28yo Becomes Only M’sian Among 25 Int’l Students to be Awarded EER Fellowship by University of Texas

The University of Texas (UT) at Austin, United States (US), has awarded the Energy and Earth Resources (EER) fellowship to 25 outstanding students from 9 different countries, in order for them to pursue their postgraduate Masters Degree at their institute.

And among these 25 amazing students is a Malaysian girl!

Speaking to WORLD OF BUZZ on her achievement, 28-year-old Previna Arumugam shared how she was introduced to the EER fellowship.

“I learned about the program from Dr. Hijaz, a lecturer at UM who discovered it through his colleague. The program director was specifically looking for Malaysian participants because no Malaysians had been involved in the program for many years.”

“Dr. Hijaz arranged a session with the program director to introduce a group of UM student and myself to the program. Although the program had alumni from Thailand and Indonesia, I was curious about the absence of Malaysians and PETRONAS scholars,” she said.

Not only is Previna incredibly smart as she graduated with first-class honours from Universiti Teknologi Petronas, she is also an amazing athlete as she has represented Pahang in the SUKMA Games where she earned Silver and Gold medals.

After speaking to the program director, Dr. Richard, Previna who is a Geophysicist, was told that she was an ideal candidate!

“During the session, Dr. Hijaz and Dr. Richard encouraged me to apply, stating that the program was well-suited for candidates with 2 to 3 years of working experience. They believed I was an ideal candidate.”

“Both Dr. Hijaz and Dr. Richard provided support and assistance in finding scholarships and financial aid. I had further discussions with Dr. Richard, particularly concerns about financing my studies. Dr. Richard guided me towards a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) role, which offered reduced tuition and a salary to cover my living expenses,” she added.

Previna was then offered the GRA position prior to her accepting the fellowship and joining the program, which is unusual as candidates would need to join the program first before being offered such roles.

“As the only Malaysian honoured with the EER fellowship at UT Austin, I embrace this opportunity to shine. I’m proud to be Malaysian, proud to make my mark and transforming challenges into a remarkable spark,” she shared.

We wish Previna nothing but the best on her journey to gaining her postgraduate Masters Degree at UT Austin!

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