The Toucan Abroad Podcast Toucan Education Programs

Our final episode of Season 2 also wraps up our series chatting with faculty from universities around North America who led faculty-led programs in a variety of disciplines to Belize. This final episodes  continues the focus on faculty led programs in Agriculture, the second largest economic sector in Belize.

In this episode, Dr. Becky Raulerson shares her perspective co-directing an agriculture focused program to Belize with Dr. Ricky Telg who we met in our previous episode. She gives us some background on herself and the work she does at the University of Florida and the key components of her study abroad program to Belize. She addresses the challenges that come with leading a study abroad program in terms of recruiting, financing, student and parent fears etc. She also delves into the impact that the study abroad program had on the students and gives advice to other faculty considering leading a study abroad program.

Becky Raulerson is a lecturer for the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication from Bonifay, Florida. Before joining the AEC team, Raulerson worked as a sales representative for Novartis Animal Health, a high school English teacher, the owner of a video production company and was most recently a research coordinator for the UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (PIE Center).

Raulerson is a two-time graduate of the department, earning her Bachelor of Science in agricultural education and communication specializing in agricultural communication, and her Master of Science in agricultural education. Currently, Raulerson is a full-time lecturer and part-time doctoral student. As a student, her research focus is effectively communicating issues and evaluating consumer perceptions in agriculture and natural resources. In addition to the classes Raulerson teaches, she co-led the department study abroad trip to Belize with Dr. Ricky Telg and co-leads the Costa Rica undergraduate study abroad with Dr. J.C. Bunch.

Thanks for listening and look out for Season 3 coming up in Spring 2020.

We continue our series chatting with faculty from universities around North America who led faculty-led programs in a variety of disciplines to Belize. The final two episodes of Season 2 will focus on faculty led programs in Agriculture which is the second largest economic sector in Belize.

In this episode, Dr. Ricky Telg speaks about his work at the University of Florida, the field of Agricultural Communication and Agricultural Education, as well as his role as Co-Director on a faculty led program to Belize. He chats about the focus of the study abroad program, innovative ways to include reflective activities during the program and speaks about the impact studying abroad in Belize had on his students. Dr. Telg also addresses the benefit of partnering with a local program provider.

Dr. Ricky Telg is a professor in the University of Florida’s Department of Agricultural Education and Communication. In his agricultural communication, instructional technologies, and news writing courses, Telg integrates a hands-on approach to instruction that teaches students how to develop communication methods and digital media – such as web, video, and print – for the agricultural workplace. He currently serves as the director for the University of Florida/ Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ (UF/IFAS) Center for Public Issues Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (PIE Center). The PIE Center conducts and disseminates applied social science research impacting agriculture and natural resources.

Today, we continue our series chatting with faculty from universities around North America who led faculty-led programs in a variety of disciplines to Belize.

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Michael Vercelli who led his students on a program to Belize that focused on Music as Culture. Dr. Vercelli discusses his work in multiple looking at music and the African Disapora, how he prepared his students for immersion into the Belizean community as they learned about their music and culture as well as advice for faculty interested in leading similar programs.

Dr. Michael B. Vercelli is the director of the World Music Performance Center at West Virginia University. Michael holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Percussion Performance with a minor in Ethnomusicology from the University of Arizona. Michael’s research focuses on the transmission and performance practice of percussive traditions of Africa and African Diaspora. He has conducted long-term fieldwork on the xylophone traditions of Ghana and has studied in Brazil, Guinea, Uganda, Cuba, and Bali. 

Dr. Vercelli has received many awards for both his performance and study of indigenous music and has released recordings with master Ghanaian xylophonists Tijan Dorwana and Bernard Woma. Michael has received the Snowshoe Institute Award of Excellence for Scholarship in the Arts and the WVU College of Creative Arts awards for Outstanding Service and Internationalizing the College. At WVU, Dr. Vercelli directs summer study abroad courses to Ghana, Brazil, and Belize, focusing on music, dance and cultural immersion. Dr. Vercelli has published in the Percussive Arts Society’s journal, Percussive Notes, and in the third edition of Gary Cook’s Teaching Percussion. He is a participating member in the Percussive Arts Society, the Society for Ethnomusicology, and the International Council for Traditional Music. Michael has given lectures, performances, and workshops across the United States, Mexico, Brazil, China, and Europe. Dr. Vercelli is a Meinl Percussion Artist and a member of the Vic Firth Educational Team.

Today, we continue our series chatting with faculty from universities around North America who led faculty-led programs in a variety of disciplines to Belize.

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Heidi Hancher-Rauch who led the international component of her Health Promotion course to Belize. Dr. Hancher-Rauch speaks about the importance of incorporating an international component into her course, the ways in which she prepared her students in order to mitigate cultural misunderstandings & views when conducting health fairs in Belize as well as ethical challenges faced when leading a health program to Belize. She also gives inspiring advice for faculty who are interested in running a similar program.

Dr. Heidi Hancher-Rauch has practiced in the field of public health for almost 20 years and is CHES certified. Heidi has served as a university faculty member and researcher for more than 15 years, teaching a wide array of undergraduate and graduate public health courses, including service learning in multiple formats. She currently leads the Public Health Program at the University of Indianapolis, which includes an undergraduate degree in Public Health Education and Promotion, as well as a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Health Disparities. Her areas of expertise include community-based participatory research and program evaluation with diverse community partners, along with health policy and advocacy. Heidi serves as co-chair of the Advocacy Committee for SOPHE and recently was elected as the incoming Trustee for Advocacy and Resolutions to the SOPHE Board of Trustees.

For the next few episodes, we will chat with faculty from universities around North America who led faculty-led programs to Belize in fields of study such as health promotion, economics, music and agriculture. 

In this episode, we introduce Dr. Jonathan Warner, Professor Emeritus at Quest University in Canada, and is also a non-resident research associate with the Von Hugel Institute at Cambridge University. Dr. Warner chats about the unique model that Quest University offers as well as the course that he led to Belize in Sustainable Community Development. 

 We culminate our look at students of color studying abroad with our third episode of Season 2. In this episode, Arneisha Smallwood, shares her thoughts on studying abroad from her perspective as a first-time traveler and student of color.  She gives her insight into how she navigated her study abroad experience, challenges she faced and overcame, the impact that was made on her and that she made on the Belizean community as well as some advice for those considering studying abroad. 

 Arneisha Smallwood is a native of New Jersey and has lived in North Carolina since 2008. She’s an enthusiastic, wise, and caring individual who is committed to ensuring that others achieve their dreams and goals. She received both her Bachelor and Master degrees from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Agricultural Education (Professional Services) with a concentration in Agribusiness. Throughout her collegiate career, she interned for the University of North Carolina- at Charlotte, Iowa State University, and Carolina Farm Credit. In addition, she participated in TEP’s faculty led program in partnership with North Carolina A&T State University for two weeks in July 2017. She is also a TEP Ambassador!

Arneisha currently works with the Center for Environmental Farming Systems and Farm to School Coalition of NC at North Carolina State University. She has her own YouTube channel, Arneisha Nicole. Also, since recording this podcast, Arneisha has launched her first T-shirt company, Agriculture is Life which is dedicated to highlighting women of color in the agriculture industry. You can check out her company on Instagram and YouTube.