NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – Kate Leach, a University of Oklahoma Honors College sophomore majoring in environmental engineering, has been named an alternate for the U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship Program.
“I applied for this program because I’m taking Russian classes and I’m naturally a curious and intellectual person. So, this would be really great because I could get ahead in my field and have a valuable experience abroad,” they said.
If chosen, Leach could spend three months in Kyrgyzstan studying Russian in an immersive environment. Through this experience, they would gain the equivalent of one year of language study through the program’s intensive language and cultural instruction.
“To experience a different culture and go somewhere completely different from the status quo; these things are really interesting to me,” they said. “I’d really like to work internationally, so I’m really excited about this opportunity to practice Russian in a Russian-speaking area.”
Leach was the recipient of the 2024-2025 Honors College Leadership Award and is a member of the OU Esports team.
“Kate is one of our brightest young students and I am delighted that she has been named a CLS alternate. Here intelligence, dedication, and thoughtfulness make her a terrific representative of the Honors College and of OU,” said Brian Johnson, Honors College director of student success.
The CLS Program provides summer programs for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to learn languages of strategic importance to U.S. national security, economic prosperity, and engagement with the world. The program is funded by the U.S. government and supported by the American Councils for International Education.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
Mulugeta Gebregziabher, Ph.D., a nationally and internationally recognized public health leader, researcher and educator, has been named a professor and the endowed chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of Oklahoma Hudson College of Public Health.
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