Dr. Roswitha Benesch Endowed Scholarship

A native Austrian, Dr. Roswitha Benesch earned her Ph.D. from the University of Graz in Austria. In addition to teaching IES Abroad Vienna students for more than five decades, she worked at the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne, Germany; spent an academic year as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Chicago; and taught for two semesters at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. She also taught Cultural History and Art History at the University of Music and the Performing Arts in Vienna.

Frau Benesch has devoted over 55 years of her life teaching students in the IES Abroad Vienna program. She began working at IES Abroad Vienna as a chaperone and art history instructor as student groups arrived by boat to tour Europe before arriving in Vienna. Over the years, she has accompanied countless groups of students on their educational spring break tours to Italy, Prague, and Budapest as well as summer tours to Spain. Frau Benesch officially joined the IES Abroad faculty in 1964 as an Art History Professor and has left a profound impact on hundreds of U.S. college students and their view of classical art. She has taught a number of courses at IES Abroad Vienna in the Art History Department including:  Art Analysis I & II, Renaissance Art, Introduction to Modern Art, and Baroque Art. Throughout her years at IES Abroad, Frau Benesch has been recognized for her dedication and was awarded the Long-Time Faculty Award in 2010. 

Frau Benesch's high academic standards and devotion to teaching have inspired countless students. We are pleased to honor her tireless commitment to IES Abroad Vienna students through the Dr. Roswitha Benesch Endowed Scholarship.

To be eligible for this scholarship, you must: 

• Enroll in an IES Abroad Vienna semester program. 
• Major or minor in art history. Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in an art history course while in Vienna. 
• Have an expected family contribution (EFC) of $30,000 or less.