DePauw Stories

It Changes Perspectives

Andrew Conarty ’24 spent last fall semester in Rome and describes it as “perspective-changing.” In fact, the experience was so impactful he is returning in May to conduct research for his Honor Scholar thesis.

Conarty is a classical-civilization major and literature minor, an Honor Scholar and a member of the pre-law and public affairs student organization. He plans to attend law school after graduation.

He went abroad as part of Duke University’s program, the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, which he chose with the assistance of his adviser, professor of classical studies David Guinee. It aligned well with his major, offered field trips almost daily, and Conarty knew the program “would attract bright, dedicated students.”

Because of the experience, he said, “I feel a lot more independent and confident in my schoolwork and a lot more confident in my ability to succeed.”

Conarty received funding from the Honors Scholar Program Hallward-Driemeier Fund to research “how the Popes have influenced our – the public’s – understanding of the ancient Roman past, through their collections of Roman antiquities in the Vatican Museums.”

“At the risk of sounding overzealous, DePauw makes it so easy to study abroad,” Conarty said. “It’s such a life-changing opportunity, I would encourage anyone to do it.”

Studies show that students studying abroad learn independent thinking, decision-making, budgeting, networking, language skills and cross-cultural communication among other skills. “We know that those skills are what employers and graduate schools are looking for,” said Crout.

He and his Hubbard Center team focus on inclusion and making sure study abroad is accessible and available to all students. Finances are a big part of that. “DePauw does a lot in that area to try to help make off-campus studies affordable,” said Crout.

For professors Dave Berque and Hiroko Chiba, their experience teaching a winter term travel course in Japan “is a really good example of how we’ve both grown as faculty members, as well as offering what we think is a really good experience for students,” Berque said.

Berque is vice president for academic affairs and a professor of computer science, and Chiba is the Tenzer Family University Professor in Instructional Technology, and a professor and director of the Asian studies program.

Their course – Japanese Culture, Technology and Design – examines the spirit of craftsmanship present in both the long history of traditional art- and craft-making to the production of modern products, from cars to robots to video games.

Berque said he’s “learned a lot about Japan, and some of that has found its way into other courses that I teach.” Chiba said, “I learn a lot from the students. We want to bring new perspectives to the students, but they bring new perspectives to us, too.”