Twenty-seven Texas State University graduate students have received awards from the P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship (IPS) Fund for the 2026-2027 academic year, becoming TXST's largest number of recipients in a single year. The previous record, 23, was set last year.
The P.E.O. IPS provides up to $12,500 per award year to international female graduate students at all levels and in all disciplines pursuing graduate studies in the United States. Previous IPS recipients may apply for a one-time renewal award and therefore receive up to $25,000 to support their graduate degrees.
“Having 27 students receive this competitive scholarship speaks volumes about the talent, ambition, and global impact of our graduate students at Texas State University,” said Andrea Golato, Ph.D., dean of The Graduate College. “These students are not only excelling academically, but they are also demonstrating resilience, leadership, and a commitment to creating meaningful change in their fields and communities. This achievement also reflects the strength of the university’s commitment to student success and mentorship.”
Among this year’s recipients are TXST’s first recipients from graduate programs in educational and community leadership and public administration.
The 2026-2027 awardees, including their home countries, degree levels, and majors, are listed below:
- Dorothy Achiaa
- Ghana
- doctoral student, postsecondary student success
- Tania Akhter
- Bangladesh
- doctoral student, applied anthropology
- Sharmina Akter
- Bangladesh
- doctoral student, educational and community leadership
- Luísa Amato Caye
- Brazil
- doctoral student, geography
- renewal – first award 2025-2026
- Srima Burman
- Bangladesh
- master’s student, sustainability studies
- Namrata Chakma
- Bangladesh
- master’s student, civil engineering
- Clementyne Chambers
- United Kingdom
- master's student, professional counseling
- renewal – first award 2025-2026
- Tanzila Kamal Choity
- Bangladesh
- doctoral student, MSEC
- Juliana Danso
- Ghana
- doctoral student, computer science
- Prianka Das
- Bangladesh
- doctoral student, developmental education
- renewal – first award 2025-2026
- Marina de Oliveira Ferreira
- Brazil
- doctoral student, mathematics education
- Kimia Feiz
- Iran
- master's student, biology
- renewal – first award 2025-2026
- Nasrin Feizipour
- Iran
- doctoral student, postsecondary student success
- Garima Gogia
- India
- doctoral student, mathematics education
- Sumaya Hasan
- Bangladesh
- master’s student, civil engineering
- Huong Le
- Vietnam
- doctoral student, postsecondary student success
- renewal – first award 2025-2026
- Gauri Ravikant Mahajan
- India
- doctoral student, MSEC
- renewal – first award 2025-2026
- Levina Owusu
- Ghana
- doctoral student, mathematics education
- Pragga Paromita Paul
- Bangladesh
- master’s student, civil engineering
- Pegah Peimani
- Iran
- doctoral student, postsecondary student success
- renewal – first award 2025-2026
- Marie Ramirez Tierradentro
- Colombia
- master’s student, public administration
- Bianca Schueng Zancanela
- Brazil
- doctoral student, applied anthropology
- renewal – first award 2025-2026
- Sanzida Sharmeen
- Bangladesh
- doctoral student, developmental education
- renewal – first award 2025-2026
- Nisa Sindhi
- India
- doctoral student, aquatic resources and integrative biology
- Emma Soleimani
- Iran
- doctoral student, postsecondary student success
- renewal – first award 2025-2026
- Tima Tajalli
- Iran
- doctoral student, postsecondary student success
- Fatema Tarin
- Bangladesh
- doctoral student, geography
Over the past 10 years, TXST has continuously broken records for the number of IPS awardees. Most notably, TXST awardees alone represent more than 12% of the 222 total awardees across the United States and Canada for the 2026-2027 funding year. To date, 129 TXST graduate students and graduate alumni have received this internationally competitive scholarship by benefiting from the fellowship advising services provided by The Graduate College's external funding coordinators.
