On April 29th, the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Ohio State University celebrated an exceptional milestone. Professors Ana Marques and Ísis Barra Costa, along with Graduate Teaching Assistants Maria Vitória de Rezende and Cesar Santos, and CLAS Assistant Director Leila Vieira, gathered with their students to mark the awarding of 10 prestigious Foreign Language & Area Studies Fellowships (FLAS). This achievement was celebrated in true Brazilian style, featuring a festive coffee gathering complete with the much-loved Brazilian snack, pão de queijo.

For the summer of 2024, three students will use their FLAS to study in São Paulo, where they will advance their Portuguese skills and immerse themselves in the vibrant culture of São Paulo. They are:

• Paul Renner, majoring in Biology & Public Affairs with minors in Music & Portuguese.
• Jacob Masterson, majoring in Political Science with a minor in History.
• Thomas Jones, majoring in Education and Human Ecology & Latin American Studies.

For the autumn semester of 2024, the fellowship recipients include:

• Thomas Jones, returning from São Paulo, continues his studies in Education and Human Ecology & Latin American Studies.
• Ariana Sanabria, completing a doctorate in Occupational Therapy.
• John Foppiani, majoring in Latin American Studies.
• Mary Grzybowski, majoring in Linguistics with minors in Portuguese & Geographic Information Science.
• Evan Beard, majoring in Linguistics & Romance Studies with a minor in International Relations.
• Mariana Correia, majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Portuguese.
• Caitlin Creach, majoring in International Studies with a minor in Portuguese.

Each fellowship recipient receives significant tuition and stipend support per term, while significantly enriching their academic, language, and cultural experiences. 

For more information on the FLAS, visit the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS).