An Indiana University East psychology major expects to expand her educational foundation in psychology and neuroscience when she heads to Europe in May as the second from the campus to receive a national Gilman Scholarship, a program of the United States Department of State.

Shelly Smith of Raleigh, North Carolina, is IU East’s second student to receive a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. The online psychology major will travel abroad to Europe beginning this May.

Shelly Smith expects to graduate in 2024 and continue working on her doctorate. Smith, who grew up just outside of Williamsburg and Fountain City, now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“This is a great trip for me, especially with my hope to continue on into research and neuroscience,” Smith said.

The trip abroad is planned for May 18 to June 4, and will include London, Vienna and Leipzig, Germany. Sites she and other students on the trip will visit include Charles Darwin’s home, Bethlem Royal Hospital, and Sigmund Freud’s home, among other relevant historic sites.

Alex Hakes, a resident of Richmond, was IU East’s first recipient of the of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Hakes, a double-major with degrees in Political Science and Spanish, received a 2021 Gilman scholarship to travel to Costa Rica in July 2021.

Deborah Miller, assistant professor of psychology, organizes the trip, which will include eight students altogether.

“I have organized this trip twice before. We study the history of psychology in Europe,” she said. “Students take an online course with me during the spring semester to learn about this history, then the culmination is the two-week trip to these important sites to learn about important early leaders in the field.”

Miller structures the trip for education and for fun, she said. “Group activities are psychology-based with some fun things thrown in, like a group trip to a West End musical in London. We also have at least one big group dinner in each city so that we have plenty of time to reflect on what the students are experiencing during the trip.”

She has several goals for students. “The most obvious one is to deepen their understanding of the roots of psychological science. But beyond that, students are developing so many other real-world skills like adapting to stress, learning how to function in a group, communication skills, responsibility, independence, developing a global mindset. One of my greatest hopes for students is that this trip ignites a passion for travel and gives them the self-efficacy they need to become independent travelers in the future.”

The students will have time to explore on their own in addition to structured activities. The Gilman Foundation’s purpose is to encourage study abroad and discover the significant impact it can have on students and their career paths. “I’m humbled to be chosen and hope to do the Foundation proud during my journey there and with my career thereafter,” Smith said.

Students in any study area can apply for the scholarship, which requires the student be a Pell grant recipient or a child dependent of an active duty military member. The scholarship provides awards up to $5,000 for study or intern abroad on credit-bearing programs.The next deadline is coming up soon on March 1, 2022. IU East students interested in applying for a Gilman Scholarship are encouraged to read the online flyer.