Faculty goes international to kick off new semester
Tuesday, August 14th, 2007
A packed agenda included quick trips to Africa, Northern Ireland and Italy when the college faculty met today for its annual fall forum. The theme of the morning, introduced by faculty council chair Robert Garcia, was Beyond Our Borders.
Tonatiuh Melgarejo and Joyce Baptist reported on research they conducted in Africa.
Melgarejo, assistant professor in Human Nutrition, discussed studying mammal scavengers in the African bush in Tanzania. “My life changed by going there,” he said, encouraging faculty to offer international experience to students.
Baptist agreed. The Family Studies and Human Services works on a program to prevent AIDS in orphans and vulnerable children living in Nairobi.
Petra Barnes and Terrie McCants, along with several of their students, reported on 2007 student study tours and how to put one together.
Barnes and 23 students spent two weeks in Italy learning about customs, language, textiles and design.
McCants taught “Peace and Conflict in Northern Ireland” to 23 K-State students who traveled with her to Belfast. Nobel Peace laureate John Hume gave them an impromptu talk. “We need to spill more sweat and less blood,” he told them.
Students kept reflection journals as part of their work for the 3-hour course.
Also on the program was introduction of new faculty, staff and graduate students and reports on the Wellness Program and Justin Hall renovations.
Left: Student Megan Smith talks about Italian study with Petra Barnes. Right: New human nutrition grad student Yu (Joyce) Jiang
Students Mindi Grogan and Kale Monks await their turn at the podium with Terrie McCants.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 14th, 2007 and is filed under Dean's Blog.