Graduate Students Selected for Prestigious P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship
By Marissa Price
One Virginia Commonwealth University graduate student has been selected as a recipient, and another has been waitlisted, for the Philanthropic Educational Organization’s (P.E.O.) International Peace Scholarship, a prestigious award for international women pursuing advanced graduate degrees in the United States and Canada.
VCU’s Grace Lee (pictured left), is pursuing her Ph.D. in clinical psychology in the College of Humanities and Sciences with an expected graduation date of May 2029. Aibike Artykbaeva, who is pursuing her Ph.D. in epidemiology in the School of Public Health, with an expected graduation date of August 2029, has been named an alternate.
“Grace’s Peace Scholarship award and Aibike’s recognition from the PEO are celebrations of their exceptional academic achievements and research contributions. This prestigious award will further empower Grace’s pioneering work, which exemplifies the kind of scholarly excellence and dedication to advancing health care that we celebrate at VCU,” said Meredith Sisson, associate director of VCU’s National Scholarship Office.
Since 1949, the P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship (IPS) Fund has been helping women from around the world pursue graduate study in the U.S. and Canada. IPS recipients carry the spirit of P.E.O. back to their home countries, where the degrees they have earned positively impact people’s lives around the globe.
Lee came to VCU with a bachelor’s of arts in English Language and Literature and a master’s of arts in Clinical Psychology from Korea University. There, she spent three years in the Psychopathology and Social Neuroscience Lab under Dr. Ji-Won Hur, where she investigated the neurobiological mechanisms behind destructive health outcomes, particularly nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI).
“This experience allowed me to lead several projects, resulting in first-author publications,” Lee said. “It also instilled in me the joy of doing science with a greater purpose: making a difference for clinical populations.”
Upon graduation, Lee plans to become a clinical psychologist and professor in South Korea, leading her own lab specializing in eating disorders and suicide. In the long term, Lee aspires to establish culturally adaptive, evidence-based care for eating disorders in her home country.
Artykbaeva came to VCU with a medical doctor degree from the Kyrgyz State Medical Academy and a Master of Public Health from the Erasmus Mundus Joint Degree program, studying at both the University of Nicosia in Greece and the University of Oviedo in Spain. Prior to joining VCU’s Ph.D. program in epidemiology, she worked as a program specialist at TB DIAH project, where she led large-scale analyses of tuberculosis data and facilitated national workshops to strengthen data-driven decision-making within Kyrgyzstan’s health system.
Aibike has also conducted international research on the mental health impact of COVID-19 among emergency service workers at Falck Ambulance, with data collected from four countries.
“My experience working with both frontline data and global partners showed me how meaningful public health research can truly be,” Artykbaeva said.
Upon graduation, Aibike aims to continue advancing evidence-based strategies for infectious disease control and health system strengthening, particularly in Central Asia.
VCU’s National Scholarship Office assists students and alumni with applying for prestigious national and international scholarships, including the PEO International Peace Scholarship. To learn more about opportunities, visit the NSO website and schedule an appointment.
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