Nine Elon faculty present at the virtual AAC&U Global Learning conference

Nine Elon faculty presented their scholarship at the first virtual
Association of American Colleges & Universities Global Learning conference from Oct. 8-10. The conference theme was “Lessons on Global Learning from Higher Education’s Response to a Global Crisis.”

Two presentations represented findings from a two-year multi-institutional study funded by the Colonial Academic Alliance IN/CO grant program, with additional support from Elon’s Center for Research on Global Engagement. The co-investigators from Elon include Matthew Buckmaster, assistant dean of global education and associate professor of music; Olivia Choplin, associate professor of French; Kirstie Doehler, associate professor of statistics; Nina Namaste, associate professor of Spanish; Amanda Sturgill, associate professor of journalism; and Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler, interim associate provost of academic excellence, director of the Center for Research on Global Engagement and professor of psychology.

There were two additional presentations made by Elon faculty. Amy Allocco, associate profess of religious studies, and Vandermaas-Peeler collaborated with colleagues from Grinnell College and CEA Study Abroad to present mentoring strategies for undergraduate research in global contexts. Phillip Motley Jr., associate professor of communication design; Derek Lackaff, associate professor of communication design and director of the iMedia Graduate Program; and Sturgill presented adaptions on global learning during COVID-19. The titles and authors of each presentation are listed below.

“Coming back, I just felt like a more authentic version of myself”: Identity and Global Experiences, by Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler, Director of Center for Research on Global Engagement and Professor of Psychology; Matt Buckmaster, Assistant Dean of Global Education and Associate Professor of Music; Olivia Choplin, Associate Professor of French in the Department of World Languages and Cultures; Amanda Sturgill, Associate Professor of Journalism; Kirsten Doehler, Associate Professor of Statistics; and Nina Namaste, Assistant Professor of Spanish—all of Elon University

Research-Informed Global Learning Experience Design: Insights from a Multi-Institutional Project, by Jennifer L. Wiley, Research Fellow—James Madison University, and Managing Partner— CoreCollaborative International; Maureen Vandermaas Peeler, Interim Associate Provost for Academic Excellence and Director of the Center for Research on Global Engagement—Elon University; and Vesna Hart, Director, International Cooperation, Center for Global Engagement—James Madison University

Undergraduate Research in Global Contexts: Mentoring Strategies for Embedded Learning, by Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler, Director of the Center for Research on Global Engagement, Interim Associate Provost, and Professor of Psychology, and Amy Allocco, Director of the Multifaith Studies Program and Associate Professor of Religious Studies—both of Elon University; Kate Patch, Senior Director of Global Initiatives—Grinnell College; and Louis M. Berends, Vice President of Academic Affairs—CEA Study Abroad

Global Learning Close to Home: Adaptations During COVID-19 and Implications Beyond, by Phillip M. Motley, Associate Professor, Communication Design; Amanda Sturgill, Associate Professor, Journalism; and Derek Lackaff, Associate Professor, Communication Design—all of Elon University