Graduate student is first to receive the Sue Nichols International Peace Scholarship at TXST

Tatiana Velásquez-Roa, a second-year doctoral candidate in the aquatic resources and integrative biology program at Texas State University, has been awarded the Sue Nichols International Peace Scholarship (IPS) Named Award by the Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O) for the 2025-2026 award year. She is one of only seven students studying in the U.S. or Canada who received named IPS awards from P.E.O. this year.  

 “I felt really honored to receive this named award because of the huge impact that Sue Nichols had and continues to have on P.E.O. and all the women who have been awardees before myself,” she says.

P.E.O. awards scholarships to international students to promote world peace through education. Generous donors sponsor named awards and title them in honor of a notable individual. P.E.O. Chapter J of Huntsville, Alabama, sponsored Velásquez-Roa’s award. 

he International Peace Scholarship has aided Velásquez-Roa’s research on the daily activity patterns of carnivorous mammals, which supports conservation efforts within the tropics. Her passion for wildlife conservation stems from her deep appreciation of the biodiversity in her home country of Colombia. 

“Receiving this scholarship two years in a row from P.E.O. has been a life-changing experience,” said Velásquez-Roa. “It is transformative not just because of the economic help we receive, but also because it makes us feel connected in a more meaningful way to all the women who have worked their entire lives to help us achieve our dreams.”

Velásquez-Roa was the featured IPS speaker at the 2025 Convention of the Texas State Chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood. She has also received the Texas State Doctoral Merit Fellowship, the Alpha Chi "In Scholarship and in Service" Grant, and summa cum laude honors for her undergraduate research at the University of Quindío in Colombia.

Velásquez-Roa found the application process to be rewarding as it gave her a chance to reflect on the milestones that she has reached throughout her studies. She encourages prospective applicants to be authentic as they tell their stories.  

“Applicants should be open to sharing inspiring details about their experiences and not feel ashamed of the challenges they have overcome to reach their current position,” she said. 

Velásquez-Roa currently works as a doctoral instructional assistant, teaching labs for organismal biology, wildlife techniques, and wildlife management. She plans to continue her research after graduation and pursue post-doctoral studies in the U.S. or Europe. Velásquez-Roa also hopes to gain a faculty position to continue educating young scholars and serve as a mammal collection curator.  

“I would like to express that I believe anything is possible,” she said. “My journey serves as a testament to the transformative power of education and the significant support from exceptional women who have played a vital role in my life.”