BETHLEHEM, PA – October 29, 2024 — Today, Moravian University announced that the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program has selected Dr. Anize Appel, executive director, Center for Global Education, SIO and associate dean for study abroad at Moravian University, to serve as a Gilman Advisor Ambassador for academic year 2024-2025. Dr. Appel will use her expertise to advise a broad range of U.S. colleges and universities in how to promote the Gilman Program and guide students in the application process.

The Gilman Program selected 26 Gilman Advisor Ambassadors representing institutions in 21 U.S. states from a competitive pool of applicants. The 2024-2025 cohort is composed of professionals from study abroad offices, financial services, scholarship and fellowship offices, and student services positions. Through the Gilman Advisor Ambassadors Program, advisors will offer higher education perspectives on the Gilman Program, mentor new Gilman advisors, and participate in national-level outreach efforts through conferences, campus engagement, and other activities.

“As a Gilman Scholarship Advisor Ambassador, I am committed to removing barriers and helping students thrive while experiencing the world through education abroad opportunities,” said Dr. Appel, executive director, Center for Global Education, SIO and associate dean for study abroad at Moravian University. “Immersion in unfamiliar cultures allows students to shift their lens and understanding of the world, discover who they are, revel in transformative experiences, and make life-long friendships.”

Since 2001, the Gilman Program has awarded more than 44,000 scholarships to outstanding U.S. undergraduate students with high financial need from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories. Gilman scholars represent the United States as they engage with their peers, communities, and host campuses in over 170 countries. One hundred percent of Gilman scholars have financial need, approximately 70 percent identify as students of color, over 60 percent come from rural communities and small towns, and nearly half are first-generation college students. More than 5,000 Gilman advisors on campuses across the United States play a key role in connecting U.S. students with this scholarship opportunity.

The Gilman Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs with funding provided by the U.S. government and supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education.

To learn more about the Gilman Advisor Ambassador Program visit: https://www.gilmanscholarship.org/advisors/advisor-ambassadors-2/

Media contact:

Moravian University
Michael Corr
Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Email: corrm@moravian.edu
Ph: 610.861.1365

About Moravian University
Moravian University, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is the nation’s sixth-oldest university and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates. For more than 280 years, the university has been preparing students for reflective lives, fulfilling careers, and transformative leadership in a world of change. Moravian University is a member of The New American Colleges and Universities (NACU), a national consortium of private comprehensive colleges and universities working together to graduate extraordinary professionals for a global workforce and society. 

In 2024, Moravian University became part of a World Heritage designation when Moravian Church Settlements — Bethlehem, Gracehill (Northern Ireland, UK), and Herrnhut (Saxony, Germany) joined Christiansfeld (Denmark) as a single World Heritage Site—Moravian Church Settlements. Moravian is just the second university in the United States to be part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation and only the eighth university in the world to have this recognition.

Visit moravian.edu to learn more about how Moravian University prepares its students for lifelong success.

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