About to celebrate fifteen years of service, The Texas Tech University Center in Sevilla has just completed another successful summer. Over 350 students and twenty faculty from programs from across the university (Agriculture, Architecture, Engineering, History, Mathematics, Music, Political Science, Sociology, Spanish and Theatre) earned/taught over 2,000 semester hours. To date, some 3,332 Tech students have taken classes at The Center in Sevilla.

During his recent visit to Sevilla, President M. Duane Nellis confirmed the University's commitment to the Center in Sevilla as a cornerstone of the Texas Tech global engagement:

"Having had an opportunity to visit our Seville Center this summer and interact with the students and faculty there, I can appreciate why one third of all our study abroad students select Seville for their international experience. As TTU continues to increase its global engagement I have high hopes to see Seville develop beyond its current role as a study abroad site and significantly expand its programs and offerings."

Students are also quick to comment about their time abroad in Sevilla:

Rachel Spellman from San Antonio and a Mechanical Engineering major: "Studying in Seville was a great experience. The challenge of overcoming the language barrier while taking classes has better prepared me for a career in engineering."

Yasmine Moubarake from Spring, Texas, and a Psychology major: "Studying abroad at the Texas Tech Center in Sevilla was such a remarkable experience, that I had to repeat it the following summer. I fell in love with the city, the language, the people, the food and the culture; Sevilla has become a place that I can call home."

Frank O. Fuentes from McAllen and a History major: "I just completed the Summer 2 Study abroad session and Seville, and am grateful to have had that opportunity. I learned not just facts and information from books, but had the opportunity to see many historic sites in person. I was specifically interested in taking the Spanish Texas Archival research class, and my time spent in the archive was an invaluable experience that will benefit me immensely as I proceed to graduate school after earning my bachelors."

But changes are on-going: following four years of exemplary service, Dr. Jonathan Deen has taken a teaching position in the US, and Ms. Elli Runkles has been hired as an Administrator. Director Dr. G. Douglas Inglis continues in Sevilla as does Ms. Sara Pink while Ms. Donna Wright works in Lubbock to recruit, animate and reassure students and families.

This fall, thirty-eight Tech students will take engineering, history and Spanish classes at The Center, and of course, immerse themselves in the culture of Spain. In addition to the classroom time, students and faculty will visit the largest Gothic structure in the World—the Cathedral of Sevilla, and spend a morning watching truck-loads of grapes being deposited into industrial hoppers to squeeze out the juice and then follow the chemical engineering processes that produce the Mioro white wine, Botarroble reserve vinegar and metric tons of medical alcohol. Another trip will allow them to walk among the cloister of the La Rábida Monastery where Christopher Columbus discussed his world view with Queen Isabel's advisors. These field trips enhance the academic portion of courses and aid in the acculturation process for participants as they assimilate into their environment.

The Texas Tech University Center in Sevilla offers a unique learning environment for a truly unique Texas Tech experience!