Texas Tech University

Davis College Set to Expand Experiential Study Abroad Programs in 2026

Norman Martin | January 23, 2025

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Faculty members from four Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources departments are laying the groundwork for a new series of faculty-led study abroad offerings next year. In the coming months, they’ll be working through the program approval requirements and in some cases travelling to the international destinations to gauge the facilities and assess travel issues that might arise for their adventurous students. 

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“International experiences are an excellent opportunity for students to expand their understanding of the broader world, gain confidence, and improve their expertise in their chosen fields,” said Davis College Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives & Assessment Darren Hudson. “Davis College is excited to be able to support the development of new international experience opportunities by our outstanding faculty and these programs will enhance our students' experiences across the college.”

­Among the study abroad development programs being considered are:

An Ecological & Cultural Tour of Malaysian Borneo | Borneo | Maymester 2026 | Michael Farmer | Associate Professor | Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics

  • The program features a tour of some of the world's most diverse tropical landscapes and a review of the traditional human cultures that have inhabited them. This review of Malaysian Borneo covers many diverse tropical landscapes. These include the upland foothills of the highest peak in southeast Asia, Mt Kinabalu, to the diverse plant and wildlife of the Kinabatangan River, home to the pygmy elephant, proboscis monkey, sun bear, and orangutan. Going inland, students will have the rare opportunity to visit Danum Valley Conservation Area. Students will study the struggles of preservation and conservation for different levels of protected landscapes; the challenges of sustainable land use in rich, upland agricultural areas; and the background of the traditional peoples who have inhabited them. 

Exploring Sustainable Landscape Architecture in Costa Rica: Tropical Ecology & Urban Design | Texas Tech University-Costa Rica | Spring Break 2026 | Kathryn Nelson & Andrew Castilleja | Department of Landscape Architecture

  • This course immerses students in the sustainable design practices tailored to tropical ecosystems and urban landscapes, with a focus on Costa Rica. Students will explore how natural processes can be integrated into landscape design, with an emphasis on green infrastructure and sustainable urban planning strategies. Through field studies and site visits to national parks, urban greenspaces, and diverse tropical landscapes, students will gain practical knowledge in landscape solutions that balance urban development with ecological preservation, fostering harmony between urban and natural environments.

Experience Agribusiness in Costa Rica | Texas Tech University-Costa Rica | Summer 2026 | Conrad Lyford | Professor | Department of Agricultural & Applied Economics

The course is designed to provide an immersive experience into the diverse agribusiness landscape of Costa Rica.  This will focus on how agricultural products are marketed and sold including comparing to these topics in the United States.  A key area to focus on will be on ecotourism and fair-trade practices where Costa Rica has been a pioneer and enduringly successful. Field trips will be to agribusinesses to experience how the plantation agricultural products from Costa Rica, such as coffee, bananas and pineapples, are successfully marketed and sold throughout the world.

Agritourism and Farm-To-Table Marketing in Northern & Central Italy | Italy | Summer 2026 | Courtney Gibson | Associate Professor | Department of Agricultural Education & Communications.

  • Students will learn how agricultural issues and practices are addressed and communicated through the exploration of agritourism and educational programs in Italy while visiting several unique operations focused on promoting the rich heritage of Italian agriculture. Throughout this course, students will also explore the concepts of agritourism and successful marketing and communication strategies for promoting these operations to local and global audiences. Upon the completion of their study abroad experience, students will implement what they learned in the course by developing an agritourism marketing plan for an agricultural organization visited during their time in Italy.

Fire Ecology & Management | Natural Resources Policy | Quantitative Methods in Natural Resources Management |Geographic Information Systems for Natural Resources Management | Texas Tech University Center Sevilla, Spain | Spring Semester 2026 | Nathan Gill | Assistant Professor | Department of Natural Resources Management & Matthew Barnes | Associate Professor | Department of Natural Resources Management

  • Gill will offer Geographic Information Systems for Natural Resources Management and Fire Ecology and Management, and Barnes will teach Quantitative Methods in Natural Resources Management and Natural Resources Policy, with the latter taking a much stronger focus on international policy. The program will include tours of wildlife habitat in protected areas in southwestern Spain (such as Iberian lynx habitat) and collaboration with ecologists and managers who aim to reduce wildfire hazard in mediterranean ecosystems. Students will take excursions to national parks, a Fire EU Risk demonstration site, the Canary Islands, and habitat managed in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Spain.

“Texas Tech has a long history of excellence with faculty-led study abroad programs, with programs offered as early as the 1970s,” said Whitney Longnecker, Texas Tech Director of Study Abroad. “Today, faculty-led study abroad programs are the most popular program option for Texas Tech students.”

As part of the faculty-led study abroad process, students enroll in catalog courses, pay tuition and fees, and an additional program fee to participate in these programs. The program fee often covers room, board, excursions, and professor expenses; what the program fee includes depends on the program. Airfare is usually an additional cost, depending on the program. 

Today, Texas Tech offers approximately 50 faculty-led programs per year in locations all around the world, including the university’s TTU’s two international centers in Sevilla, Spain and San Jose, Costa Rica. While participating in faculty-led programs, students take Texas Tech catalog courses that fulfill degree requirements.

Faculty-led study abroad programs offer international opportunities to not only students, but also professors, Longnecker said. Each year, over 100 faculty lead students abroad, enriching their teaching and research profile.

CONTACT: Darren Hudson, Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives & Assessment and International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness Director, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or darren.hudson@ttu.edu

0123NM25 / PHOTO: Sevilla, Spain