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3 STEM Students Weigh in on Studying Abroad, Share Highlights
Taking Technical Courses and Developing Problem-Solving Skills Can Take Place in Many Ways and Countries
With many different STEM-related programs, students who are studying the sciences at BU have options when it comes to studying abroad and challenging themselves in unfamiliar environments.
While focusing on the frontiers of science and technology can be challenging in and of itself, many students also seek to take technical courses and develop their problem-solving skills while experiencing life in a new country. This can take place in many different ways and countries, as students study abroad for different reasons and have lots of diverse interests, both in and outside of their major.
For those who want to ensure they are staying on track and taking courses required of their major, you’ll find courses like organic chemistry, cellular biology, physiology, quantum physics, microbiology, differential equations, and more in different STEM or STEM-related study abroad programs.
We asked three students, studying data science, psychology, and biology, about why they studied abroad, what their experiences were like, and what advice they would give to their peers who are in STEM and considering going abroad.
Leonardo Perez Loynd (CDS ’25), a Somerville, MA native who is majoring in data science, did the Madrid Internship Program during summer 2024.
Alicia Dennery (CAS ’25), a Thomas M. Menino Scholar, is from Boston and is majoring in psychology and minoring in biology, with the goal of becoming a physician’s associate. She studied abroad twice, doing the Madrid Science Program and the Sydney STEM Program.
Elizabeth Rosen (CDS ’25), a Marblehead, MA native who is majoring in data science, participated in the Geneva Global Governance and Global Challenges Program in summer 2023. Long term, she wants to go into computational biology research.
Q&A
Global Matters: Why did you decide to study abroad?
Alicia Dennery: I am from Boston and never really left Boston because I came to BU. I had never “spread my wings and left the nest,” so to speak and never got to experience that. So, studying abroad was an amazing opportunity for me to do that. I loved it so much that I studied abroad twice. I felt very fulfilled after my study abroad – like my college experience was top tier because of it.
Leonardo Perez Loynd: My mother is from Spain, and my grandmother lived in Madrid my entire life. I think I speak Spanish fluently now, but it’s hard to stay on top of slang words and stuff like that when you don’t live there. So it was partially for the immersion, because I love Madrid. I was also excited to be able to do an internship abroad because I could see what it’s like to live in Spain, which is something I could do.
Elizabeth Rosen: I wanted the opportunity to travel, and I knew that the best way to do that was through study abroad. Studying abroad was something that I always wanted to do when I got to college. There isn’t a study abroad program specifically for data science, so I did one of the summer programs: Geneva Global Governance because there was a minute where I wanted to do public health policy analysis with data science.
Global Matters: Can you share a little about your experience abroad? What courses did you take? Any highlights you’d like to share about your time studying abroad?
Alicia Dennery: When I did the Madrid Science program, I studied organic chemistry and then cellular biology. I also studied medical ethics within the Spanish context, and I took a Spanish course. I lived in a homestay and loved my host family. They were a joy to be around, and we spoke Spanish in the household. I got to meet so many lovely people in Madrid and loved the program. There was a big emphasis on providing your knowledge in the courses – for example not doing multiple choice exams but having open response answers to show what you know.
During the Sydney STEM program, I took three science courses and one study abroad course called Australian Culture & Society. I took cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, microbiology, and physiology at the University of Sydney. Also, BU Sydney did events all the time for us…there was a Halloween party, welcome week, scavenger hunts, a harbor cruise, which were so much fun. We also had a week of orientation and went to Canberra as a group and visited museums. I was part of a Catholic organization and made so many friends who I still talk to today. I also made amazing friends through the program.
Leonardo Perez Loynd: Through my program, I interned at a nonprofit composed of professional tech people that work on social impact projects. I researched technologies and wrote Spanish language guides about how the technology could be used. We also made presentations at other organizations about the use of AI and how new technologies can be used for social good. It was interesting to shift from using my technical skills to adapt them for a social purpose, like teaching others. I had a lot of different goals, like practicing my Spanish and working in a Spanish speaking environment. I also loved my host family; they were wonderful and were surprised to know that I already spoke Spanish pretty well. They were very sweet and invited me to many things.
Elizabeth Rosen: A lot of my international relations course was field trip based. We visited different NGOs in Geneva, and I thought that was a really cool part of the program. We visited the UN, the World Health Organization, the WTO, the Red Cross, even the International Telecommunications Union. One of the days we got to meet the head of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Another time when we were at the UN, we were there during the Human Rights Council session and we had an anti-landmine advocate speak to us.
I was surprised by the variety of students in the class. I wasn’t the only data science or computer science kind of student in the class; there were a few others, so it wasn’t just international relations (IR) students, which I found to be interesting and made the class enjoyable. We talked about international relations issues from our [data science] perspective. One of the big decisions that the UN was making was around their development goals. They are sorting out how to incorporate AI and technology, so we had a technical point of view that we shared with the other students in our class.
Global Matters: What advice would you give to your peers in STEM who may be considering going abroad?
Alicia Dennery: I think you should go for it. I thoroughly enjoyed my programs. Don’t be scared to not know anyone. I think it’s better to go in not knowing anyone because you’ll be more likely to talk to other people and make new friends. I think it’s an amazing opportunity to put yourself out there, and the people who I met abroad I am still friends with today. I traveled with some of the friends I made. We went to Murcia. I also went to Portugal and Paris and Morocco.
When I was in Sydney, I traveled to Tokyo and Thailand. In all the places I went, I met so many locals and talked for hours on end with them about all sorts of things. But get to know the country you’re studying abroad in first – before you travel around to other countries. Get really familiar with the culture, people, and all the places you can go in your “home base” country first.
Leonardo Perez Loynd: I would recommend study abroad. I think it’s beneficial, and it’s really hard to critically understand our own country, especially if you’ve never been outside of it to other countries. It’s good to get a different perspective and see how things are in other places.
I had a really great time at the organized trips…we went to Burgos in northern Spain. It was great to experience that with my classmates.
Elizabeth Rosen: I think it’s good to be transplanted somewhere you’ve never been and have to reorient yourself and figure some things out on your own. I loved living in Geneva; it’s a really lovely city. Even just the mundane parts of my days, like the walk to class, were so beautiful. All of the buildings are stunning. We also had scheduled trips in our program: we went to Lavaux, which was breathtaking, and to Bern, the capital. We got to see where Albert Einstein lived for two years. I also got to travel to Paris and Naples, which were amazing.
I also enjoyed being able to practice my French, and I think having a second language is always a positive thing. The other thing that was cool was living in the same building as students who were doing other programs, like the Physics program, and those students were doing research at CERN. So, I got to hear about their research and also meet some impressive physicists at our goodbye party. Overall, I think it’s definitely a worthwhile thing to do.
An Inside Look at The International Peer Mentor Program
Nuria Rodriguez Ruiz and Isabel Cortes Weiss Find Connection in their Shared Experience of Moving to a New Country
One of the many initiatives and programs run by Global Programs is The International Peer Mentor (IPM) program. The IPM program – originally conceived by the Office of Orientation – “is designed to provide a ‘first friend’ and support and advice for new international students with their transition to BU,” says Amanda Miller, Managing Director, Strategy and Communications, who oversees the IPM program within Global Programs.
The program matches new international undergraduates with a trained student mentor based on their background, academic interests, languages spoken, and hobbies. The mentors – who can be domestic or international students – serve as a resource and have the opportunity to serve as part of a larger support system for international students. From answering questions, to lending a supportive ear, mentors volunteer their time to help create a welcoming community at BU.
For international student Nuria Rodriguez Ruiz (CAS ‘28), who is from Spain and attending BU to study psychology, she has found much support and companionship through the IPM program. Her mentor, Isabel Cortes Weiss (CAS ’27), shares recommendations and helps Nuria navigate questions she has about Boston and the University.
Beyond their shared connections as psychology majors and Spanish speakers, they both know what it’s like to move to an unfamiliar place and start a “new” life there.
Weiss was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico but moved to Minnesota at age 11, leaving behind a tight-knit community she knew and loved in Mexico.
“I know it can be a really hard change to move countries,” says Weiss. “But it can also be something that benefits you in the long run.”
Weiss attended an international school when she lived in Mexico and enjoyed meeting new people from a young age. “I was a host for students,” she recalls. “We had students from all over the world, so I’ve sort of been doing this since I was super young.”
Ruiz and Weiss also get together periodically and recently planned a trip to the Boston Common to try ice skating, which they described as a very fun outing together.
Ruiz describes the IPM program as “a great opportunity and something I encourage students to do. You’re in the same stage of life, so you understand each other better.”
Likewise, Weiss encourages students to join as mentors and says you do not need to be international to be part of this beneficial program. “I think it’s a great opportunity to connect with people on campus and just feel more involved in the community,” she says. “BU is so big and can sometimes feel isolating because everyone is busy doing their own things, but I think this is an opportunity to help you form personal connections on campus.”
In addition to developing personal connections to their mentees, mentors also introduce them to resources for international students across the University, such as the Compass and First Class.
The Compass is a full suite of resources to support BU’s international community. Academic, community, housing, and career-related resources and information can be found on the Compass.
First Class is an online, noncredit pre-arrival course designed to prepare incoming international students for the transition to BU and the American classroom. It is delivered on Blackboard and is comprised of short videos, written information, and self-checks designed to be completed from anywhere on any device.
These resources, in conjunction with the IPM program, aim to support international students in their first year at BU and deepen connections between students from many different backgrounds and lived experiences. It also gives students who act as mentors the opportunity to grow their skills and involvement on campus.
The IPM program also collaborates with offices across BU who regularly engage with international students, including, among many others, Residence Life, Orientation, the BU Hub, CAS Student Programs & Leadership, Student Health Services, and the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, for both mentor trainings and best practices for supporting students.
Journalism Student Hopes Her Future Career Path Involves a Return to London
Josephine Best Relished Working and Living in London Through Study Abroad
Josephine Best has always wanted to move to London. With her dad hailing from Newcastle, England, and her uncle living just outside of London, perhaps it’s no surprise that Best is drawn to this cosmopolitan and culturally rich capital. In addition to family ties to the city, she has a great appreciation for London’s excellent public transit system that allowed her to explore the city’s history, culture, arts, dining scene, and more.
Studying Abroad in BU’s London Internship Program gave Best a taste of living and working in London. The program combines a professional internship with coursework that examines a particular academic area in the context of Britain’s history, culture, and society. After completing the program’s six-week core phase, Best and her classmates spent seven weeks in full-time internships with organizations across greater London while also enrolled in a related weekly seminar course.
Best interned at a music PR company, and while the experience taught her that she does not want to pursue music PR for her career, she now knows she should try a different path with her journalism degree and penchant for communications. Exploring interests or those opportunities that end up being not of much interest is all part of interning abroad. This helps students like Best determine what works best and gives them firsthand experience, on an international stage no less, before graduation.
“I've realized from classes and from that internship experience that I'm not really interested in music PR,” Best says. “I think it's important to say I don't know what I want to do at all, and I am graduating in a few months, so it was a nice way to test out an area in a set period of time...that I didn't necessarily have to go after [once having graduated]. I was still in school, and I had that experience. I decided I don't like that, so now I can move on, and look at other areas.”
Interning while abroad made the entire experience much more realistic as to what living and working in London could look like for Best upon graduation from BU. Although she is unsure about her exact career path, she is interested in returning to London and charting a path for herself. Learning how to navigate a foreign city and overcome challenges while abroad helped Best build resilience. That resilience and grit will certainly serve Best when she plans her return to London upon graduation.
“I just really enjoyed being there,” Best says. “I found, when I was back in Boston, that London is the first place I've ever been homesick for – that wasn't my actual home, and I've never felt that way about Boston, unfortunately, so I really want to go back.”
Best also ended up playing an important role for BU London, when she decided to work as a residence life supervisor (RLS) after her program ended. That allowed her to stay in London for the summer and help build community for the students now enrolled in BU London programs – a community that she very much valued during her time studying abroad.
“BU has accommodations that help create community and help you feel a little bit more comfortable while abroad,” Best says. “Being an RLS helped me appreciate the program that I did even more. When I was in the program, my RLS helped me realize I could maybe stay over the summer, and he coached me through it, which was going above and beyond his job description to help me.”
Best relished the opportunity to meet new students and help them acclimate to their program and time abroad.
“To have had my own experience in the London Internship program and then to watch new students come in [to BU London], I felt that excitement for them and for all the things they were going to experience. I really enjoyed my time as an RLS and working with the people who make [BU] London what it is.”
Best says she has stayed in contact with her BU London professors and felt their commitment to helping create great experiences for students studying abroad, adding “One of my professors ended up giving me a tour of Parliament, which was amazing.”
For Spanish Minor Riley Minns, Madrid Offered Countless Opportunities for Growth and Exploration
For Riley Minns (CAS ’26), learning never stops and curiosity is constant. She has participated in not one, but two Study Abroad programs in Madrid, Spain, a city she loves for its culture, pleasant weather most of the year, and beautiful Spanish language.
“I’m a Spanish minor, and I’ve been taking Spanish since middle school, so I wanted to study somewhere where I could be speaking the language every day and become more fluent in it,” Minns says. “Through these experiences, I’ve found that I surprised myself with how much I know every day and how well I could speak to my classmates and host families.”
Minns was also pleasantly surprised by how friendly and welcoming she found everyone to be when she practiced conversing while out and about, enjoying the city’s many cafes and restaurants. “I’ve found they love that you’re trying, and they’re willing to help you learn even more.”
While Minns didn’t feel comfortable with her speaking abilities 100 percent of the time, she recognized the profound learning opportunity in front of her and embraced it.
“Being uncomfortable is something study abroad teaches you,” she says, reflecting on the growth she’s achieved. “This allows you to grow as a person and do things you may be uncomfortable with at first. Being in Madrid, every day was a new adventure, even though that sounds cheesy. But it’s the truth – you just have to be ready to go and roll with the punches.”
She embraced this mentality in all aspects of her experience, including seizing what she calls “the invaluable experience” of living with Spanish host families. Minns recounts the lasting connections she wouldn’t have otherwise made, saying, “I still talk to the host family I had last year, and I’m sure I’ll continue to stay in touch with my host family from this year because I’ve enjoyed that so much.”
In the program she participated in last spring, Spanish and European Studies, Minns took four classes at the Instituto Internacional en España. Her studies focused on Spanish and European art, cinema, history, literature, culture, and politics.
“My literature class focused on different movements in Spain’s history,” Minns adds. “For our final paper, we chose a book written by a Spanish author and connected the work to some aspect of our experience in Madrid.”
Minns also took a cinema class, where she watched different films directed by Spanish directors or that were made in Spain and analyzed the films.
“Sometimes thinking about writing a 10-page paper in a second language was a challenge,” she says. “But I think it has given me more confidence in my abilities to write and speak in Spanish. It was very beneficial for me, and I think I’m better for having had that experience.”
This spring semester, Minns enrolled directly at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, where she took two elective courses – both studying history. She also participated in an internship at CSIC, the Consejos Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, in its Instituto de Filosofía--FISOPOL Group (Social and Political Philosophy). In this role, she did historical research for one of the government ministries in Spain.
“I was excited to do this in a professional setting because it’s something totally different and new for me,” she says.
At the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, she attended classes alongside native speakers and, once more, experienced life with a Spanish family in a homestay.
“Taking classes fully in Spanish with a Spanish professor and Spanish students was a bit of an adjustment, but it’s been good," Minns says. “I think if you can challenge yourself, you should do it. Because you only gain something from it; you’re not going to lose anything.”
Two Different Study Abroad Experiences Teach Violet Barton How to Step into a New World and Succeed
International Relations Major Explores Humanitarian Work in Both Geneva and South Africa
Violet Barton (Pardee ’25) can count herself among the first students to have taken part in BU’s newer Cape Town, South Africa program. She can also count herself among the small number of students who complete more than one BU study abroad program.
An international relations major and someone who is interested in international development, Barton was eager to study abroad in Geneva, Switzerland, home of many humanitarian, political, and economic organizations. She did this in fall 2023 in one of BU’s Geneva Internship programs and had a variety of interesting and perspective-shifting experiences – complete with plenty of travel throughout Europe – during her time.
Originally a music major, Barton pivoted to international relations (IR) after one semester and has not looked back. “I realized focusing solely on music was not for me, and I’ve always been interested in global humanitarian efforts,” she says.
After taking a class on global poverty Barton was hooked and realized that her long-held interest in studying abroad would intersect well with her new IR major. While in Geneva, Barton says she was at the United Nations (UN) almost every day, and “it was exactly what I was looking for in terms of a glimpse into international diplomacy and humanitarian work.”
The level of access and scope of opportunities available to students pleasantly surprised Barton. Looking back on her time in Geneva, she recalls that when she first started the program, she had put meeting the High Commissioner for Human Rights on her bucket list. And by the end of the program, she could check that experience off her list.
“I had thought ‘oh it would be crazy to meet Volker Türk,’ but then it happened through an intern event,” she remembers. “I got to ask him a question about the UN’s ability to respond to disasters that don’t receive as much media coverage.”
She was also invited to a soiree at the French Ambassador to Switzerland’s house.
Figure 1: Violet Barton at the UN during a Human Rights Council session. Photo courtesy of Violet Barton.
During one of her many visits to the UN, Barton witnessed The UN’s Special Rapporteur for Russia, Mariana Katzarova, address the Human Rights Council and sound the alarm on what she said was a pattern of suppression of civil and political rights in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion.
After Katzarova’s report, Barton says different countries read out statements thanking her for her courageous investigation. Michèle Taylor, who served as the United States ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council from 2022 to 2025 and who Barton met through the Geneva program, sharply condemned Russia’s invasion. “It was an amazing chance to see the international relations I study playing out in real life,” Barton recalls.
Though Barton loved her time in Geneva, she realized she likely will not pursue a career in diplomacy but would rather approach the work from a different angle.
“It just felt removed from the issues that I wanted to be tangling with, which is why I ended up going to Cape Town afterwards,” explains Barton. “I realized I want to be leaning more towards the NGO and foundation space and with people who are working in communities.”
BU’s Cape Town: University Studies program allowed her to do just that. During the Cape Town program, Barton took a community development course that has a volunteer component, where she volunteered at an education nonprofit twice a week. In this capacity, she helped tutor students and deeply enjoyed getting to know them.
Figure 2: Violet Barton (center, seated at table) volunteering in Cape Town. Photo courtesy of Violet.
“I found that sort of hands-on work – talking to people – to be transformational for me, and that’s the path I want to go down.”
Both programs helped Barton build her confidence, and she says she brought this home with her upon her return to Boston.
“My confidence is so much higher in my classes,” she says. “In both Geneva and Cape Town, I had to build up my new life in a new country where I didn’t know anybody. I had to build up my routines, my social circles, my academic habits – and explore new cities. So, I think I’ve taken a lot of that with me… I think I grew a lot from the experiences – and that’s probably the biggest reason to go study abroad: to see yourself step into this new world and watch yourself succeed in building a new life for yourself.”
Overall, Barton found her experiences in Cape Town and Geneva to be quite different – mostly because of the more independent structure of the Cape Town program, where she enrolled directly at the University of Cape Town. She had greater feelings of being a “fish out of water” in South Africa, at least initially. She also noticed some social tension in Cape Town because of the legacy of apartheid and said that in some ways it still feels segregated and unequal.
Figure 3: South Africa’s Table Mountain. Photo courtesy of Violet Barton.
“The city has very impactful ways to engage with the legacy of apartheid, whether it's Robben Island, where former political prisoners give tours of the island where they lived in captivity, or the museums which preserve the history of neighborhoods that were destroyed,” she says. “Most IES students volunteer for an organization of their choosing, many of which are in townships and informal settlements. I learned so much about history and patterns of inequality that reproduce themselves today.”
Barton thinks both programs were incredibly rewarding and challenging ways to ‘put yourself out there.’ “In Cape Town, I’d be the only American in my classes, so I stuck out more. But I also made some of my best friends in Cape Town, and I told my mom I want to move back to Cape Town one day. I found the warmth and connection I had with people to be unlike anything I’ve ever experienced anywhere else.”
“There's never a shortage of ways to do experiential learning in the city [Cape Town] itself,” she says. “On every first Thursday of the month, the whole city becomes a festival with outdoor music, free art galleries, thrift markets in the streets, and discounts at restaurants. Every other day of the month has its similar share of activities, whether it's night markets, unique neighborhoods, or concerts in Kirstenbosch Gardens.”
Eventually, Barton is hoping to do a master’s program at the University of Cape Town and to get more involved in the NGO space.
“South Africa has my heart,” she says. “I’m so interested in the politics and the development challenges and the diplomatic networks between our countries, so that’s the direction I’m headed.”
Figure 4: Violet Barton and a friend hiking to an abandoned cobalt mine in Cape Town. Photo courtesy of Violet Barton.
Improving Healthcare Access in Rural Countries and Promoting Health Equity
SPH Graduate Student and Doctor-Turned-Health-Tech-Entrepreneur Makes an Impact in Nepal
Dr. Sanjiv Gupta (SPH’ 25) grew up in an economically backward district in Nepal. Siraha, from where Dr. Gupta hails, is one of the bottom districts in the human development index in the country. Apart from capturing the economic reality of the place, the human development index also informs social indicators such as education and health.
“A majority of people in the district did not have running water and depended on ground or surface water for their livelihood,” Dr. Gupta says. “Around the monsoon season, we would see a deluge of diarrhea and malaria cases in our nearby hospital.”
Dr. Gupta’s family moved from his ancestral village to a nearby town called Siraha (named same as the district) to be closer to infrastructure, such as the private schools and the only health hospital.
Since Siraha was the administrative headquarters of the district, the only health hospital was supposed to serve wide swathes of the population from different parts of the district. However, the hospital lacked enough doctors and resources to fully serve its people.
“We would periodically hear of people dying because of not enough resources or lack of personnel at the hospital, creating public uproar at times. People would have to be driven by ambulances to other regions in the country for urgent and quality treatment,” Dr. Gupta recalls. “In many cases, we had family members who had to be driven to other cities because the hospital did not have the right resources.”
Experiences such as this were catalysts for Dr. Gupta to pursue medicine and work towards affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare.
He graduated from Kathmandu University medical school and immediately felt the responsibility that came along with being the first doctor from his extended family and presumably from his village.
After Gupta graduated from Kathmandu University Medical school, he returned to his district to work as a clinician at a local hospital for a few years, practicing medicine diligently and helping patients.
“Then, one day when a 70-year-old man came into the rural hospital with his grandson and from a village family who I knew…I learned he sold his buffalo [to pay for the services], one of their family’s only assets,” explains Dr. Gupta. “When he came for the treatment, the hospital administrators, they immediately admitted his grandson and started IV medications and charged him $100.00 on day one.”
That $100.00 USD (approximately 10,000 rupees at that time) was his entire savings.
“And that was total injustice,” Dr. Gupta recalls. “So, I went to the administrator team, and then they said to me, you are a clinician. You deal with the patients, not with the administrative dealings. And that was it. I paid [for his grandson’s healthcare services] from my pocket, and the next day I resigned.”
Having worked through injustices like that as well as inefficiencies and other challenges of working in remote areas, Dr. Gupta decided to start a community hospital with a team of friends. Around this same time, the Covid-19 pandemic was in full swing, and he experienced the power of technology in a medical setting firsthand.
“I got a few devices from Israel, and I deployed those devices in different pharmacies, where the whole healthcare system depends on these pharmacies in South Asian countries,” Dr. Gupta says. “It’s not like a CVS or Walgreens. They are very small, and Nepal has around 30,000 such pharmacies.”
Armed with his medical experience and the desire to improve access to quality healthcare, Dr. Gupta developed a business model to empower these pharmacies and transform them with the addition of medical equipment – so that they could become points of care for patients in need. He also connected them to his fellow doctors and created a network of quality healthcare providers.
He viewed the work as a successful experiment in helping improve access to quality healthcare. But with the limited resources available and challenges navigating health governance, Dr. Gupta began to wonder if he could have a greater impact from outside of his country and if he could learn more about entrepreneurship in the United States.
Soon enough, he was applying to different scholarships and was accepted into the Fulbright Program. Here at BU, Dr. Gupta is studying Healthcare Management in the School of Public Health and is involved in Innovate@BU, where he was accepted into the Summer 2024 Accelerator Program. As part of the Summer Accelerator cohort, Gupta spent an intensive 10 weeks building out his organization, Rx Healthcare, that transforms pharmacies across south-Asian countries into digital tele-clinics.
“I hired 50 interns back home and hired two developers from India so we could develop our own platform,” Dr. Gupta says. “Piloting is going very well, and we are improving our software. We are providing [telehealth] services in 10 different pharmacies.”
Using Dr. Gupta’s venture, Rx Healthcare, pharmacies are integrated into the healthcare system and receive the necessary digital infrastructure and medical devices – like pulse oximeters – to connect remote communities with qualified healthcare providers through telemedicine. Rx Healthcare can also connect to local labs where testing is completed.
“As someone who has witnessed firsthand the challenges of accessing quality healthcare in rural areas, I am deeply committed to leveraging technology to bridge this gap and empower individuals to take control of their health,” Dr. Gupta says. “Rx Healthcare is not just about providing medical services; it’s about empowering communities, promoting health equity, and driving positive social change.”
Although Dr. Gupta does not identify as an entrepreneur, he says his mindset is focused on problem solving. “I’m obsessed with the problem and will take anything to solve the problem, be it a management issue or anything. Accessing quality healthcare was our problem growing up. But now I see it as a problem for many, not only those in Nepal, but in many other rural countries and emerging nations.”
Coming from a moderate background, Dr. Gupta is grateful for the opportunity and people that have helped him come so far. “I never really planned to come to the U.S.…I was fully serving my community but coming here and getting so much help and support from the entire Boston University community, I am really grateful,” he says. “My entire life has been as a gratitude – the community back home and the Fulbright community…without the U.S. government scholarship I would not be here. So, I would like to request that everyone find some way to give back to their community.”
Rx Healthcare is currently seeking funding to help with medical device purchasing for the pharmacies they are transforming. Depending on the outcome of raising funds and where his new degree in healthcare management will take him, Dr. Gupta will determine where he can have the most impact as a doctor-turned-social-health-tech-entrepreneur.
IEW Through the Years
Each year, International Education Week (IEW) celebrates Boston University’s global engagement, and this year’s IEW will offer many exciting events for the entire BU community across BU’s campuses.
Starting Nov. 11, events ranging from multicultural writing and art showcases to research talks (and more) will be offered. To register your event as an IEW event, please fill out the form on the Global Programs site. Then be sure to check the full calendar of IEW events in early Nov. on our website.
Global Programs applauds the BU community’s commitment to creating opportunities for exchanging ideas, building community, sparking curiosity on global issues, and broadening worldviews. Our community’s steadfast commitment has a long history – some of which we’ve captured in this artistic time capsule of IEW. Enjoy this look back on highlights from the last decade:
Extending Student Wellbeing Across the Globe
Numerous BU Study Abroad Locations and Student Wellbeing Collaborate in Many Ways to Support Students’ Holistic Wellbeing
From Dublin to London to Madrid, Boston University Study Abroad students have learned about the incredible power of trees – up close and in a hands-on way. In grant-funded programs run with Student Wellbeing, the teams at BU Dublin, BU London, and BU Madrid took their study abroad students to mountainous County Wicklow, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and the Casa de Campo park, respectively, where they planted trees, learned about carbon offsetting, and worked with local NGOs.
The program is one of many offerings that Student Wellbeing has helped facilitate at different BU run Study Abroad locations. And this is just one of the ways that BU Study Abroad and Student Wellbeing have been collaborating to help support all dimensions of students’ wellbeing – no matter where they are.
“We absolutely adore working with Study Abroad, and we are grateful that they have been such a tremendous partner,” says Pedro Falci, Managing Director of Student Wellbeing. “Working with the various Study Abroad sites and in different ways – whether it’s on programs through grants, workshops, or even as thought partners – has been meaningful for us and has allowed us to provide students some degree of continuity between the Charles River Campus experience and when they go abroad.”
By encouraging study abroad students to participate in workshops or a program like tree planting, students continue to be exposed to resources and habits of mind that can benefit their wellbeing.
BU Study Abroad Executive Director Gareth McFeely notes that these programs emphasize the importance of thinking about the student experience holistically: “studying abroad is not just about what students learn in the classroom, even if that’s important, but also about students reflecting on their place in the world, and on how to be in the moment.”
Falci and his colleagues in Student Wellbeing encourage students to study abroad and know that doing so benefits students in myriad ways.
“Having that fish out of water experience teaches them about their wellbeing, and they can incorporate those lessons into their life well beyond BU,” Falci says. “And we know that going abroad can sometimes provoke feelings of homesickness or basic stress response in the body, so having some of these offerings – whether it’s workshops that impart skills or programs that help students meet each other – teach them something they can take with them to make the most of their experience abroad.”
Falci also notes that it’s interesting for Student Wellbeing to learn about the differing priorities that students have when they are abroad vs. in Boston. When hosting Student Wellbeing’s Life Management workshop – one that focuses on identifying priorities – Falci has noticed students’ desire to prioritize travel to other countries while they are abroad. “Of course, they are also doing their coursework and sometimes interning while abroad, so they are busy, and it’s interesting for us to see the differences.”
Another virtual workshop that Falci has hosted with study abroad students is titled Exploring Personal and Social Identities. He led this workshop for past students in Padua and Venice, Italy a few times.
When he hosts it, Falci invites students, who are by and large Americans studying in Italy (in this case), to reflect on how we tackle identity in the U.S. in comparison to what they’re seeing in Italy or on the European continent.
“We talk about how in the States we have to check boxes around race and ethnicity, sex and gender, religion, class, all those things,” he says. “Students are then prompted to think about how another culture tackles the same topics, and we engage in a conversation around those differences. It’s a really rich conversation when we get going.”
The Director of Padua and Venice Programs, Elisabetta Convento, appreciates how enthusiastic and adept Falci has been in hosting valuable and interesting workshops for her students.
“He is always extremely enthusiastic and very available to discuss any topics,” Convento says. “I think our ‘formula’ in Padua and Venice of prioritizing wellbeing from the very beginning – the day after students arrive – and then continuing with small activities throughout the semester that [reinforce] the importance of wellbeing has been working well.”
Convento and her team first started partnering with Student Wellbeing thanks to former Padua student Ariel Crawford (CAS ’24), who studied abroad in spring 2023 and also worked for Student Wellbeing as a Program Assistant.
“Ariel was going through the orientation that we give, where I would show the Student Wellbeing website,” says Convento. “She was collaborating with Pedro and helping work on the website and said why don’t we do a session with Wellbeing?”
In addition to workshops with Wellbeing, Convento and her team runs initiatives and events with students where they get involved in the local community, collecting trash, planting trees, touring the area on bikes, removing graffiti, and more.
“This past summer I took students to a beautiful villa in the middle of the countryside where they could enjoy the landscape, draw if they wanted to, and just wander around and be immersed in nature,” Convento says. “They loved it and appreciated spending time in nature.”
Students in Madrid, Spain have also enjoyed outdoor excursions and outdoor clean-up activities that connect them to nature and help them appreciate their environment. In addition to the tree planting event, they participated in a marine biology excursion.
“That was great because we cleaned the beach and collected all the trash there,” says Amalia Perez-Juez, Director of Madrid Programs. “It was a great; everyone seemed to love it.”
In addition to nature-focused activities that promote environmental wellbeing, the BU Madrid team regularly hosts a cultural wellbeing event where they ask students to share a photograph of what Spain has meant for them and to speak about that. The traditional Spanish dish paella is shared and enjoyed at this event as well.
“Lately we have also been doing talent shows because we've seen that students love to show what they do, and they want to sing and dance,” adds Perez-Juez. “It's getting everyone together and knowing each other in a different way that is not in a classroom.”
Cara Kennedy, Student Life Manager for BU London, adds that BU London runs wellness afternoons a few times per semesters where they host sessions designed to help students relax and reduce stress in a healthy way. “Students are invited to join in activities that promote creativity, community, and relaxation, Kennedy says. “Positive wellbeing is key for academic success, so they can discover new ways to stay energised, focused, and feeling good during busy times!”
One of their more popular wellness activities is hosting a therapy dogs visit, working with a UK charity called Pets As Therapy. In addition, they include wellbeing events (free to participate) in their social programming, and these events vary each semester.
“In summer, we took students on a trip to Kentish Town City Farm where they spent some time with the animals,” Kennedy says. “A group of students also took part in the Battersea Park: Chase the Sun run event where they ran 5K or 10K. We have also organised walks before to local parks such as Richmond Park and Hampstead Heath.”
The Director of Dublin Programs, Mary McCloskey, agrees and emphasizes the benefits of getting students together outside of the classroom, especially in the spirit of making new friends and improving social wellbeing.
“Some students come with their friends, but we always work under the premise that you have come alone, seeking your independence, stepping out of your comfort zone, and seeking new adventures and opportunities,” says McCloskey. “So, I set the tone during orientation and during our treasure hunt event by setting up the teams alphabetical by last name so [already established] friends aren’t joined at the hip and going around. It’s bonding with new peers, and that’s important.”
She adds that in addition to the various activities, excursions, and events that they run in Dublin, she often shares resources and events with her students, even if they are taking place on the Charles River Campus. A silver lining of the Covid-19 pandemic has been the strong connection to the Charles River Campus that zoom meetings, events, and workshops enable.
“It really is a global village, because it doesn't matter whether you're on the Charles River Campus, in Shanghai, in Dublin or wherever BU has programs, you can register, you can join, you can partake in the workshops and events virtually,” she says. “There’s a stronger feeling of inclusiveness and feeling part of the mother campus in Boston, so to speak. We feel the benefit of that, and the students feel the benefit of that the same because they can get involved if they want.”
Studying English, Enjoying a Boston Summer – Just 22 Years Apart
Tangier followed in her mother Leli Chen’s footsteps at CELOP
When Leli Chen studied at CELOP 22 years ago little did she know that her daughter, Tangier Lai, would end up following a similar path. Tangier, who participated in CELOP’s EducationUSA Academy, enjoyed the program and says she improved her English language skills as well as her interpersonal skills. She also learned about the process and requirements for applying to colleges in the U.S.
“I learned how to cooperate with other people and how to overcome challenges,” she says while reflecting on her academics and the experience of living in the Warren Towers residence hall with other international students this past summer. Although the program is short – just three weeks – it packs in many valuable workshops, activities, tours, and class time studying English. It also focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship, with students learning the vocabulary and concepts associated with business.
CELOP Senior Lecturer Carol Piñeiro taught both Leli and Tangier, and though they participated in different programs, feels great pride in seeing students come to CELOP generation after generation, as Leli and Tangier have done.
“The story of Leli and her daughter Tangier is not uncommon to CELOP,” says Maria Arruda, Managing Director of CELOP. “Last summer we hosted a student from Vietnam whose brother and father also attended CELOP at one point. I think what’s unique to this story is that Leli and her daughter were taught by the same wonderful teacher, Carol.”
“I have taught at CELOP for more than 40 years, and it’s gratifying to know that the students one teaches go on to become successful professionals, which means they’re eventually able to send their children to CELOP to study,” Piñeiro says. “In general, the younger generation is much savvier about social media. Facebook was just starting 20 years ago, when Leli was a student. The advancements in technology have changed the ways students present information. Tangier’s class was very quick to gather information and put images, sound, and video together in a pleasing and professional way.”
Tangier thought about one of her favorite assignments that Piñeiro gave the class. “We had to write a personal statement,” Tangier explains. “Carol asked us to think deeply about our own story. I thought about my academic achievements in science debates in Taiwan.”
An 11th grader at Chang-Hua girl's senior high school in Taiwan, Tangier developed a strong interest in science at an early age and excels in a gifted student program for math and science. She hopes to major in physics and perhaps earn a master’s degree in the future.
Piñeiro delights in saying, “Tangier is as motivated as her mother was when she came to Boston to do a graduate degree two decades ago.”
Tangier hopes to be accepted to a U.S. college or university and has visited many different states over the years with her family. Tangier agrees with her mother’s outlook that “everyone who comes here [to the U.S.], comes with their own perspective, and we are all a bit different – and that’s the best takeaway.”
When Leli first came to the U.S. and Boston University, she was earning her second graduate degree and was accepted to the Master of Science in Public Relations program. At CELOP, before she started her graduate degree, Leli took a class in media studies with Piñeiro along with other graduates who had been accepted to the College of Communication.
“The main focus was on improving listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in order to navigate the area they had chosen, like public relations in Leli’s case,” explains Piñeiro. “The students put a lot of effort into the course and felt more prepared for their graduate study by the end of their time with CELOP.”
Reflecting on her experience, Leli says, “I really liked the way CELOP educated us and helped us…they knew we were not young students and that we had experience.”
Leli and her fellow students learned about citations and how to create presentations. She describes it as intensive but helpful, and she credits the program with helping her kick off her successful time at BU and keeping pace with other students in the graduate program.
After BU, Leli moved back to Shanghai and worked at the award-winning global public relations consultancy firm Edelman PR and then eventually moved back to Taiwan, where she and her husband are raising their two daughters.
“I remember Leli being a motivated and enthusiastic participant in class, ready to discuss the topic on the table and always a team player,” says Piñeiro. “I think Leli has raised her daughter to be like her, eager to participate in academic life and engage in the quest for knowledge, no matter where it takes her.”
Arruda adds that as CELOP looks ahead to its 50th year anniversary in 2025, highlighting special alumni stories like that of Leli and Tangier’s will be a focus.
BU Student’s Participation in the Venice Studio Arts Program Allows for Exploration in the Creative Arts Abroad
Seeking Inspiration in Treasured Classics, Pushing Artistic Boundaries Contribute to Incredible Experience
From her early years spent sketching to her discovery of Photoshop in high school, Boston University student Lilia Geguchadze (CFA '25) has always been drawn to the creative arts. She knew she wanted to pursue this interest in college, and from there, the idea of a full-time career path in visual storytelling began to unfold.
To help bring this future to fruition, Geguchadze sought a program that would allow her to expand her knowledge while also empowering her to explore various fields. The College of Fine Arts at BU, with its multitude of opportunities and emphasis on interactive learning experiences, stood out among others. Additionally, having been raised in Maine, Geguchadze was looking for a way to combine the hustle-and-bustle of big-city life while also staying near her family. Boston University being at the heart of a vibrant metropolitan area made it the perfect setting to achieve her goals.
However, these weren’t the only goals she had in mind. Soon enough, Geguchadze’s aspirations led her to look beyond the United States. Studying abroad would provide her with the opportunity to challenge herself personally, professionally, and creatively.
“I had never been outside of the U.S. And that's something that really intimidates me. I thought, what better way to do that in a very manageable step than to do it through a [study abroad] program?”
As a result, she decided to try the Venice Studio Arts program offered through Boston University Study Abroad. This opportunity provides students with the ability to learn and grow their creative skills via classes in Italy, a location well-known for its rich artistic heritage.
Geguchadze had set off to immerse herself in a new culture and experience. Arriving in Italy, although she encountered warmth and hospitality, she initially struggled in adjusting to such a big change. However, with the help of her peers, she was able to navigate these challenges and form wonderful new friendships. “It took me a little bit of time, but because I had other people who were kind of going through the same thing, it was a little bit easier,” Geguchadze says reflecting on the experience.
Right away, she noticed how a difference in lifestyle influenced the classroom setting as well. “The program was a little bit different [from those in the U.S.], because they really allowed us to work on whatever project we were assigned,” she says.
Geguchadze created a lot of art during the semester, and her favorite was a book re-design project pictured above. “We had to choose a book that we had a connection to and interpret and re-design the cover. We then had to create a new second cover that is inspired by our re-design, but the new cover had to be inspired by Venice,” she explains.
Compared to the fast-paced setting she was used to in the United States, Geguchadze found the Italian lifestyle to be more relaxing. These qualities were also mirrored in her Italian lectures. She was deeply impacted by this style of teaching, specifically because it placed a strong emphasis on encouraging individual expression and creativity.
Beyond the classroom, Geguchadze was also able to explore a multitude of sites that Italy had to offer. In fact, she believes the picturesque environment of northern Italy is what helps inspire and contribute to her professors’ creativity. Here, Geguchadze recalls, “I think the reason why a lot of them have a lot of appreciation for what they do was because you would walk outside, and all the buildings are historic, the museums are filled with paintings and sculptures that I never even fathomed I’d be able to see. And they get to live there.”
Having undergone such a life-changing experience, Geguchadze now looks to the future for a way to utilize and apply everything she has learned.
“I mean, it was a big experience. So, it's bound to impact my choices... I’m still trying different things out and figuring out what sector of graphic design I want to work in. But I started considering internships outside of the U.S. because I’ve learned about how strong the graphic design programs are in Europe. And now that I have connections in Italy, they could point me in the right direction.”
Overall, Geguchadze’s study abroad experience has enabled her to step outside of her comfort zone in a way that positively promotes growth and development. She has discovered new potential within graphic design that she did not previously know about, and these lifelong lessons are sure to remain with her as she heads into her future career.
Global Feature
Global Feature
Global Feature
