WSU ecosystem sciences students to study environmental sustainability at Danish university

Brooke Stutzer and Ellie Watts, ecosystem sciences seniors in Washington State University's School of the Environment (SOE), are the first students to participate in a two-year pilot program that advances international education and research collaboration in environmental sustainability.

As part of the program, they will spend the fall 2024 semester studying abroad at Aarhus University in Denmark.

WSU established the new program to train internationally minded diverse students for leadership in global societies. Joseph Iannelli, who developed the WSU-Aarhus University partnership, started the program with Shelley Pressley, associate dean for student success in WSU's Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture. Iannelli is the director of externally-funded European-Union Erasmus+ partnerships and formerly associate dean for international programs in the Voiland College.

Iannelli worked with Kara Whitman, SOE associate director of undergraduate studies, to recruit program participants. A total of six WSU students - two per semester - will travel to Aarhus University during the next year.

"The first students in any program are the ambassadors for future students," Iannelli said. "Brooke and Ellie are excellent choices because of their academic credentials and passion for environmental sustainability. I'm particularly excited that this first cohort of students is female, because female students are underrepresented in the STEM disciplines."

After a study abroad trip to Denmark was cut short by COVID-19 her junior year of high school, Watts is excited to return to the country.

"I've been wanting to study abroad since coming to WSU, and this is the perfect opportunity," she said. "When I traveled internationally in high school, it opened a whole new world. I'm really excited to do it again, and I'm hoping to establish some good friendships while I'm there."

Living in Denmark will be a new experience for Stutzer, a Wyoming native.

"It felt surreal when I found out I had been selected," she said. "Aarhus is a prestigious research university, and I'm excited to learn in a country that is so sustainability focused."

Watts echoed that sentiment.

"I'm really excited to experience a new perspective," she said. "It will be really cool to learn about the environment and sustainability from a Danish point of view."

During their semester abroad, Watts and Stutzer will take classes on topics ranging from ecotoxicology to oceans and climate. Under the guidance of WSU and Aarhus University professors, they'll partner with Danish students on environmental sustainability research projects. Both Stutzer and Watts hope to explore the impact of humans on surrounding ecosystems.

"I was originally interested in restoration," Stutzer said. "But now I want to focus on the sustainability of national parks and World Heritage Sites, and how social media has impacted those places."

The research collaboration between WSU and Aarhus University will span an entire academic year, with Danish students coming to WSU next spring.

"I'm looking forward to building a connection with the Danish students and then continuing to work with them when we come back," Watts said. "It will be a really good networking opportunity."

The experience will also ready WSU students for future careers.

"Studying abroad shows employers you have the ability and willingness to learn from a new perspective," Watts said. "That's a really good quality to have."

"By providing students with study-abroad opportunities, we enrich their credentials for highly competitive and high-paying jobs with multinational corporations and non-governmental organizations that are concerned with climate change," Iannelli added. "Students who participate in these unique experiences come back more aware of the societal impact of scientific choices."

The program is supported by funding from the Scan Design Foundation (SDF), a philanthropic organization that works to strengthen relationships between the U.S. and Denmark while advancing international collaboration on environmental sustainability research.

"SDF is excited to develop this new partnership with WSU," said SDF President Fidelma McGinn. "The exchange students will gain new perspectives on their studies in environmental sustainability and will benefit from an immersive studying abroad experience in Denmark, a country that is continuously a global frontrunner in the transition to a green agenda and innovative sustainable solutions."

Iannelli is already looking ahead to an exciting future of growth for the program.

"My vision is to broaden the program scope to consider all aspects of environmental sustainability while increasing the number of participating students and faculty and providing students with fellowships that remove financial barriers," Iannelli said. "When you see the enthusiasm in students' eyes, it repays our efforts. An international experience is not just fun, it's transformative and empowering."

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