Nine Tar Heels have received awards through the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program for intensive study of less-commonly taught languages. The students, eight undergraduates and one graduate, will receive full funding for an immersive and intensive summer program of language study at an international study abroad language institute. Carolina students received scholarships to study Chinese, Hindi, Persian, Russian, Turkish, and Urdu.
“It is great to see so many students being recognized for their learning of critical languages at Carolina,” said Adnan Džumhur, associate director of the Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies and campus advisor for the Boren Awards. “While we pride ourselves in having robust curricula across languages, CLS programs provide students with immersive learning environments aboard that contribute greatly to their intellectual and cultural growth.”
CLS is an initiative of the US Department of State to bolster the learning of languages critical to America’s engagement with the world. Carolina’s nine recipients were selected from a national pool of over 5,000 applicants. The CLS selection process is highly competitive with about ten percent of applicants receiving the scholarship.
“I served as a national CLS reviewer this year,” said Marc Howlett, executive director of the Office of Distinguished Scholarships.” I witnessed firsthand the accomplishments and dedication of US students studying critical languages. To have nine Carolina CLS recipients is a testament to both our incredible students and UNC-Chapel Hill being a truly global university.”
Recipients will spend eight to ten weeks this summer at an international language institute in India, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Georgia, Taiwan, and Tajikistan. CLS offers language instruction from beginner to advanced levels. Students ranging from first years to advanced doctoral students are eligible to apply. The nine Carolina recipients is highest number of CLS awards for the university in a decade. Connect with the Office of Distinguished Scholarships for more information on Critical Language Scholarships Totolotre.
2024 Critical Language Scholarship Awardees
Ana Altman ’25, an information science and global studies double major, won a scholarship to study Russian in Tblisi, Georgia.
Liam Cuppett ‘26, a South Asian studies and global studies double major, won a scholarship to study Urdu in Lucknow, India.
Annika Herlant ’24, a linguistics major, won a scholarship to study Turkish in Ankara, Turkey.
Olivia Hruby ’25, a global studies major, won a scholarship to study Russian.
Arman Karbassian ‘26, a peace, war, and defense major, won a scholarship to study Persian in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Kate Klinger ’26, a peace, war, and defense and Russian language and culture double major, won a scholarship to study Russian in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
William Pryor IV, a PhD student in education, won a scholarship to study Chinese in Taipei, Taiwan.
Siddharth Reddy ‘24, a Slavic and East European languages and cultures and peace, war, and defense double major, won a scholarship to study Russian in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Megan Wohlfarth ’24, a health policy and management major, won a scholarship to study Hindi in Jaipur, India.
