CONTACT:Brittany Meyer or Allison Elliott, UKPR, (859) 257-1754, ext. 249; or
Michelle Gorin, Office of International Affairs, (859) 257-4067 ext. 254
FOR RELEASE
Viji Jeganathan Awards Presented to UK Students
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 9, 2009) –The Office of International Affairs (OIA) at the University of Kentucky presented three UK students with the Viji Jeganathan Award for Cross-Cultural Understanding. Students Suzanne Anandappa, Mehmet Saracoglu andYumi Yokoi are recipients of the $1,000 scholarshipapplicable toward tuition for the fall 2009 semester.
The Viji Jeganathan Award for Cross-Cultural Understanding is an endowed scholarship in memory of an outstanding international student, Viji Jeganathan, who died of leukemia while studying at UK. The awardis given to extraordinary UK students, honoring individualswho demonstrate leadership and ability in bridging cultural differences. Recipients promote communication among students of diverse nationalities at UK or in the Lexington community.
Anandappa, a nativeof Sri Lanka, is pursuinga master’s degree at the Martin School of Public Policy. Already a recipient of two other UK degrees,she has worked to build cross-cultural understanding by coordinating the Wildcat International Networkprogram that builds friendships through matching international and U.S. students at the university. Additionally, Anandappa has served as a co-leaderof OIA’s Cross-Cultural Workshops, recruiting many of her fellow students to participate in these life-changing weekends.
Saracoglu, a native of Turkey, is a doctoral candidate in mining engineering. He has been at the heart of a movement on the UK campus that builds cultural and religious understanding, appreciation and celebration. Along with students of various faiths, Saracoglufounded the Interfaith Dialogue Organization (IDO) at UK.As a student, he embodies the mission of IDO, which is to promote dialogue, friendship, understanding, respect and love toward fellow human beings by sharing cultures and spiritual traditions of the world’s religions.
Yokoi, a senior studying hospitality management and tourism, is from Japan. She is a member of the UK Women’s Choir and the Sigma Alpha Iota Music Service Organization. Not only has she used her time at UK to enrich the lives of her fellow students by sharing her Japanese culture, Yokoialso studied in Florida through the National Student Exchange program during the fall 2008 semesterto broaden her understanding of the United States.
Viji Jeganathan Award applicants must be full-time students who are juniors, seniors or graduate students and have completed at least three semesters at UK. To be eligible, applicants must maintain a cumulative grade point average of a 2.8 as undergraduates or 3.0 as graduate students, and must have participated in OIA programs or other activities that promotes international awareness.
The Office of International Affairs encourages the internationalization of the campus, curriculum and community at UK. OIA facilitates international activities both on and off campus -- providing leadership, coordination and service. UK OIA offers guidance and support to hundreds of international students, staff, faculty and scholars each year. The office also advises U.S. students and other members of the campus community who study, work, teach and travel abroad.For more information about the UK Office of International Affairs, visit
###
We "see blue" at the University of Kentucky. We're home not only to powerhouse basketball and the best of intercollegiate athletics; we're also nationally ranked in more than 70 academic programs. We're charting an aggressive, exciting path toward becoming a Top 20 public research institution. “see blue.” is a lot of things, but most of all it's about helping students realize their potential and harness the power of their dreams. For more about UK’s efforts to become a Top 20 university and how we "see blue," visit