The Internet2 Emerging Leaders (I2EL) Scholarship partners with community institutions and organizations to support and advance early-career professionals in the research and education (R&E) technology community. The R&E community has strong emerging talent, but opportunities and the path forward is not always clear. 

The program centers on attendance at Internet2’s two flagship events, Global Summit (previously known as Community Exchange) and Technology Exchange. The scholarship program uses these gatherings as launchpads for deeper professional development within a small, intentional cohort of peers. It’s an intentional effort to grow and keep the next generation of leaders who will carry the community forward.

2026 Community Exchange Internet2 Emerging Leaders Scholarship Recipients

• Kelvin Echenim, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• Kristen Finch, University of Washington Information Technology
• Zach Fuchik, The Ohio State University
• Tristan Gaspas, Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC)
• Taylor Graham, Rosen Center for Advanced Computing at Purdue University
• Mia Langworthy, University of Wyoming
• David Lockett, Meharry School of Applied Computational Sciences 
• Katie Lungren, Colorado State University
• Ashley Stauffer, The Pennsylvania State University

2025 Technology Exchange Internet2 Emerging Leaders Scholarship Recipients

• Shira Acosta, University of Virginia
• Nathan Carlson, University of Minnesota
• Pablo Garcia Acuna, Merit Network
• Esen Gokpinar Shelton, Indiana University
• Stella Kwon, Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC)
• Luis Marin Vera, Florida International University
• Sasmita Mohapatra, University of Texas-Dallas
• Bradly Shoen, University of Montana
• Brian Stookey, Lonestar Education and Research Network (LEARN)
• Katie Whitfield, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
• Reilly Wolfe, University of Idaho

2025 Community Exchange Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• No scholarship recipients for this event

2024 Technology Exchange Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• Aaisha Davis, Queens University of Charlotte
• Jela Stevens, Georgia State University
• Julia Clark, University of Montana
• Shelby Williams, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
• Valerie Slujalkovsky Torchio, Rochester Institute of Technology
• Zhaneille Green, Duke University

2024 Community Exchange Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• Sonal Jha, Virginia Tech
• Augustina (Tina) Oware, Rochester Institute of Technology
• Kristen Weimar, Ohio Academic Resources Network (OARnet)
• Ivy Wells, University of Montana
• Torin White, University of Illinois Chicago

2023 Technology Exchange Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• Shweta Chauhan, San Diego State University
• Emily Kasbohm, Brown University
• Becca Kingery, Nebraska Office of the CIO and Network Nebraska
• Jessica Krause, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Ayat Mohammed, Virginia Tech
• Veronica Ramirez, Chapman University

2023 Community Exchange Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• Amy Fouts, Northern Arizona University (NAU)
• Irene Lobos, University of California, Berkeley
• Yamini Lakshmi Narasimhan, New York University (NYU)
• Stephania Oates, Fayetteville State University (FSU)
• Stacie Pretty On Top, Salish Kootenai College (SKC), a tribal college situated on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Pablo, Mont.
• Anna Liza Smith, University of California, San Diego’s IT Services
• Sapana (Soni) Shedge, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL), California

2022 Technology Exchange Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• Emily Chahar, University of Delaware
• Allison (Ally) Hepp, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• Steffanie Johnson, Office of Cybersecurity at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Nicole Klueber, The Pennsylvania State University

2020 Global Summit Recipients

• Event canceled

2019 Technology Exchange Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• Jacqueline Knight-Barber, OSHEAN
• Bridget Bartell, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Shashwitha Puttaswamy, The George Washington University

2019 Global Summit Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• Rachael Collard, Connecticut Education Network
• Kaitlin Helfter, Purdue University
• Erin Plese, Northern Arizona University
• Katelyn Russell, University of Texas at Austin
• Nuyun Zhang, The Georgia Institute of Technology

2018 Technology Exchange Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• Tomomi Imamura, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Internet2 Scholarship in Recognition of Carrie Regenstein recipient
• Iris Niestas, University of Texas at El Paso

2018 Global Summit Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• Gladys Andino, Purdue University
• Lisa Barry, East Carolina University
• Stephanie Collins, Virginia Tech
• Manisha Kanodia, University of California San Diego

2017 Technology Exchange Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• Sarvani Chadalapaka, University of California-Merced, Internet2 Scholarship in Recognition of Carrie Regenstein recipient
• Forough Ghahramani, Rutgers Discovery Informatics Institute
• Gabriella Perez, University of Iowa
• Kayla Pierson, University of Montana

2017 Global Summit Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• Courtney Fell, University of Colorado
• Jieyu Gao, Purdue University
• Kerry Havens, University of Colorado
• Meloney Linder Mecklenburg, University of Wisconsin
• Zeynep Ondin, Virginia Tech
• Claire Stirm, Purdue University

2016 Technology Exchange Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• Natalie Hidalgo, New York University, Internet2 Scholarship in Recognition of Carrie Regenstein recipient
• Colleen Morrissey, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Tiny Norris, MCNC
• Joanna (Zwack) Sampson, Colorado State University

2016 Global Summit Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• Amber Rasche, North Dakota State University
• Torey (Semi) Battelle, Colorado School of Mines
• Joyce Landreth, Virginia Tech
• MaRita Ward, Indiana University

2015 Technology Exchange Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• Sarah Bailey, Case Western Reserve University
• Chris Collins, University of Cincinnati, Internet2 Scholarship in recognition of Carrie Regenstein recipient
• Gourija Menon, Vanderbilt University
• Heather (Heath) Davis, University of Iowa

2015 Global Summit Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• Angel Male, Rochester Institute of Technology
• Deidre Mitchell, University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Jackie Stampalia, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

2014 Technology Exchange Internet2 Scholarship Recipients

• Jamie McCue, Colorado State University, Internet2 Scholarship in recognition of Carrie Regenstein recipient
• Jill Casey, University of Alabama in Huntsville

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