Five U of A graduate students recently won prestigious awards and scholarships from the P.E.O. Sisterhood recognizing their outstanding academic achievements.

Becca Bradley and Julia Hoskins won the P.E.O. Scholar Award, and Eva Caroline, Meutia Hanafiah and Danna Villarreal earned the International Peace Scholarship.

The P.E.O. Sisterhood, founded Jan. 21, 1869, at Iowa Wesleyan College, Mount Pleasant, Iowa, 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 quarter of a million active members.

The Scholar Awards were established in 1991 to provide substantial merit-based awards for women of the U.S. and Canada who are pursuing a doctoral-level degree at an accredited college or university. 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 P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship provides funding to international women pursuing graduate degrees in the U.S. and Canada to foster global peace through education. 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.

Becca Bradley

Bradley was sponsored by Chapter DP of Blytheville. She is a doctoral student in clinical psychology and earned her bachelor's in psychology from the University of Maryland and her master's degree in psychology from the U of A. She applied for the award because of "PEO's commitment to empowering women and uplifting communities."

"I also connected with my nominating chapter members, Debra Siegler and Sally Cooke, around our shared values of the importance of education, mental health and supporting families, which strongly resonated with my work in clinical psychology," she added.

Bradley's research focuses on identifying effective interventions for children with autism and behavioral concerns. By combining research with hands-on clinical experience, she seeks to advocate for families and improve access to care within communities.

"I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to PEO Chapter DP for nominating me," she said. "I am especially grateful to Debra Siegler and Sally Cooke for their encouragement and belief in me throughout this process. I am also deeply thankful to my letter writers, Drs. Lauren Quetsch, Michele Kilmer and Matt Judah, for their unwavering support, mentorship and guidance throughout my development as a psychologist."

Julia Hoskins

Hoskins was sponsored by Chapter BH of Fayetteville. She is a doctoral student in mechanical engineering and earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, also from the U of A. She applied for the award to further her academic pursuits while also contributing to her long-term career goals.

"It's a great honor to receive this award. I'm excited because it recognizes the efforts I've put into my academic work, and it motivates me to keep pushing boundaries in my studies," she said. "I would like to thank my mentors for their consistent guidance and the Fayetteville Chapter BH for nominating me. Their support and belief in my potential have deeply affected me, and I appreciate the opportunity this award represents."

Hoskins is also a recipient of the Doctoral Academy Fellowship and the William R. Hearst Foundation Fellowship. Her research focuses on surface engineering, microfabrication and microfluidics, with numerous publications in the field. In addition to her academic achievements, she has been actively involved in mentoring, STEM outreach and leadership roles within academic and engineering organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers.

Eva Stephani Caroline

Caroline holds a bachelor's degree in fisheries from Fisheries University in Jakarta, Indonesia, and a master's degree in agricultural economics and agribusiness from the U of A. In her time as a doctoral student, she has collaborated with faculty on projects related to irrigation, rice production and the forestry sector.

She said she was honored to be selected for the award again, which "uplifts and empowers women from around the world in their pursuit of education."

"As a woman from Indonesia, this recognition is deeply meaningful," she said. "It reminds me that the challenges of being an international student, a researcher and a mother are seen and valued. I'm especially grateful for the chance to show my daughters that education, perseverance and faith can open doors—even far from home."

Her research focuses on how crop producers improve water use efficiency through various irrigation management practices that conserve water and support productivity.

"I want to express my heartfelt thanks to those who supported my application directly—especially my adviser, Dr. Qiuqiong Huang, and Cynthia Smith, assistant director for outreach in the Office of International Students and Scholars - for their guidance, encouragement and belief in me," she said. "I'm also grateful to the Public Policy program, the Agricultural Economics Department, the Indonesian Student Association, GPSC, the PEO Sisterhood and other local organizations that have provided me with opportunities to learn, grow and serve a broader community."

Meutia Hanafiah

Hanafiah is a native of Aceh, Indonesia, where she earned her bachelor's degree in dental science and DDS before traveling to study as a Fulbright scholar at the U of A. In 2022, she began as a doctoral student in the U of A's anthropology program. Her current research explores the variation and heritability in palatal rugae and understands how genes and the environment influence their morphology.

"Receiving the P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship for a second year is such an honor," she said. "The first year gave me so much - not just the support to move my education forward but also the chance to meet and learn from incredible women who care deeply about making a difference. That experience made me want to apply again so I could keep growing, giving back and staying connected to this inspiring community."

A first-generation college student, Hanafiah has become actively engaged in helping fellow international students find their way at the university by serving as a cross-cultural mentor through the International Students and Scholars Office. While volunteering in that role, she helped new international students adapt academically, culturally and socially to the U of A and the U.S.

"I am grateful for the support of women who believe in education, cross-cultural understanding and making a positive impact," she said. "This award motivates me to keep moving forward with my studies and my work mentoring others."

Danna Villarreal

Villarreal is a native of Panama City, Panama, and earned a bachelor's degree in environmental engineering from Technological University of Panama. She earned a master's degree in flood risk as part of a prestigious Erasmus Mundus program in Europe before pursuing a doctoral degree in biological and agricultural engineering at the U of A. Her current research focuses on analyzing complex watershed systems in the U.S. and their impact on water quality as part of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineering-funded project in their Engineering With Nature Program.

"Thanks to this award, I have successfully completed my first year of Ph.D. studies by concentrating on disseminating my research at conferences and working on my dissertation chapters without financial distress," she said.

Villarreal currently serves as a treasurer representative for the U of A's Graduate Society of Women Engineers and the chair of the Graduate Professional and Student Association for the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Program.

"I would like to thank my adviser, Dr. Rebecca Muenich, for her support throughout my journey, as well as my lab colleagues, the BAEG department and the university for providing information on the PEO scholarships," she said.