Humphreys Travel Grant gifts students international experiences

Monday, April 8, 2024

Media Contact: Mack Burke | Associate Director of Media Relations | 405-744-5540 | mack.burke_iv@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University students have more opportunities for global learning because of the Don and Cathey Humphreys Travel Grant.

With this grant, students can pursue long-term internships, research, and study abroad programs that are off the beaten path. Humphreys Grant awardees are not tourists: they buy groceries, peruse local shops, cook meals and build relationships.

The Humphreys gift to OSU established six chairs in international studies which fund these student programs centered on global immersion. In this way, the Humphreys Travel Grant stands firmly in its own lane of transformative experiences, not just at OSU, but also when compared to other universities.

In summer 2023, School of Global Studies graduate student Campbell Clark spent over two months in Belgrade, Serbia, interning with the Balkan Security Network to conduct media analysis of Russian disinformation.

“What makes the Humphreys program special is its ability to provide you with a genuine cultural experience,” Clark said. “It’s one thing to visit a city abroad, snap a few photos and promptly go back on a plane. However, it is an entirely different experience to live in a foreign place for an extended period, learn the language and be immersed in the culture.”

Grant awardees can immerse themselves in research abroad as well. In fall 2023, Ferguson College of Agriculture graduate student Faidat Ibrahim traveled to Taiwan for three months on a Humphreys Travel Grant to intern for the World Vegetable Center while researching regenerative agricultural techniques to improve soil health and okra yield.

“I faced lots of challenges during my field work and my bounty harvest made it worthwhile,” she said. “The international experience is a memory of a lifetime. I met and created connections with other amazing international students from India, Australia, Guatemala and Indonesia.”

From networking to learning how to ride a bicycle, Ibrahim found opportunities to grow personally and professionally.

Study abroad offers students transformative experiences with more impact than any textbook can, broadening the global perspectives needed to compete in the interwoven world. With the Humphreys Travel Grant, engagement goes beyond books and borders.

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