Native American Studies scholarship

INAS is accepting applications for the Ruth Pack scholarships through May 31. Preference is given to Native American students, applications are limited to INAS certificate students, Native American students and students working in Native American fields. 

Courtesy of a generous gift to recruit and support Native American students at the university from UGA alumnus Chris Goeckel (BBA’84), the Institute of Native American Studies (INAS) will support the campus experience of eligible students:

"My great-grandmother was a strong woman that had a significant influence in my maternal family’s lives, and I wanted to support and honor Ruth Pack and the Cherokee Nation," Goeckel said. “While continuing my family research over the years and reading Dr. Saunt’s books about the forced removal of American Indian tribes across the Southeast, I feel more strongly than ever about the importance of the Native American tribes to the early success of the United States and connecting that history to our university.”

The Ruth Pack scholarship is designed to support graduate and undergraduate students from across the United States that come to study at UGA, and is named for Chris Goeckel’s great grandmother.  The award promotes the importance of the Native American Studies curriculum for the UGA community. Eligible applicants include Native American students, INAS Certificate students, and students whose community-based research is focused on Native American topics and issues.

The Institute of Native American Studies (INAS) is one of the few such programs in the Southeast, allowing students to add a certificate demonstrating expertise in Native American Studies alongside tradition disciplines and majors. Faculty and scholars with Native American expertise support INAS students along their path through 18 hours of course work in Native American fields including history, literature, anthropology, philosophy, religion and related issues in the Southeast and across the Americas. UGA’s campus is located on land formerly inhabited by Muscogee and Cherokee peoples, and in proximity to Oconee National Forest, the Chattahoochee River, and the Qualla Boundary – home of the federally recognized Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The Ruth Pack Scholarship Program, along with committed UGA faculty, allows INAS to sustain a community of student scholars. 

Applicants should contact native-studies@uga.edu for more information.