A UNC grad student and a Carolina alumna have been awarded the National Security Education Program’s David L. Boren Fellowship.

Christine Kim and Julia Tenyotkin were awarded the Boren Fellowship, which supports a field of study – particularly languages – identified as vital to national security.

The scholarship is valued at $30,000 and is awarded to graduate students in exchange that the students pursue a career working in the federal government – specifically departments like defense, homeland security or other intelligence agencies after graduation.

Mary Floyd-Wilson, director of Carolina’s Office of Distinguished Scholarships, said in release that the Boren Fellowship is vital for students to study topics that are important to national security.

“The Boren Fellowship is among the few awards available to fund deep pursuit of language study for graduate students, and the award underlines the commitment of both the federal government and the Institute of International Education to educate our country’s citizens,” Floyd-Wilson said.

Kim is currently a doctoral student in health policy and management in UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. She graduated with a degree in History from University of California-Berkeley in 2007 and earned a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in 2011.

The Boren Fellowship will allow Kim to travel to Uganda where she plans to complete a project focused on improving community-based learning, according to the university.

Tenyotkin graduated from UNC in 2012 with a Global Studies and Peace, War and Defense double major and a Chinese minor. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in International Affairs at Monterey Institute of International Studies.

The Boren Fellowship will enable Tenyotkin to study Mandarin in China where she plans to complete a project focuses on understanding the South China Sea conflict.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Student Representatives Share Successes, Farewells with Board of Trustees
UNC Student Body President Taliajah Vann and Graduate Student President Theodore Nollert shared highlights of their tenures last Thursday.
UNC Students Call to Raise Graduate Student Pay
Facing an affordability crisis in Chapel Hill, graduate students are calling for a change. UNC’s graduate and professional student government leaders are stepping up their efforts to raise the graduate student pay. 
UNC Men's Basketball to Face Georgia in Home-and-Home Series Beginning in 2026
The UNC men’s basketball program has scheduled a home-and-home series with Georgia, which will be contested in 2026 and 2028. The Tar Heels will host the Bulldogs Friday, Nov. 13, 2026 at the Smith Center before making the return trip to Athens in 2028. The second game’s date has not yet been determined, but will […]
Hubert Davis: Seth Trimble 'Progressing Nicely,' Practicing with UNC
UNC head coach Hubert Davis gave an update on injured star Seth Trimble during Davis’ weekly radio show Monday night. “He’s progressing nicely,” Davis told the Tar Heel Sports Network’s Jones Angell. “The last couple days, he’s been [playing] five-on-five and been practicing with us. So he’s progressing, and I like the way that he […]
Chansky's Notebook: Coaching Cuts
Bill Belichick has fired two of his assistant coaches, but it's unclear where UNC will go for its upcoming hires.
On Air Today: 'Naloxone Near Me,' with Delesha Carpenter
Aaron welcomes UNC's Delesha Carpenter to discuss "Naloxone Near Me," a new statewide initiative that could save lives.
UNC Basketball in the AP Poll: Men Rise to No. 12, Women Drop to No. 18
Both UNC basketball teams moved in the latest AP Polls, which were released Monday. The men’s team rose two spots from No. 14 to No. 12 (its highest of the season), while the women’s team dropped six spots from No. 12 to No. 18 (its lowest of the season). The men’s team played only once […]
College Football's Transfer Portal Opens Jan. 2. Which Tar Heels Are Planning to Enter?
The college football transfer portal will open Friday, Jan. 2 and close at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16. It will be the only transfer portal window of the year for college football, as the NCAA moved to eliminate the spring transfer window earlier this year. Players do not have to have committed to and […]
Chansky's Notebook: And the Good News
UNC head coach Hubert Davis was out of character after his team’s ninth win of the season, 80-62 over USC Upstate.
UNC Women's Basketball Falters Late in Overtime Loss to No. 22 Louisville
No. 22 Louisville used a 13-0 run across the fourth quarter and overtime to rally from a late deficit and beat UNC 76-66 in Carmichael Arena Sunday evening. “We didn’t play very well, unfortunately,” head coach Courtney Banghart said afterward. “Didn’t love our shots. I think everybody played with their desire. They wanted it so […]
›