WKU News

Apr 30th, 2026

Madison Gardner, a senior in computer science, has been awarded a ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship to conduct AI and robotics research at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) in Switzerland.

Apr 24th, 2026

Caden Lucas, a junior from Harned, has been selected as a 2026 Truman Scholar. He is the second Truman Scholar in WKU’s history and the only Truman Scholar chosen from Kentucky this year. 

Apr 20th, 2026

December 2025 graduate Emma Bunch of Glasgow has earned the highly competitive National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. NSF Graduate Research Fellows receive a three-year award valued at $159,000 for master's or Ph.D. study.

Apr 17th, 2026

WKU student Brianna Bennish was awarded a Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) scholarship in the Spring 2026 application cycle for study abroad to Poland in Summer 2026.

Apr 15th, 2026

Priscilla Riggs, a first-generation college student in English and Marketing, has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to South Korea.

Apr 13th, 2026

WKU juniors Cole Meador and Alejandro Ramirez have been named Goldwater Scholars in the 2026 competition. They are two of five students at Kentucky universities to earn the most prestigious undergraduate award in the United States in STEM fields.

Apr 7th, 2026

Emma Childress, a second-year first-generation college student studying English and Environmental, Sustainability, and Geographic Studies, has been selected for the highly-selective Fulbright UK Summer Institutes.

Mar 26th, 2026

Four WKU students have been awarded U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarships. The program fully funds 8-week intensive language study and cultural immersion abroad in areas critical to U.S. national security and economic competitiveness.

Mar 23rd, 2026

Seven WKU students and recent graduates have been recognized as Semi-Finalists in the 2026-2027 Fulbright U.S. Student Program competition. Fulbright U.S. Student grants fund a year of study, research, or English teaching for recent graduates.

Mar 12th, 2026

WKU has been recognized as an all-time Top Producing Institution in the Gilman Scholarship Program. In the 25-year history of the program, WKU is a national leader among Medium Colleges and Universities.

Feb 23rd, 2026

WKU junior Caden Lucas has been named a Finalist for the 2026 Truman Scholarship, the nation’s preeminent award recognizing future leaders in public service.

Feb 2nd, 2026

11 WKU students earned the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for study abroad in the October 2025 application cycle. 

Sep 11th, 2025

150 WKU students and recent graduates submitted 199 applications for nationally competitive scholarships in the 2024-25 academic year, earning recognition 69 times and more than $570,000 for study abroad, research, language study, and graduate school.

May 29th, 2025

For the second year in a row, WKU is a Top Performing Institution of Boren Awards, a Department of Defense National Security Education Program initiative, with six Scholars awarded $25,000 each for immersive language study abroad.

May 28th, 2025

Shwe Win, a two-time Public Health graduate of Western Kentucky University, has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program English Teaching Assistantship to Thailand.

May 27th, 2025

24 WKU students earned the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for study abroad in the March 2025 application cycle, more than all other public universities in Kentucky combined. Combined, their scholarships totaled $83,000.

May 23rd, 2025

Nguyen Ngoc Minh Nguyen has been selected for a Fulbright US Student Program English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) in Taiwan for the 2025-26 academic year.

May 21st, 2025

Mykah Carden has been named a Udall scholar. The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship recognizes outstanding students studying the environment, Native American Tribal policy, and health care. Mykah is the first WKU student to receive this award since 2010.

May 20th, 2025

The Freeman Award for Study in Asia (Freeman-ASIA) recognized four WKU students as winners and two additional students as alternates. Additionally, the Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grant was awarded to one student.

May 13th, 2025

Two WKU students have been accepted into the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF REU) program. These two recipients will participate in paid summer STEM research internship programs.