New Partnership with State Department Sparks Global Learning on Campus

Global learning often calls to mind long flights to faraway locations. But through an exciting new partnership with the U.S. Department of State, LMU students now have the opportunity to collaborate with government officials and contribute to policy research without ever leaving Los Angeles.

The Office of International Programs and Partnerships (IPP) is facilitating LMU's participation with the Department of State's Diplomacy Lab, which harnesses the research power of select universities to tackle pressing issues such as sustainability, access to healthcare, and more.

"Our participation in the Diplomacy Lab is essential as it provides our students, under faculty mentorship, a unique opportunity to directly engage with complex global challenges through their coursework," said Roberta Espinoza, associate provost of international programs and partnerships. "This experience not only enriches their academic journey at LMU but also prepares them to be thoughtful, informed citizens capable of contributing meaningfully to global dialogue and solutions."

Jennifer Ramos, director of global learning, has been instrumental in managing this collaboration with the State Department, crafting LMU's partnership application and consulting with faculty on their project bids. This academic year, two professors will be teaching courses in collaboration with the Diplomacy Lab. Diplomacy Lab is currently accepting bids on projects for the next academic year.

Demian Willette, associate professor of biology, is adapting his principles of ecology course to address Diplomacy Lab learning outcomes. Willette's students will work on a final project that involves writing a policy paper about a specific species. Officials from the State Department will Zoom in to student presentations and some students may have the option to go to Washington, D.C., to present their findings to officials.

"The next time they read a story or hear of a country that's related to their final project for the Diplomacy Lab course, they'll have this new insight," said Willette. "They're invested in it and that's going to have this lasting impact that goes beyond just course learning outcomes. That's the education of the whole person."

Inas Kelly, professor of economics, is working on a Diplomacy Lab project around health system resiliency in the face of external stressors such as epidemics of diseases like HIV and ebola. Because of the State Department partnership, the eight students taking part in Kelly's independent study course will be able to discuss their research with Dr. Michael Reid, chief science officer of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

"Students at LMU are academically strong students looking to make a difference in the world," said Kelly. "I often have students wanting experience doing research that will be impactful. Through the Diplomacy Lab, they can actually see what is being done and have the potential to make a difference by contributing to research that will effect policy change."

Willette also identifies LMU's student body as one that is acutely aware of global issues. To him, this passion for social justice as well as LMU's position as a mid-sized, primarily undergraduate research institution makes the university uniquely situated to tackle global issues.

"Our students at LMU are deeply invested in the future, like climate change, food security, the urban landscape," said Willette. "They all have promising ideas of where the future should be going. Students who participate in DipLab can go to D.C. and come back and talk about it, and that extends global learning to our whole campus."

Diplomacy Lab project bids are due October 1. Ramos encourages everyone to take a look at the list of projectsand consider applying.

"I encourage everyone to embrace this amazing opportunity! The bid is straightforward and it's brief - just 200 words max," said Ramos. "Think of it as a starting point for a conversation with the State Department, who are eager to make this a great experience for both faculty and students. I am excited to serve as a resource for the application process and look forward to consulting with faculty on their bids."

For more information, please visit theLMU Diplomacy Lab website.

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