Dozens of students at Eastern Connecticut State University took their studies abroad over the spring and summer terms of 2024. Through their travels, students and faculty formed connections all over the world and enhanced their perspectives on their majors. 

Vienna 

13 students from the Department of Music at Eastern traversed the history and impact of classical music in Vienna, Austria on a 10-day trip in late May. The trip, titled “Vienna: City of Song,” was conducted by music Professor Emily Riggs and Lecturer David Ballena and immersed students in the culture that shaped many pioneers of music, including Mozart, Strauss, Beethoven and Schubert. 

“I got to experience so many things, like visiting a palace, going to an opera and riding down a mountain,” said senior music major Amia Lott. “When the others and I visited the homes of Beethoven and Mozart, I was awestruck to be where they once lived, breathed and wrote some of the most famed musical pieces and compositions in history. This opportunity only fueled my passion to experience and enjoy every aspect of life." 

Puerto Rico 

Eastern’s Department of Education sponsored 8 students’ trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico over spring break to study the island’s learning environments through visitations to several academic institutions and explore foreign perspectives in academic leadership. The trip was led by education Professor David Stoloff as a part of his course titled “Intercultural Connections among Universities.” 

“As we were walking down the halls there was just so much excitement and life, and there were many cute bulletin boards and student artwork everywhere,” said English major Laila Wilson. “In my mind, the purpose of this course was to learn not only about education on the island, but also to really get to learn about the culture and the life there.” 

Costa Rica 

In late May, eight students from the Department of Biology at Eastern Connecticut State University went on a 12-day tropical excursion in Costa Rica. The trip, led by biology Professors Brett Mattingly and Matthew Graham, guided students through the ecosystem’s natural history and ecology.  

Students analyzed the various tropical habitats and the interactivity of their diverse flora and fauna. Through their fieldwork in the rainforest ecosystems, students also delved into Costa Rica’s agricultural practices, sustainability methods and environmental preservation methods.

Iceland 

26 students from Eastern’s Department of Psychology studied the prosperity of the human subconscious in Reykjavík, Iceland. The trip was part of Professor Peter Bachiochi’s “Cross Cultural Well-Being" Global Field Course and provided travelers with a first-hand account on socioeconomic and political effects on psychology. 

“In the course, we studied different definitions of well-being and its contributing factors,” said Bachiochi. “We focused on a wide range of personal and work-related factors, such as work-life balance, gender equity, healthcare, education, diet, physical activity, time in nature, support of friends and family, LGBTQ+ issues and more.” 

Italy 

Eastern’s Department of English sponsored 21 students on a 6-week trip to Florence, Italy. The annual trip is part of English Professor Christopher Torockio’s creative writing course. Students deepened their connections with Italian culture by bonding outside of the classroom. Several ventured outside of Florence to Rome as well as the coastline and countryside of Italy. 

“These were the best 6 weeks of my life,” said junior English major Chelsea Newton. “I learned so much about traveling and writing and I was so inspired by everything around us. I'm really happy with how my short story turned out and I’m so grateful to have had this experience.” 

New England 

12 students from the Department of Environmental Earth Science (EES) at Eastern scrutinized a vast range of ecosystems within New Hampshire and Maine over a 12-day excursion in late May as a part of the “Summits and Seashores” global field course, led by EES Professors Dickson Cunningham, Bryan Oakley and Drew Hyatt. Traveling mostly on foot, the group immersed themselves in the ecological diversity they study in the classroom.  

“The purpose of all of our EES global field courses is to introduce and reinforce earth and environmental science subjects using field examples,” said Cunningham. “Our trips are designed to be interdisciplinary in scope, so we weave together various related topics because so much of our understanding of earth history, earth processes and the natural environment involves connecting diverse observations to data and theory in different subject areas.” 

Spain 

Two students from the Department of Environmental Earth Science (EES) at Eastern Connecticut State University joined Professor Peter Drzewiecki on a nine-day trip in the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain to examine the development of the area’s geological features in late May. Emma Bean and Hailey Cocca collected data as a continuation of a research project of Drzewiecki’s as well as for the benefit of Cocca’s senior thesis. 

“While in Spain, we collected rock samples, measured sections and took attitude measurements to determine the angle of slumping, if any, to time the creation of the formation,” Cocca said. “Being able to engage in hands-on research in such a beautiful region of Spain was an amazingly memorable experience that I will forever be grateful for.”