May 20, 2026
Photo courtesy of Charles Wigton
For Charles Wigton, receiving the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Master’s Studies for All Academic Disciplines scholarship brings him one step closer to his goal of earning a doctorate in clinical psychology. The award provides funding for students to pursue postgraduate or master’s degrees at universities across Germany.
“It was extremely exciting to receive the DAD scholarship,” Wigton, a senior majoring in psychological sciences in the College of Arts and Science and pursuing the Honors College Certificate, said. “I spent a lot of time and effort working with the amazing staff in the Mizzou Office of Global and National Fellowships, including Erik Potter and Nina Wilson-Keenan, to produce a competitive application for this award.”
Wigton has done plenty of work at Mizzou to prepare him for those next steps. He served as a neuroscience research assistant for Nicholas Gaspelin, an associate professor of psychological sciences, where he used MATLAB programming and eye-tracking software to collect data from study participants. Wigton also worked as a mindfulness meditation instructor. He is currently working to complete his honors capstone project through the Department of Psychological Sciences.
“Charles is a brilliant scholar whose remarkable intellect is paired with a number of personal qualities that will lead to a career as a psychologist who asks deep questions, integrates research areas and improves the lives of others,” Laura King, a Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Psychological Sciences, said. “His remarkable energy, infectious enthusiasm and willingness to take intellectual and interpersonal risks set him apart from other smart, hardworking people.”
The DAAD Master Studies for All Academic Disciplines scholarship program is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.
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