Faculty International Activities

Tom Prasch (History Department)

We began our summer 2022 Sweet Sabbatical in Lisbon, Portugal, where I presented a paper on Owen Jones and the Alhambra at the Mediterranean Studies conference (and where we ate tons of seafood and visited museums— the tile museum is fantastic, the archaeological museum in the monastery ruins sublime, the show of African immigrant art at the Gulbenkin eye-opening). Then, after a tour of Portuguese historic sites with the conference organizers, we headed south to sample for ourselves what entranced Jones about Moorish Spain.

In Sevilla, our planned trajectory was derailed when my wife Marcia came down with COVID; somehow I escaped. And, really, there are worse places to be stuck an extra week than Sevilla, with the wonders of its cathedral, the Alcazar Moorish palace, the heavily tiled Case de Pilatos, and the fabulous seafood. And I daytripped my way to the

Alhambra to see the place for myself (see picture).

We closed out our trip with a few days in Tarifa, on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, and in London (lots of museums—the “Surrealism beyond Borders” show at Tate Modern; the “World of Stonehenge” exhibition at the British Museum—a bit of theatre, and of course a few some bookstores).

Dr. David Price (School of Business) visited Australia between December 2022 and January 2023. He presented a research paper titled: “Defining What It Means for Firms to Leverage Resources” at the IRES Conference in Sydney, Australia. The trip was also an opportunity to create closer relationships with his colleagues at his alma mater at Griffith University on the Gold Coast, Queensland. He met with several faculty members from Griffith as the Business School is investigating a new program around ‘social entrepreneurship.’ Ideas were shared on ways to launch and implement a new student competition and curriculum that will begin in the spring semester of 2023.

Dr. Kelly Thor (Art Department)

Cropping up throughout the Iberian Peninsula, impressive rock-cut tombs and related structures appear in different shapes, arrangements, and contexts including churches, monasteries, rural settlements, and ancient ruins. The labor-intensive nature of these stony sepulchers, coupled with the dramatic landscapes into which they were carved strongly suggests funereal practices that were central to the life (and death) of many medieval communities. These dramatic cemeteries and spaces have received little attention over the years and so I was thrilled to finally be able to benefit from my deferred 2020 Sweet Sabbatical and spend time in Portugal, Spain, and France for six weeks in the Summer of 2022.

This was my first opportunity to conduct new field work related to my ongoing interest in the persistent appreciation for powerful, magical landscapes among the medieval populations of Iberia. Although I have previously focused on rural, frontier churches, the frequency with which I encountered adjacent rock-cut tombs, receptacles of unknown function, boulders, springs, and caves kept pulling me towards the question of why these communities would choose these sites and this arduous method of burial…leading me to consider that the landscape was considered powerful in and of itself.

It is really only by traveling to these sites can one appreciate how rock-cut steps or stony passages “direct” viewers to and among the tombs. Compasses come in handy when trying to determine if graves were excavated to align with a natural feature (like a balancing boulder), along religious lines (Muslims facing Mecca, Christians towards the East), or perhaps something else altogether, like the shape of the rock itself. I returned from my travels with more questions than I began with and am eagerly anticipating my first Academic Sabbatical for the chance to dive into archaeological reports and better understand these practices.

2022 Study Abroad Scholarship Recipients

Congratualtiosn to the following 102 students who studied abroad through 21 programs, which included facultyled, affiliate, and direcet (partnership) enrollment programs. These students received aid totaling over $100,000 from the WTE funds and International Program Scholarships.

Adelante Abroad - Edinburgh, Scotland: Taylor, Chloe

AIFS Study Abroad in London, England: Sutton, Brenden

Anyang University - South Korea: Munoz, Shelby

East & Central European Studies - Prague, Czech Republic: Collett, Caroline

Edinburgh Fringe Festival - Scotland: Gallardo, Illiana Kirby, Hannah McCollum, Grey

Rea, Caroline Staats, Josh Woods, Angela

ESC Rennes School of Business - France: Postma, Graci

ESC Rennes School of Business - Rennes, France: Sutton, Shelby

European Capitals: Netherlands, Belgium, England:

Adams, Joe Albert, Mia Archer, Daniel Boswell, Richie

Connolly, Katrina Dickens, Jordan Dorantes, Megan Fiola, Brady

Hanes, Shayden Harris, Quentin Howell, Jacob Howell, Ruby

Jeter, Sierra Leffingwell, Quinn Manna, Paul Murray, Molly

Ngatia, Liz Norton, Justine Olberding, Koy Rorstrom, Eric

Urban, Kade

Griffith University: Australia: Price, Peyton

International Business Experience - Brazil ( Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bunito ):

Briggs, Stacy Davis, Kolby Emanuel, Carlos Mason, Emily

Meier, Niels Mullen, Aaron Schwensen, Nicolas Zook, Riley

International Business Experience - Belgium, France, Germany:

Albertson, Josh Alghanem, Abdulrahman Hicks, Kera Kelpin, Larresa

Last, Connor McCrory, Abigail Paez, Christian

International Entertainment Law: London, England: Chambers, Alison

Maastricht University Law Program, Netherlands: Ben, Marcello Emma, Staats

Maynooth University International Summer School – Ireland: Hubener, Emma

Nursing Perspectives in the Caribbean - Puerto Rico: Alonzo, Lucky Barnes, Lauren-Elise Bitner, Haley Cadwell, Sadie

Eckert, Belinda Egidy, Mercedes Fischer, Haley Flack, Abi

Fontaine, Marley Heusi, Michelle Hickerson, Josie Huey, Anna

Izard, Khalil Koranda, Makenzie Marquez, Isabel Martinez, Valeria

McMillan, Ethan Meyer, Megan Nelson, Alexia Royal, Rebecca

Sandoval, Jennifer Sutton, Abby Thissen, Ashlie Thompson, Carlee

University of Santiago de Compostela – Spain: Kiamco, Britney

Women in World War II – France:

Anderson, Anna Bermudez, Breanna Burdick, George Cedillo-Silva, Carlos

Colwell, Cheyanne Dickens, Jordan Frank, Lauren Hiserote, Elisa

Hubener, Emma Jeter, Sierra Johnson, Katie Jones, Eleanor

Kastrup, Michealla Kofoid, Julia Kuck, Loren Morrissey, Emma

Nguyen, Quan Pendergrass, Eliana Revell, Jessie Pendergrass, Elizabeth

Centre International d’Antibes French Language School - France: Ansah, Destiny

Mester Spanish School – Spain: Cedillo-Silva, Carlos

Don Quijote - Winter Break Course - Spain: Workman, Savannah