Our 2026 IES Abroad Faculty-Led Program Grant Winners

“To truly advance quality education, we must focus on AI literacy, not as a stand-alone course, but integrated across disciplines. By bringing students to Amsterdam, we provide a unique opportunity to learn from the Dutch educational model, compare it with U.S. practices, and prepare them to integrate AI literacy across their respective disciplines.”

- Irina Lyublinskaya

“Heritage and innovation are often viewed as competing forces, but Milan shows how they can work together to create a more sustainable future. Students will learn from established heritage brands that are reimagining craftsmanship and tradition through sustainable practices, while also engaging with emerging, innovative companies that have placed sustainability at the center of their business models from the beginning. Through immersive experiences across fashion, hospitality, and tourism, students will examine how cultural heritage, responsible innovation, and consumer experience can collectively shape the future of sustainable luxury. With support from the Faculty-Led Program Grant and the University of Tennessee, this transformative international learning opportunity will be more accessible to our students and help prepare them to become globally minded, responsible industry leaders.”

- Dr. Heejin (Jeanie) Lim

“This faculty-led program uses the Duero/Douro watershed as a field laboratory for the chemistry of food and energy systems. Students examine how geology, geochemistry, hydrology, microclimate, and microbial communities combine to produce the olive oils, cured meats, and wines of this region—and how the same watershed that sustains these food traditions also powers two countries through hydroelectric infrastructure, wind, and solar installations. Based in Salamanca on the banks of the Tormes, a major Duero tributary, students follow the watershed west through the Arribes Gorge to its mouth at Porto, tracing the chemistry of the landscape from the Castilian meseta to the Atlantic.”

- Dr. Amanda Mifflin and Dr. Emily Tollefson

“It is an honor to be selected to receive the Faculty-Led Program Grant. The Bioethics Comparative Analysis Study Abroad, a collaborative effort between the University of Pittsburgh's School of Public Health and the University of Pittsburgh's David C. Frederick Honors College, will give students an immersive, cross-cultural exploration of five key bioethics topics, including end-of-life decision making, vaccinations, mental health, human subjects research, and organ donation. The program will compare perspectives across the United States, Amsterdam, and Milan, with a focus on the role of autonomy in each culture. Students will have the opportunity to engage with local experts and participate in cultural experiences, providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Thanks to the generosity of IES Customized & Faculty-Led Programs, students will have access to an experience that might not otherwise have been possible for them.”

- Dr. Cindy McCarthy

“We are honored to receive the Faculty-Led Program Grant, which will help make this transformative learning experience more accessible to UT Austin pre-health students. We believe that meaningful learning extends beyond the classroom and that international education broadens perspectives, inspires curiosity, and prepares students to become globally engaged healthcare professionals and scientists. Through immersive experiences in South Korea, students will explore the connections among microbiology, public health, biotechnology, history, and Korean culture while gaining a deeper understanding of how science, culture, and society influence one another. We hope this experience equips students with the cultural awareness, adaptability, and global perspective needed to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.”

- Dr. Hyunju Kim