The Goizueta Foundation Scholarships and Fellowships Support Record Number of Students This Academic Year

More Than 270 Hispanic and Latino Students Supported by The Goizueta Foundation Over the Past 15 Years

Oct 19, 2017

In 2002, scholarships and fellowships were created to increase and retain the number of Hispanic and Latino undergraduate and doctoral students at Georgia Tech.

“Fifteen years later, Hispanics and Latinos have become one of the fastest growing student groups at the Institute. This year, for instance, applications from Hispanic and Latino incoming freshmen increased by 7.8 percent,” said Jorge Breton, director of Institute Diversity’s Office of Hispanic Initiatives (OHI), which is part of the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion. “The Goizueta Foundation Scholarships and Fellowships are one of several programs and initiatives at Georgia Tech that provide pathways to success for our community.”

Since its inception, more than 270 Hispanic and Latino students have been supported by The Goizueta Foundation Scholarships and Fellowships. For this academic year, 18 scholars and eight fellows were selected, the highest number of new awardees to date.  

The Goizueta Foundation Scholarships provide four-year or eight-term renewable, merit- and need-based scholarships for full-time undergraduate students. The Goizueta Foundation Fellowships provide renewable, merit-based fellowships with a stipend of $4,000 for 12 months of full-time enrollment for doctoral students.

Charlene Rincón, a Ph.D. graduate of the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, recalled, “I had the great opportunity of being a Goizueta Fellow for four years, and during those years, the fellowship not only provided me with economic assistance, but it also allowed me to meet and interact with people from different disciplines and backgrounds, which had a long-lasting impact in my life.” 

Scholars and fellows participate in various projects and activities to assist in the recruitment, retention, and outreach of Hispanic and Latino students at Georgia Tech. These include assisting with the Focus graduate recruitment program, interacting with distinguished faculty, participating in events such as GoSTEM’s Latino STEM Education Day and Latino College and STEM Fair, and hosting campus visits by middle and high school students to Georgia Tech, among others.

“I am fortunate to participate in events that help young Hispanics see their potential and engage in STEM fields,” said Natalia Wauldron, recipient of The Goizueta Foundation Scholarship and undergraduate student in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. “These events are crucial to the betterment of our society.”

The Goizueta Foundation Fellow Kevin Lanza, a doctoral student in the School of City and Regional Planning, remarked, “After attending Goizueta luncheons and planning meetings for Hispanic Heritage Month, I now walk around Georgia Tech knowing that I have a strong, campus-wide support system.”

Along with Breton, several distinguished faculty members serve as role models and mentors to The Goizueta Foundation Scholars and Fellows and assist OHI in its efforts to recruit, retain, and promote the success of students and faculty of Hispanic and Latino origin. Currently, Rosario Gerhardt, professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, serves as The Goizueta Foundation Faculty Chair, and William J. Koros, professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, serves as the Roberto C. Goizueta Chair for Excellence in Chemical Engineering. Georgia Tech’s next The Goizueta Foundation Junior Faculty Rotating Chair will be selected and announced during this academic year.

Georgia Tech is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top schools for awarding bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in STEM fields to Hispanics and Latinos (Diverse: Issues in Higher Education). 

To learn more about OHI and The Goizueta Foundation Scholarships and Fellowships at Georgia Tech, visit www.hispanicoffice.gatech.edu.