Thailand study abroad enhances education through experience, perspective

Across the College, students gain real-world experience through internships, research and immersive learning opportunities that prepare them for meaningful careers. In the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, that commitment recently took students across the globe to Thailand where exchanges of culture and peer-to-peer science helped them see their coursework and potential career paths in new ways.

Led by faculty from the department, the newly launched Thailand study abroad program is built around a course focused on international perspectives. Students spent two weeks fully immersed in the Thai culture while examining environmental and biological issues, such as plastic waste, clean water access, as well as business and sustainability from both U.S. and Southeast Asian perspectives.

Rather than learning about these topics abstractly in a classroom, Brian Shaw, Ph.D., professor and associate department head for academic affairs in the department, said students encounter them firsthand through field experiences, collaborative discussions and site visits.

“Study abroad is a transformational learning experience,” Shaw, who helped lead the inaugural student trip, said. “It’s about being immersed in a different environment and seeing the world and ultimately yourself in a new way. We believe that new perspective is incredibly valuable to students’ academic and professional pursuits.”

Science with global context

That transformation looked different for every student on the trip, but for Gracie Lenz ’26, two weeks in Thailand gave four years of bioenvironmental sciences coursework a dimension she had not expected to find.

Students had the opportunity to partner directly with Thai university peers, discussing environmental challenges from cultural, scientific and societal perspectives. For Lenz, those interactions highlighted how global issues like pollution, waste and sustainability can look very different depending on local context.

“This study abroad opened doors to experiences and perspectives I wouldn’t have had otherwise,” Lenz said. “It gave me real-world context for everything I’ve learned in environmental science — policy, microbiology, waste management — all of it became much more tangible.”

Connecting coursework to real-world challenges

Adoriam DeWalt ’27, a junior bioenvironmental sciences major who works in a plant pathology and microbiology research lab on campus, echoed Lenz’s sentiment but from a field-based perspective. Having studied ecoregions and environmental systems in class, seeing them firsthand offered an “ah-ha” moment.

“I’ve read about these types of ecoregions and studied them for years,” DeWalt said. “But I had never seen them up close. Being able to experience them in person and talk with professionals who work in those environments every day was incredibly eye-opening.”

Both DeWalt and Lenz said site visits were key to bringing academic concepts to life. From biotech and hydroponic agricultural companies to university research stations and protected natural areas, students encountered how science, policy and industry intersect.

For DeWalt, meeting industry professionals, including researchers and business leaders, sparked new ideas about future career paths, while reinforcing how her studies in microbiology and environmental science can be applied.

Equally important was the faculty support on the trip. Lenz, a first-time international traveler, felt prepared and supported throughout her time in Thailand.

“I never felt overwhelmed or unsafe,” she said. “Having our professors there made a huge difference. It allowed me to focus on learning and experiencing as much as possible.”

But experiences like the ones Lenz and DeWalt had do not happen by accident. They are a result of deliberate investment by faculty and department leadership who believe that what happens outside the classroom matters just as much as what happens inside of it.

Preparing students for what comes next

Won Bo Shim, Ph.D., head of the Department, said the Thailand study abroad is a natural extension of the department’s broader commitment to experiential education. Undergraduate students in the department are encouraged to pursue internships, research opportunities, and participate in Extension experiences. Shim said students gain practical skills and strengthen resumes by participating.

“We want to position our students for career success by providing them with world-class instruction,” Shim said. “But we also recognize how broadening their perspective enhances their learning and inspires their development as people and professionals. We feel it hones important skills that make them more competitive and impactful in their chosen field.”