Maria Troyanova-Wood, a graduate student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University, has been awarded the Philanthropic Education Organization (PEO) Scholar Award for the 2017-18 academic year.
Out of 738 nominees, Troyanova-Wood was selected to receive the $15,000 award from the PEO. These merit-based awards are given to women within Canada and the United States pursuing a doctoral-level degree at an accredited college or university.
Troyanova-Wood began her graduate career at Texas A&M in the fall of 2013. She became interested in the award due to its prestige and its strong support for recognizing and encouraging higher education for females.
“I believe that my publications, national conference presentations, past academic awards, interesting research projects and unique academic experience distinguished me from other applicants,” said Troyanova-Wood.
The PEO Scholar Awards were established in 1991. Scholar Award recipients are a select group of women chosen for their high level of academic achievement and their potential for having a positive impact on society.
The PEO Sisterhood, which offers the scholarship, was founded Jan. 21, 1869 at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. It is a philanthropic educational organization dedicated to supporting higher education for women. There are approximately 6,000 local chapters in the U.S. and Canada, with nearly a 250,000 active members.