(Posted April 23, 2012)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Miranda Martz, a junior from Fallentimber, Pa. at Juniata College studying Biology and Spanish, received the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship to study abroad at the University San Francisco de Quito's Galapagos Academic Institute for the Arts and Sciences (GAIAS) program in San Cristobal, Galapagos.

Martz, the daughter of Randy and Dorothy Martz, of Fallentimber, is a 2009 graduate of Glendale Jr./Sr. High School. During her time in the GAIAS program, she took courses in Native and Introduced Flora of the Galapagos Archipelago, Tropical Rainforest and Marine Life Ecology, and Evolution.

The Gilman Scholarships, named for Benjamin Gilman, a Republican U.S. Representative from New York, offer grants for undergraduate students of limited financial means to study abroad. More than 1,200 scholarships of up to $5,000 are awarded every academic year. The program also encourages students to choose non-traditional destinations for their study-abroad experience.

The program is funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the U.S. Department of State.

At Juniata Martz has been involved as a: student tour guide, College Writing Seminar Lab Leader, Science in Motion Middle School lab assistant, and peer tutor. She also is a member of Tri-Beta Biological Honors Society. Other activities include: Dance Ensemble, Anthropology Club, Scuba Club, QRS8 EMS, JC Downhill, Women's Chamber Choir, and Spanish Club.

Outside of Juniata, Martz has served as: an emergency care provider for the Mexican Red Cross, an English-Spanish translator for American medical providers in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, and an English instructor at Rio Chico High School in Portoviejo, Ecuador.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.