Kansas State University

Education Abroad thanks faculty, staff for internationalizing K-State classrooms and curriculum

Submitted by Brent Holliday

During the 2023-24 academic year, 49 K-State faculty and staff proposed faculty-led education abroad courses that included international study tours. Nineteen faculty proposed their first programs abroad, creating new applied learning opportunities for K-State students.

Engineering students gained new perspectives on design and sustainability in Japan, where the faculty facilitated visits to global companies like Panasonic, as well as workshops related to traditional design techniques. Agriculture, biology and animal science majors engaged with veterinary professionals in the U.K. and learned how AI is being incorporated into English agricultural practices. Students in bakery science learned about key issues impacting the industry at the Welsh Baking Conference, where they attended workshops and presentations and networked with professionals in the industry. In collaboration with Education Abroad, high impact learning experiences like these were developed in nearly every college at K-State, including the Manhattan and Olathe campuses.

Faculty leaders provide critical support and guidance to their students while they are abroad. The faculty are also instrumental in helping students gain an international perspective on their fields of study and develop valuable skills and competencies. Education Abroad recognizes and thanks these faculty and staff for their tremendous effort to internationalize their classrooms with an education abroad experience in 2023-24.

College of Agriculture

• Gaea Hock — Agricultural Education in Austria, Germany and Czech Republic, summer. 
• Elisa Karkle, Aaron Clanton and Hulya Dogan, Bakery Science Study Tour of the U.K. and France, spring break. 

College of Architecture, Planning & Design

• Tim DeNoble — Italian Studies Program, fall semester.
• Stephanie Rolley, Adriana Molina and Gregory Yager — Italian Studies Program, spring semester. 
• Jessica Canfield and Otto Chanyakorn — KSU in Italy: APDesign, summer. 

College of Arts and Sciences

• Rebecca Bender — Spanish Culture and Civilization, Spain, summer. 
• Ethan Bernick and Andrew Long — Politics of Globalization, Race and Ethnicity in France, winter break. 
• Gary Brase — Cross-Cultural Psychology, KSU in Italy, summer. 
• Slawomir Dobrzanski — A Musical Journey to the Land of Chopin, Poland, summer. 
• Douglas Dow — History of Italian Art and Architecture, KSU in Italy, summer. 
• Tanya Gonzalez, Rebeca Paz and Greg Eiselein — First-generation Education Abroad Experience to Italy, spring break. 
• Derek Hillard — KSU in Berlin and Leipzig, Germany, summer. 
• Bryan Pinkall and Amanda Arrington, Rhythm of the Emerald Isle, KSU in Ireland, summer. 
• Andrew Smith — MC Video Practicum in the U.K., spring break. 
• Andrew Smith — Photography and Digital Storytelling Abroad, KSU in Italy, summer. 
• Martha Smith-Caldas, Marcellus Caldas and Elizabeth Dodd — Discovering Costa Rica, summer. 
• Patricia Thompson — Music in Italy, KSU in Italy, summer. 
• Laura Valentin Rivera — Spanish and Culture in Mexico, summer. 
• Michael Wesch — Ethnography Abroad, KSU in Italy, summer. 

College of Business Administration

• Amy Hageman and Brooke Beyer — Accounting International Experience, Japan, spring break. 
• Swinder Janda — International Business in Spain and Italy, fall break. 
• Terry Mason — Accounting International Experience, Ireland, summer. 

College of Education

• Alex Becnel — Multicultural Counseling in Italy, summer. 
• Vicki Sherbert, F. Todd Goodson and Eileen Wertzberger — Reading/Writing Connections in the U.K., summer. 

Carl R. Ice College of Engineering

• Ayumi Amama and Placidus Amama, Global Engineering and Design Perspectives in Japan, summer. 
• David Invergo, Dan Andresen and Jorge Valenzuela, Computer Science Professional Seminar in Prague, Czech Republic, spring break. 

College of Health and Human Sciences

• Hyung Chan Kim — Interior Design in South Korea, summer. 
• Chad Lohman — Food and Wine of Italy, KSU in Italy, summer. 

College of Veterinary Medicine

• Walter Renberg — International Veterinary Study Tour, Uruguay, summer. 

K-State Olathe

• Becky Stuteville, Paige Adams and Haley Larson — Animal Health and Welfare in the U.K., summer. 

Staley School of Leadership

• Andy Wefald — Culture and Context in Leadership, KSU in Italy, summer. 

Additional thanks to the following K-State units, department heads and college deans who had a significant role in the development of these education abroad programs through facilitation of financial support. Their efforts helped reduce equity gaps and make education abroad accessible to more students:

• College of Agriculture: Dan Moser
• College of Engineering: Amy Betz
• Department of accounting: Brett Wilkinson
• Department of computer science: Scott DeLoach
• Department of political science: Nathaniel Birkhead
• Department of grain science and industry
• Department of modern languages: Rebecca Bender
• K-State Olathe: Ben Wolfe
• School of Music, Theatre, and Dance: Bryan Pinkall
• Student Governing Association 

Thank you to those campus units who had a role in collaborating with Education Abroad on the development of faculty-led programs, including: Office of Student Financial Assistance, Lafene Health Center, Division of Financial Services, Administrative Support Services, Global Campus, Student Access Center, First-generation Student Center, Union Passport Acceptance Center, Student Support and Accountability, and the Office of Risk and Compliance.

If you are interested in learning more about faculty-led education abroad programs or developing a faculty-led opportunity for your students, please contact bholliday@k-state.edu.