Dr. Mary M. Dwyer and Jim Ahr Endowed Scholarship

Dr. Mary M. Dwyer served as the President and CEO of IES Abroad for nearly 25 years. During her tenure, more than 121,000 students enrolled in IES Abroad programming around the world. Dr. Dwyer’s student-focused strategies set new standards for study abroad in academic rigor, program evaluation and health and safety.

Dr. Dwyer was known for her saying “I have seen growth and I have seen decline, and growth is better.” Under her leadership, IES Abroad enrollment grew from 1,200 students to more than 10,500 students served annually. The IES Abroad mission grew to become inclusive of international as well as U.S. college students, full-time internship programs were added, and IES Abroad program sites grew from 21 to 90 locations around the world.

Throughout her tenure, Dr. Dwyer held a firm commitment to growing the accessibility of study abroad to underrepresented students. She initiated the IES Abroad Diversity initiative which in its first 10 years and as of 2020 resulted in 10,000 underrepresented students studying abroad. Toward this, she successfully led strategies which grew student diversity by 91% and student scholarships and aid from $515,000 annually to over $6.4 million annually.

The Dr. Mary M. Dwyer and Jim Ahr Endowed Scholarship Fund was established through the personal contributions of the IES Abroad Board of Directors, IES Abroad Alumni, and Dwyer Family and friends to honor Dr. Dwyer’s extraordinary successes. It honors the commitment shown by Dr. Dwyer and her husband, Mr. James Ahr, throughout Dr. Dwyer’s memorable tenure.

To be eligible for this scholarship, you must: 

• Enroll in a semester or full year IES Abroad program. 
• Identify as an underrepresented student. 
• Attend a member or associate member school of the IES Abroad Consortium. In addition, your school must transfer at least 75% of institutional aid for study abroad. 
• Have an expected family contribution (EFC) of $30,000 or less. 
• Have a minimum GPA of 2.75 (out of 4.0).