Faculty Members Provide Details Regarding Spring Break Trips to Ireland and Spain

Julie Shannon, Global Experience coordinator at Pitt-Greensburg, is the program manager for the two week-long spring break trips that are run by Pitt-Greensburg. Over the break, students will be traveling to Ireland or Spain.

Although the programs are only one credit Shannon helps to explain the benefits of traveling abroad. 

“Once you graduate college it’s harder to find an extended period of time to travel. So, it’s just a really good time to do it,” Shannon says. “You get to learn a lot about the world and yourself and it also looks good on a resume.”

Dr. Paul Adams, associate professor of political science, is the professor for the study abroad course in Ireland. 

Dr. Adams explains that his course deals with the conflicts surrounding Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom in a time known as The Troubles. 

He says that his students will be meeting with individuals who experienced this time period, and they will be visiting areas that have recovered since the end of The Troubles. 

Dr. Adams says that during the trip “students will travel to Derry and Belfast in Northern Ireland and Donegal and Dublin in the Republic of Ireland.” 

Dr. Adams also teaches a three-credit, semester-long course that relates to a lot of the same ideas as the travel abroad course. 

Dr. Pilar Herr, associate professor of history and the coordinator for the Vira I. Heinz Program for Women in Global Leadership, is the professor for the study abroad course in Spain. 

“[Dr. Herr] is doing history and identity in Spain, and they’re going to Madrid, Granada, and Segovia. It’s a pretty similar structure, just obviously different content,” Shannon says. 

As the Global Experience coordinator, Shannon helps to promote traveling abroad to students and believes these trips are a good starting point. 

“It’s a cool way to bring everyone together, and I think it’s also a more popular option to study abroad, because if someone hasn’t left the country before, it’s only a week, and you’re with a faculty member and other students,” Shannon says.

To learn more about traveling abroad opportunities, students can schedule an appointment with Shannon via this link: Julie Shannon (Greensburg) | Global Experiences