All Abroad!
Eighteen Georgia Southern professors from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences attended a two-week faculty development seminar in the West African nation of Senegal, thanks to a U.S. Department of Education “Internationalizing the Curriculum for All” grant. In addition to meeting with Senegalese representatives about the country’s educational, political and social structure, the group was able to visit sites that are significant landmarks in the nation’s history and contemporary culture.
Department of Music professor Daniel Pittman received a Fulbright Senior Specialists grant to further music education programs in Thailand. Pittman presented seminars and lectures on Wind Band Rehearsal Techniques and Consulting at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The former director of Southern Pride marching band for 16 years, Pittman was interim director of the Center for International Studies and also led the Department’s Studies Abroad Program in Music with European concert tours.
Economics professor Greg Brock was awarded the Fulbright Specialists grant at the Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico. He spent three weeks working with college professors and teachers to bring age-appropriate economic education to children in kindergarten through 12th grades, in addition to other duties. “For decades, Georgia Southern has had a center to help teachers better teach economics,” said Brock, who met with teachers in Mexico to demonstrate effective instructional methods. The Fulbright Specialists Program provides short-term academic opportunities for U.S.-based University faculty and professionals.
From the Students
“Studying in Montepulciano, Italy, was the most rewarding experience of my life. I learned the importance of learning the native languages of other countries and gained a new respect for a culture other than my own. I stepped outside of my comfort zone and really transformed myself into a more worldly and independent person. I hope everyone at Georgia Southern gets the opportunity to participate in a study abroad program, because my college experience would not have been complete without it.” – Nicole Penn, Italy
“Within the six weeks, I was able to fully immerse myself in the culture of Spain and develop a new outlook on diversity that surrounds us but also learn how similar we are to those of other countries. Spending hours in the streets waiting for the final call that Spain had won the world cup gave me time to see how genuine the people of Spain truly are in that each person, individual in character, blended together to form a sea of red and yellow.” – Nathan Baca, Spain
“One of the things that truly surprised me about the whole experience is how much I truly learned in the classes that we took. Despite the length of the classes, we were actively engaged in the learning process the whole time and our professor, Dr. Krista Wiegand, is an experienced traveler who helped us open our minds and realize how connected the world is really becoming through the issues that we deal with every day. From just enjoying watching volcanoes spew lava at night, to zip lining through rainforests, all the way to just laying out at beautiful beaches, the country of Costa Rica offered many different varieties of entertainment to suit the taste of any traveler.”
– Tim Anthony, Costa Rica