The seven award winners will each receive funding and support to study, conduct research, or participate in life-changing internships abroad
Seven Rutgers University–Camden students have been named 2025 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholars. They will receive funding and support to travel abroad for study, research, or internships that can have a life-changing impact.
Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Gilman International Scholarship is a highly competitive, merit-based award that provides students with limited financial means to study or intern abroad. This is the largest group of Gilman Scholar award winners in the history of Rutgers–Camden, with nearly half of the university's entire pool of applicants receiving scholarships.
"Having the chance to go beyond the classroom and gain hands-on experience in the real world provides our students with a critical perspective,” said Laura Collins, director of the Rutgers–Camden Office of Scholar Development & Fellowship Advising. “Opportunities like the Gilman Scholarship program are essential to helping our student population see what is possible for them after graduation."
Meet the Winners
Jenna Ahmed, Rutgers–Camden Learning Abroad, Hungary
Jenna Ahmed received her degree in biology in May 2025 from Rutgers–Camden, where she was also a member of the Honors College. Her senior research project, “The Revolutionary Properties of Silver Nanoparticles in Combating Cariogenic Bacteria,” was among the presentations made during SPARK! (formerly Research Week) this past spring.
In addition to being an exceptional student, Ahmed was active on campus during her time at Rutgers–Camden and was honored in November 2024 with an Impact Award, which recognizes students who have made a significant difference on campus by promoting issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.
“This scholarship is a chance to dedicate myself to cultural understanding,” said Ahmed. "We shouldn't live through only our lens, or we contribute to our own limiting beliefs."
Tiffany Chan, Self-Proposed Research, United Kingdom
Tiffany Chan, a sophomore studying computational and integrative biology, is an accomplished researcher who aspires to a career in medicine and neurophysiology. Her research interests include neural signaling, ion channel dysfunction, and the development of medical therapies. She also aims to teach at the university level.
Outside the lab, she is an avid runner, having completed the New York Marathon in under 5 hours and earned her first collegiate letter as a member of the Rutgers–Camden Cross Country team in 2023.
“As a first-generation high school and college student who comes from a background shaped by hardship, it was validating to see that my goals and experiences resonated with the selection committee,” said Chan. “It affirmed that students from all backgrounds can thrive in international academic spaces and contribute meaningfully to science and society.”
QueenTeja Cooper, Rutgers–Camden Learning Abroad, Ghana
QueenTeja Cooper is a junior majoring in criminal justice and minoring in psychology. In addition to having served as a resident assistant on campus, Cooper is a student ambassador and orientation leader with TRiO, the centralized office on campus that offers comprehensive support and a variety of programs to help students overcome academic, social, and cultural barriers to higher education.
In 2024, Cooper received the Rutgers University–Camden Alumni Association Writing Award. In 2025, she was one of six student artists university-wide invited to participate in Quilting Water. This public art initiative gathers interviews about water primarily from racialized communities from the U.S. and around the world.
In Ghana, she plans to deepen my understanding of social justice, education equity, and community development from a global perspective. “This scholarship will provide a chance to connect with a part of myself I’ve always felt was missing. It’s helping me become the person I’ve always wanted to be.”
Nandini Doddi, Rutgers–Camden Learning Abroad, Hungary
Nandini Doddi graduated cum laude with honors in May 2025, earning a degree in mathematics with a focus on data science. Her road to graduation was not easy. As a transfer student who navigated three changes in major and funded her education independently, she had to prioritize graduating efficiently and affordably, which meant placing her dream of studying abroad on hold.
She made the most of her time on campus, serving as a resident assistant, was inducted into Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honor society, by unanimous nomination from the Rutgers-Camden Mathematics Department, and was selected as the recipient of the Career Motivation Award in Mathematics just this past year.
“The Gilman Scholarship has not only made this long-held aspiration of studying abroad possible, but it has also given me a chance to end my college journey with an experience that truly reflects the growth, resilience, and ambition that have defined it,” said Doddi.
Islijah Estrella Hernandez, Rutgers–Camden Learning Abroad, Hungary
Islijah Estrella Hernandez is a junior at Rutgers School of Nursing–Camden. In addition to her studies, she is a member and the treasurer of the Student Nurses' Association.
In 2024, Hernandez received a Rising Raptor award, a recognition given by the university's Office of Student Academic Success, and celebrates students who have demonstrated outstanding resilience in the face of challenges.
“As a first-generation student, I did not have a family member who could prepare me for what college feels like,” said Hernandez upon receiving the award. “I began reaching out to my student success coach and tutors, who helped me get rid of my fears and rewrite my pathway to success.”
She will be one of several students using her Gilman Scholarship to study health and wellbeing in Hungary this summer.
David Parr, Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) Summer Intern, Ireland
David Parr is a junior majoring in marketing with a minor in management. Active on campus, he is a member of the Black Student Union, the Students House of Prayer, and the American Marketing Association. He also supports and networks with his fellow students as part of the Rutgers School of Business–Camden peer mentor program.
Parr will be an intern with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), which will pair him with a company, allowing him to gain hands-on experience in marketing and learn how businesses operate globally. He anticipates and is eager to step outside his comfort zone and grow both personally and professionally.
“I plan to take what I learn—from cross-cultural communication to strategy—and apply it to future roles in the business world,” said Parr. “This opportunity means a lot to me, and I’m just thankful to be part of something that’s helping me move closer to my goals.”
Julia Serrano, Rutgers University Global Summer, Italy
Julia Serrano is a junior majoring in business administration at Rutgers School of Business–Camden. Despite working full time, attending school full time, and navigating college with a learning disability, Serrano has successfully conquered every challenge she has encountered.
She acknowledges that as a first-generation college student, she struggled at first but attributes her ultimate success as a student –as demonstrated by not just receiving a Gilman Scholarship but also being named to the Dean's List in the fall of 2024 – to her perseverance and determination.
"If I had told my younger self that I would receive a scholarship to study abroad, I wouldn't have believed it," said Serrano. "To anyone, especially students, who feel discouraged – don't give up. You will fail. That part is inevitable. But you get up, and you try again. If you're struggling, just know that your hard work will be worth something. Keep going."
Serrano will travel to Italy, a country she has always been drawn to because of the impact its people had on the Renaissance period and the influence its culture still has on design, architecture, and philosophy today.
"Traveling helps you understand the world more deeply, and being immersed in a place so rooted in tradition and creativity will help me grow not just academically but personally, too," said Serrano. "These kinds of experiences shape the way you see others and the way you see yourself, and I think that's incredibly important in both life and business."
