The Peace Corps today announced its top 2014 Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Programs for returned volunteers, and Duke University ranks No. 6 among programs nationwide. Currently, there are 29 returned Peace Corps volunteers enrolled in the program, which was established in 2004.
“The Peace Corps is proud to partner with colleges and universities to support returned volunteers who want to further their education while continuing to serve their local community,” Acting Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet said. “Returned volunteers enrich the lives of those around them by sharing their knowledge of the world and different cultures, which helps to strengthen international ties and increase our country’s global competitiveness.”
The Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows Program provides graduate school scholarships to returned Peace Corps volunteers who complete a degree-related internship in an underserved U.S. community while they pursue their studies.
Duke offers Peace Corps Fellows three degree options: a Master of International Development Policy (MIDP); Master of Business Administration; and Master of Public Policy.
“As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, finding affordable education opportunities that complemented my field experience and goals was difficult,” said Ellen Jefferys-White, MIDP and Coverdell fellow (pictured at right in Senegal). “This fellowship made it possible to come to Duke Center for International Development, an amazing program that applies useful academic tools to real issues in the world of development.”
Since 1961, more than 700 Duke alumni have served in the Peace Corps, with 18 currently serving overseas.
See the Peace Corps’ top 2014 Coverdell Fellows Programs below. The number in parenthesis represents the number of returned Peace Corps volunteers currently enrolled in the program.
- University of Denver (69)
- University of Arizona (63)
- Brandeis University (53)
- Johns Hopkins University (46)
- Teachers College, Columbia University (35)
- Duke University (29)
- The New School (29)
- University of Michigan (25)
- American University (21)
- Monterey Institute of International Studies (20)
Read the full press release on the Peace Corps website.
