In recent years, students and faculty from Catawba’s Department of Environment and Sustainability have traveled to Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Colombia, Kenya, and other parts of the world to study environmental challenges firsthand. This summer, that global learning continued in the rural landscapes of Scotland through a growing partnership with the University of Glasgow.
Four Catawba students, Alma Barajas-Valadez, Lore Jackson, Josh Nelson, and Madeline Ubry, spent two weeks at the University of Glasgow’s Dumfries campus, where they completed an intensive environmental field course led by Glasgow faculty. Dr. Joe Poston, professor in Catawba’s Department of Environment and Sustainability, and Jessica Perry, Director of International Studies, accompanied the group.
The experience builds on Catawba’s broader relationship with the University of Glasgow, including an Honors Program exchange now entering its third year. While previous collaborations have centered on Glasgow, this program took students into the countryside and coastal environments surrounding Dumfries, home to the University’s School of Social and Environmental Sustainability.
“This experience has been two years in the making,” said Professor Luke Dollar, Chair of Catawba’s Department of Environment and Sustainability. “Two years ago, President David Nelson reached out while he and the Catawba Honors Program were visiting the University of Glasgow. He noted that the University has a satellite campus in Dumfries with a strong focus on environment and sustainability and saw immediately that there could be a natural connection with Catawba.”
That connection grew through continued conversations and planning between faculty and staff at both institutions, culminating in this summer’s field experience.
Through the University of Glasgow’s Exploring Scotland’s Ecosystems course, students examined ecological processes across a range of Scottish environments while considering the ways people have interacted with those landscapes throughout history and today. Upon completion, students received a certificate from the School of Social and Environmental Sustainability.
“This field course has broadened my understanding of the human-environment relationship and challenged me to approach environmental sustainability from new perspectives,” Jackson said.
Each day took students into a different environment and introduced a new question to explore. Near Rockcliffe on the Scottish coast, they measured the distribution of animals within the intertidal zone. At Wanlockhead, Scotland’s highest village, they studied the region’s history of lead mining and its lasting effects on soil and water quality.
For Barajas-Valadez, a Catawba senior, the variety of locations and expertise of the faculty made each day memorable.
“Visiting different places has been truly an amazing experience,” she said. “All the Catawba and Dumfries professors have a deep understanding and passion for their field, and it has shown throughout the field course. Each day has been a highlight that I cannot wait to share with friends and family.”
Nelson found that some of the most meaningful learning came not only from the landscapes and coursework, but also from the people he encountered.
“The University of Glasgow and Catawba have provided me with a curiosity that isn’t exclusive to the classroom,” he said. “Scotland has taught me that learning isn’t simply about attention, it’s dependent on people.”
He also found a sense of connection far from home.
“The University of Glasgow and the country of Scotland made me feel at home abroad,” Nelson said. “Whether it’s professors, students, or members of the public, Scotland has shown me that hospitality isn’t just courtesy; it’s a character trait.”
Poston said that same spirit helped create an environment where students could fully engage in the experience.
“The faculty designed fantastic field experiences for our students to learn ecology in Scotland, and the staff made us feel at home in Dumfries,” he said.
The setting itself became part of the learning. Students traveled through coastal areas, villages, and countryside that offered both striking scenery and living examples of the environmental systems they were studying.
“Every aspect of the natural landscapes was so breathtaking,” Jackson said.
Barajas-Valadez agreed. “Every scenic view has been breathtaking. I also enjoyed the weather and the memories it created for us as a group.”
For Catawba, experiences like this are about more than seeing another part of the world. They help students understand environmental questions in a broader context and recognize the role they can play in addressing them.
“At Catawba College, we recognize the importance of helping our students learn about the world firsthand,” Perry said. “There is no substitute for travel as part of a student’s education.”
Poston added that international experiences are particularly important for students preparing to work in environmental fields.
“Today’s environmental challenges are global, so we want our students to learn about the solutions being developed throughout the world,” he said. “And we want them to see that they can be part of those solutions.”
The Catawba-Dumfries experience is expected to become a standing exchange program offered every other summer, creating another pathway for students to connect their studies at Catawba with people, places, and environmental questions around the world.
“This kind of experience highlights what distinguishes a Catawba environment and sustainability education,” Dollar said. “We bring the world closer to Catawba, but we also take our students into the world. They return with knowledge, perspective, and firsthand experience that prepares them to make a meaningful difference.”
For Jackson, the impact of the experience was simple to describe.
“This was a life-changing experiential learning opportunity,” she said.
