After a few grim years of being grounded by the pandemic, Washington State University students are back to traveling with a record 400 scheduled this summer to study abroad (besting 383 in summer 2017). WSU’s International Programs-Global Learning department oversees more than 700 programs offering students the opportunity to experience life beyond campus while they attend classes and earn credits in foreign locales.
During the 2023 spring break, 42 students selected one of three different study abroad programs led by WSU faculty and staff.
Melanie Neuilly, associate professor and chair of Criminal Justice and Criminology, led a group of students from WSU and the University of Idaho to the United Kingdom. At a high-security psychiatric hospital in Crowthorne, Berkshire, they interacted with clinically insane patients who had committed violent crimes.
At the Museum of the Future in Dubai, UAE, WSU students had the opportunity to immerse themselves in learning about topics such as the future of space exploration, human wellness, automation, and artificial intelligence. The trip was led by Dipra Jha, scholarly associate professor, and Jenny Kim, professor and Craig Schafer Fellow, both of the School of Hospitality Business Management in the Carson College of Business.
Holly Henning, teaching associate professor, and Jessica Goldberger, professor, in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, led a team of 11 undergraduates to Colonia Valdense in Uruguay. They spent a day at a small-scale agroecological farm that produces jams, sauces, and butters. One group sliced figs for jam, another chopped tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic for tomato sauce. Other students shelled pecans for nut butter, peeled grapes for jam, affixed labels to product jars, and cooked old banana peels for a natural fertilizer for use on the farm.
About 400 students will study abroad this summer in 29 countries, ranging from Chile to Sweden.
Applications for fall 2023 study abroad programs are being accepted until May 1.
Study abroad comprises faculty-led, exchange, and third-party provider programs, which can span a semester, spring break, summer, academic year or calendar year. WSU faculty alone lead 39 programs in 24 countries and will soon be offering trips to all seven continents. The WSU First Gen Abroad program, led by Angie Klimko in the First at WSU center, stands out on a national stage by helping to remove barriers for first generation students wanting to study abroad. Students receive support at each step, from filling out the application to obtaining a passport to creating a personalized financial plan for their experience abroad.
Scholarships and financial aid are available for study abroad, and Global Learning advisors based in Bryan Hall on the Pullman campus help students sort through their options. Advisors will assist students in finding the best fit for their academic, social, and financial needs, and support them through registration, pre-departure preparations, and returning home.
Faculty and staff can connect with Kelly Newlon, director of Global Learning, to learn about developing new faculty-led opportunities for WSU’s Global Cougs.
