s existing Tracing Darwin’s Path study abroad course.

“UNT should be very proud as only four institutions in the United States were selected from among more than 100 applications,” said Dr. Richard Nader, vice provost for international affairs. “UNT’s Sub-Antarctic Bio-cultural Conservation Program (SBCP) was selected because of its thoughtful coupling of science with sustainability, and because of our excellent partners in Chile. Kudos go to Dr. Rozzi and the SBCP.”

The goal of 100,000 Strong in the Americas is to increase the number of U.S. students studying in Latin America and the Caribbean to 100,000, and the number of Latin American and Caribbean students studying in the United States to 100,000. Through these exchanges, students will improve their language skills; experience learning, living, and doing hands-on research abroad; and position themselves for a competitive advantage in their careers as global leaders, professionals, and citizens.

The other U.S. winners are: the University of Arizona, the University of Rhode Island and Northampton Community College. Up to 10 more higher education institutions in Latin America will be announced in the coming weeks as winners in this first round of competitive grants, selected as part of a separate competition supported with U.S. Department of State funding. 

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