The recipients of VCU’s International Engineering Student Scholarship represent all of the college’s engineering disciplines — and a world of backgrounds.
The scholarship fund was established as part of an anonymous $1 million gift in 2020. It provides awards of $2,500 to doctoral students, $1,500 to master’s students and $500 to undergraduates. Candidates must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher and be classified by VCU as international students. To apply, they must submit a personal statement explaining how they plan to use the scholarship.
More than 75 students applied for the awards. The graduate program directors of each of VCU Engineering’s departments make up the selection committee. Karla M. Mossi, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, spearheads the college’s International Engineering Student Scholarship program.
“International students are a vital asset to the College of Engineering,” Mossi said. “They have sacrificed being with their families and friends to attend VCU in their efforts to obtain a quality engineering education. Through their essays, we get a glimpse of their remarkable journeys and learn about the diversity of experiences and cultures that these students bring to VCU.”
The awards were gratefully received by the students in the first cohort, many of whom said they had faced significant financial challenges as they pursued their goal to study engineering at VCU.
“My mother had to take out a five-year bank loan to pay for the flight ticket and initial expenses for me to come to VCU and study engineering,” wrote one student.
To expand the college’s assistance to international students even more, Mossi said future plans for this program may include an assistance fund program to help provide technology resources and other types of support to international students.
Meet the recipients of VCU’s International Engineering Students Scholarship:
Muhammad Abdullah
From: Pakistan
Studying: Computer Science
Level: Undergraduate
Career goal: Software entrepreneurship in a capacity that helps others
Johane Bracamonte
From: Venezuela
Studying: Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering
Level: Doctoral
Career goal: Research and teach multiscale modeling engineering as a tenured professor
Agnieszka Ciborowska
From: Poland
Studying: Computer Science
Level: Doctoral
Career goal: To work as a researcher in industry
Loren dela Rosa
From: The Philippines
Studying: Chemical and Life Science Engineering
Level: Doctoral
Career goal: To work in research and development in industry
Sai Duduru
From: India
Studying: Biomedical Engineering
Level: Undergraduate
Career goal: To design new instruments and devices in industry
Smeet Ghelani
From: India
Studying: Chemical and Life Science Engineering
Level: Undergraduate
Mia Mohammad Imran
From: Bangladesh
Studying: Computer Science
Level: Doctoral
Career goal: To work in research and academia
Lukasz Korycki
From: Poland
Studying: Computer Science
Level: Doctoral
Career goal: To work as a machine learning engineer/researcher
Mahmoud Moustafa
From: United Arab Emirates
Studying: Chemical and Life Science Engineering
Level: Doctoral
Vy Nguyen
From: Vietnam
Studying: Computer Science
Level: Undergraduate
Chidera Ntiwunka-Ifeanyi
From: Nigeria
Studying: Biomedical Engineering
Level: Master’s
Career goal: To earn a Ph.D. and work in the Nigerian health care system
Goodness Isioma Nwabueze
From: Nigeria
Studying: Computer Science
Level: Master’s
Career goal: To be a data scientist
Rahnuma Rahman
From: Bangladesh
Studying: Electrical and Computer Engineering
Level: Doctoral
Career goal: To continue to research and give back to the community
Lazaro Camero Ruiz
From: Cuba
Studying: Computer Science
Level: Master’s
Career goal: A career in computer science and/or cybersecurity
Almunther Sabha
From: Jordan
Studying: Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering
Level: Undergraduate
Rezwan Mohammad Sayeed
From: Bangladesh
Studying: Electrical and Computer Engineering
Level: Doctoral
Career goal: To conduct academic or industry-funded research
Rajnikant Umretiya
From: India
Studying: Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering
Level: Doctoral
Career goal: Has landed a job as a research scientist with GE Research
Santiago Vargas Giraldo
From: Colombia
Studying: Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering
Level: Doctoral
Career goal: To keep prototyping and building machines, in a startup or academia
Chathurika Wickramasinghe
From: Sri Lanka
Studying: Computer Science
Level: Doctoral
Career goal: To become a data scientist and to help educate the less fortunate
Binyam Wodajo
From: Ethiopia
Studying: Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering
Level: Master’s
Career goal: To work in the aerospace industry
Lakshmi Prasanna Yeduresapu
From: India
Studying: Computer Science
Level: Master’s