Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 3632 Langdale College of Business HOW VSU BECAME A PIONEER IN CREATING A STUDY-ABROAD PROGRAM The success of Valdosta State University’s study abroad program was in part due to the late Dr. William Gabard, professor of history and first director of the Office of International Programs, who was active in the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges. He was well known in Georgia as a distinguished educator in international matters. Dr. C. Tracy Harrington, now retired, became the director of the newly developed Center for International Programs (CIP). Under Harrington’s administration, the CIP initiated and orchestrated study abroad programs for the entire University System of Georgia’s European Council program, including more than 30 institutions. HARLEY LANGDALE JR. COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION’S FOOTPRINT The Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration was invited to supply a business faculty member for a new European Council program to be offered in France in the summer of 1997. Dr. Fred Ware, now retired, was selected to teach two management courses in a program headquartered at the permanent Georgia Tech-Lorraine facility in Metz, France, near Luxembourg. Five-week European Council programs included 1-day field trips for each course, allowing travel as necessary. This format became a model for future LCOBA overseas initiatives. In 1999, Ware was assigned to teach in Paris and later London until 2006. The early efforts of Valdosta State University’s Office of International Programs made VSU a pioneer in the program and opened the door for the Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration to develop and launch its own study abroad program in 2006. Led by program director Dr. Andrew Ostapski, professor of management, the study abroad experience was housed at Zeppelin University near Lake Constance in southern Germany. “In three weeks, I watched children become adults,” said Ostapski. This new “Business in Germany” program was moved in 2008 to Karlsruhe near the Rhine River with better rail connections at the University of Applied Sciences. This location is where the VSU Center for International Programs was already overseeing a nearby program for the VSU College of Education. VSU had dramatically expanded overseas program opportunities for its students. Working with Ostapski as the site director, Dr. David Kuhlmeier, associate professor of marketing, and Ware both taught in this program, which developed into an important base headquarters every summer until 2015. UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP In 2013, Dr. Zulal Denaux became the study-abroad program coordinator, overseeing LCOBA’s study abroad experiences and leading the program. From 2012 to 2015, she led students on study abroad programs to Turkey. Students had the opportunity to visit organizations like General Electric, Nestle, Ferrero Roche, and the Central Bank of Turkey. Dr. Marko Horn and Dr. Cynthia Tori joined the team in 2014 and led their own study abroad programs in Germany. LCOBA students experienced a mixture of business, government, reflection and leisure during these programs. Their experiences 32 Langdale College of Business