Learning Around the World with York College of PA Study Abroad Programs
York College students and faculty traveled around the globe during the summer of 2024.
Through service work, sightseeing, and visits with counterparts on other continents, our Spartans applied lessons from their York, PA classrooms to real-world international efforts.
Nursing and Exercise Science Majors Present in Poland
Dr. Klaudia Cwiekala-Lewis, Assistant Professor of Nursing, and Carol Naugle, Lecturer in Nursing, accompanied students to Włocławek, Poland in May 2024. The students — six Nursing majors and an Exercise Science major — attended the International Nursing Conference, where they were also presenters.
“Carol and I supervised the writing and submission of abstracts,” said Cwiekala-Lewis. “All submissions were accepted based on the peer review process. This is a huge achievement for such young scholars to speak at a national conference.”
Students Teach Design Thinking in Greece
York College’s Honors Program students traveled to the Mediterranean for the 11th International Week in Chania, Crete, Greece. Twelve students were accompanied by Dr. Dominic DelliCarpini, Naylor Endowed Professor of Writing Studies, and Dr. David Fyfe, Associate Professor of Geography and York College’s Director of Global Learning.
The International Week was hosted by the Hellenic Mediterranean University, where students also facilitated a conference workshop on the uses of Design Thinking and Dr. DelliCarpini presented “Design Thinking and Global Learning: Harnessing Empathy as an Intercultural Tool.”
Colombia Trip Gives Insights into Entrepreneurship
Nine York College students traveled to Medellin, Colombia with Dr. Fyfe and alumnus Michael Multari ‘93, owner and operator of Todo Bien Colombia travel agency. The students explored innovation and entrepreneurship in Colombia, working with a nonprofit that empowers young girls and women through boxing as well as the creation and sale of items in their local community.
The group also visited EAFIT University in Medellin to participate in a day-long program on their campus, including sessions on innovation and community partnerships. Spartans then spent a few days in Filandia, where they learned about the coffee industry and visited Colombian fincas (farms). Graham School of Business Faculty Bring Their Knowledge to Ireland
Graham School of Business Faculty Bring Their Knowledge to Ireland
Assistant Professor of Marketing Renee Tacka taught students, including a few of our own York College Spartans, in Dingle, Ireland this summer. While visiting the Sacred Heart University (SHU) campus on the Dingle Peninsula, Dr. Tacka offered a course on gamification in marketing. Her students engaged in project-based learning to explore how concepts of product, place, price, and promotion can be used in context and help the tourism industry through the addition of gaming elements.
Dr. Tamara Schwartz, Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity and Business Administration, has previously taught courses in Dingle and went back this summer to continue a research project. The project began last summer with colleagues at SHU and focuses on the use of emerging technologies to create location intelligence.
Making use of computer vision — the same AI that interacts with cameras to keep a car driving inside the lines — along with GPS and augmented reality (AR) technology, Dr. Schwartz and her team are working on an app that could lead a tourist on a desired path and then, using a large language model and AR characters, present a story selected by generative AI.
Each semester, York College offers a variety of Study Abroad and Study Away experiences for students, ranging from week-long excursions to full semesters at partner institutions. Past trips have included destinations like Costa Rica, France, Italy, India, and more.
