CALS Study Abroad Impact: 2024-2025 Programs

June 25, 2025

The last study abroad programs of the 2024-2025 academic year will be concluding over the next few weeks as students return to the U.S. from summer programs in Greece, Uganda, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The CALS Study Abroad Office collaborated with faculty, staff, and international partners to provide study abroad and study USA programs over the fall, spring, and summer terms.

Study Abroad

This past year, 416 students traveled to 43 countries on 68 different programs.

There was an increased interest from faculty in leading study abroad programs. CALS faculty led programs to 16 countries: India, Costa Rica, Uganda, Argentina, Germany, Austria, United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Madagascar, Singapore, Nepal, Belgium, Honduras, and France.

In total, 20 CALS faculty led programs were offered by 41 program directors representing 12 departments: Agronomy, Animal Science, Economics, Food Science and Human Nutrition, Genetics Development and Cell Biology, Global Resource Systems, Horticulture, Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Sociology and Criminal Justice, Statistics, Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, and Art and Visual Culture.

There were two new faculty-led programs offered: Economic Diversification, Trade, Food Security, and Culture in Singapore, led by Dr. Amani Elobeid and Ph.D student Shinyoung Kim and Food and Beverages in Germany and Belgium, led by Dr. Nicolas Delchier, Dr. Kris De Brabanter, and Melissia Law.

The top 5 destinations by number of students (including faculty-led travel and semester programs) were:

United Kingdom
Costa Rica
Italy
Germany
Greece

This academic year, a number of students applied for scholarships to support their international experiences. The total amount of scholarships awarded by the CALS Study Abroad Office was $295,228, with 318 scholarships awarded.

Students posing with a silage chopper in rural Argentina — The Agricultural Production, Business, and Trade in Argentina program took 22 students studying Agricultural Business, Agricultural Studies, Agricultural Communications, and Agronomy to rural farms, businesses, and cultural sites in March 2025. The program was led by Dr. Ebby Luvaga, Dr. Sergio Lence, and Dr. Marshall McDaniel.

Study USA

Study USA programming has continued to grow since its inaugural offering in 2021. During the 2024-2025 academic year, 46 students participated in 6 programs, traveling over winter, spring, or summer breaks.

Program directors included 10 faculty from the following departments: Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN), Sociology and Criminal Justice, Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Global Resource Systems and Economics.

New programs included For the Love of Food and Puerto Rico, led by Erica Beirman and Karla Boetel, and Fertilizer Study USA Trip: Cooperatives and Supply Chain, led by Dr. Darin Wohlgemuth and Dr. Chad Hart.

Students posing with strawberries from Driscoll's Berries — Comparing Food Systems - Iowa vs. California, led by Kate Gilbert (FSHN), challenged students to compare and contrast the regional food systems in Iowa and California. Six students traveled to California in May 2025, touring over 30 different food production or supply chain related farms and facilities.

Student Impact

The total number of students impacted by the CALS Study Abroad Office during the 2024-2025 academic year was 462 students. (This includes exchange students, international internships, non-CALS students on CALS programs, CALS students on non-CALS programs, and Study USA participants.)

This is the highest number of students traveling since the 2018-2019 academic year, before the COVID-19 pandemic paused international travel in March of 2020.