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Four University of Colorado at Boulder undergraduate students have been awarded a David L. Boren Scholarship, one of the most competitive and coveted national scholarships for undergraduate international study.

The four students are Jacob Burton, an international affairs and computer science engineering major, Alex Cooper, a Chinese and environmental studies major, Alexi Douvas, a business and Chinese major, and Lauren Rhoades, an English, political science and Spanish and Portuguese major. Boren recipients receive up to $10,000 for a semester abroad and up to $20,000 for a year abroad. In return, they commit to working for the federal government for at least one year upon graduation.

“This is a prestigious scholarship and we have had a very high success rate,” said Cindy Kraft, assistant director of the CU Study Abroad program. “While fewer than 15 percent of applicants received awards at the national level, 50 percent of the CU applicants received awards for the 2009-2010 year.”

Burton will spend a year studying in Muscat, Oman. He will take part in two different programs in Oman, one focusing on political culture and development in the region and the other focusing on energy development and diversification with a concentration in economics. He also will be involved in an intensive Arabic language study and plans to work for the state department or enter the Peace Corps after graduation.

Cooper, who will be a junior, will spend a year studying in Taipei, Taiwan. He will be participate in a Mandarin internship, specifically working with the Taiwanese environmental protection department as well as taking environmental studies classes. After graduation, he plans to work with developing countries on environmental issues.

Douvas, who will be a junior, will spend a semester in an intensive Chinese language in program Beijing, China.

Rhoades, who will be a senior, will spend a year studying in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She will take courses in political science and Spanish, and plans to work for the State Department after graduation.

Boren Scholarships provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to add an important international and language component to their educations. The scholarship focuses on geographic areas, languages and fields of study that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad. The scholarships are awarded to 130 students for study from a pool of 896 applications nationwide and are provided for study in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East.

For more information about Boren Scholarships, contact the CU-Boulder Office of International Education at 303-492-2976 or visit .