The last four years of her undergraduate studies, graduating biochemistry senior Kailie Greer, has spent trying new things and meeting new people. From studying abroad to participating in a Creative Inquiry (CI) Program, Kailie has fully taken advantage of the experiential learning that Clemson has to offer.
Kailie was a part of Dr. Scott Pratt’s Advancement of Assisted Reproductive Technologies for Cattle and Other Species CI and studied abroad in Florence, Italy last summer at the Institute of Lorenzo de’ Medici (LdM) in Florence, Italy, which is noted as one of the most distinctive and well-established study abroad institutions in Italy. In addition, Kailie worked part-time at Crossroads Animal Hospital in Seneca, SC.
Upon graduation, Kailie is taking a gap year and working at Salt Marsh Animal Hospital in Kiawah, SC before applying to veterinary school.
“Clemson has brought me so many opportunities and I am forever thankful for the four years I had here.”
Junior biochemistry major Gia Kennedy always knew she wanted to study abroad in college.
“In junior high I remember thinking about it and wanting to go to either Greece or Spain. After that, it kind of became a given; it wasn’t a possibility, it was something I knew I wanted and would be doing in college.”
This semester, Gia made those dreams come true through Clemson’s CEA CAPA Science and Engineering Program in Alicante, Spain. As a biochemistry major and a Spanish studies minor, this program fit Gia’s course of study perfectly.
Gia takes Cellular Biology, Plant Biodiversity, Ecology, and B1 Spanish at the University of Alicante. The innovative and dynamic University of Alicante (UA) allows you to attend class and activities with Spanish and other international students for an integrated experience. UA also offers modern buildings, green areas, sports facilities, a 24-hour library, a museum, and commercial galleries.
“After classes, I’ll come home and make dinner and will usually hang out with my roommate and have our other friends over or go sit on the beach and talk together.”
Gia typically spends the weekends in different places, exploring, touring and taking in new cultures.
“We’ve gone to small Spanish cities, Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona, London, and I just spent my 20th birthday in Switzerland! We always fly the cheap airlines so I’m usually walking around the airport in my nice dinner shoes and sweatpants and carrying an extremely overpacked bag which I think is funny.”
Gia’s family has even flown in, and they have visited Mallorca together. Other places that Gia has visited during her stay in Spain include Paris, Nice, Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome, the Canary Islands, Portugal, Amsterdam and Greece.
“Besides traveling, during the week when I have free time I’m most often at the beach. The beach is a ten-minute walk from my apartment, so I’ll go there and meet with friends to swim, tan, pass a soccer ball or just hang out.”
This experience has meant a lot to Gia, who is Hispanic and wanted to learn more about and immerse herself into the language and cultures in Spain.
“Overall, studying abroad has been one of the best experiences of my life and I cannot recommend it enough. I really love it here and already do not want to go back.”
Victoria Cipollino
Victoria Cipollino is a junior biochemistry major studying abroad this semester in Florence, Italy.
Originally from Northport, NY in Long Island, Victoria loves Clemson and participates in many different activities around campus.
“I am involved in bioinformatics research with Dr. Alex Feltus, America Reads tutoring, an FCA small group and Collegians for Christ.”
Currently, Victoria is studying at abroad through one of Clemson’s third-party programs, which are coordinated by other universities and study abroad organizations. She is studying at the Institute of Lorenzo de’ Medici in Florence, Italy (LdM). LdM is noted as one of the most distinctive and well-established study abroad institutions in Italy.
“A typical day for me includes attending my classes in the heart of Florence, enjoying a cappuccino and cooking dinner with my roommates.”
In her free time, Victoria enjoys taking long walks and exploring the markets at Mercato Centrale, where she can find fresh fruit, pasta and sauces. She also loves traveling around other cities in Italy.
“Traveling by train on the weekends is incredibly easy, with so many nearby cities to visit. This weekend, I’m deciding between Livorno and Venice! Florence offers excellent public transportation and endless places to explore, making it the perfect city for my study abroad experience.”
Victoria is working to become fluent in Italian, and there is no better place to practice. For Victoria the choice to study abroad was easy and the choice of Italy was an easier one.
“I chose to study abroad because I love meeting people from different cultures and experiencing new environments. Italy, in particular, holds a special place in my heart, as I grew up immersed in Italian culture.”
Junior genetics major Kylie Towery has been studying abroad in Florence, Italy this summer through the Lorenzo de Medici Institute.
Kylie is from York, SC and has minors in biochemistry and psychology. She is involved in several extracurricular activities on campus, during the school year and this fall will be joining Dr. Haiying Laing’s Woody Plant Genomics Lab.
“On campus, I am involved with my sorority, Kappa Delta, where I serve as Senior Experience Chair and on the Parenting Place Committee for the past two years.”
Kylie is studying abroad this summer through one of Clemson’s third-party programs, which are coordinated by other universities and study abroad organizations. She is studying at the Institute of Lorenzo de’ Medici (LdM) in Florence, Italy. LdM is noted as one of the most distinctive and well-established study abroad institutions in Italy.
“For four weeks, I am taking a Love and Natural Selection class at LdM that will count towards my psychology minor.”
Kylie shares an apartment with five other girls, tow of which are from Clemson. They like to spend their time truly immersing themselves in the culture. Living close to both the river and the replica of David, Kylie enjoys amazing views when she goes out. She has been exploring Florence, eating at new food, shopping and meeting new people.
“I have met so many amazing people from all over the US as well as several people from different parts of the world!”
Kylie is making sure to take advantage of this experience and travel to different parts of Italy, so far having been to Cinque Terre, Tuscany, Venice, San Gimignano and Castiglioncellon. She just wrapped up a weekend trip to the Amalfi Coast, where she got to see Positano, Capri, Sorrento and Pompeii.
“The views everywhere have been amazing so I have been soaking up every moment and opportunity that I can!”
Kailie Greer ’24
Senior biochemistry major Kailie Greer is currently in Florence, Italy studying introduction to cross cultural communication.
Kailie is originally from Charleston, SC and has minors in chemistry and animal and veterinary science. During the academic year, Kailie works at Crossroads Animal Hospital in Seneca, SC.
In addition, I am part of Dr. Scott Pratt’s Advancement of Assisted Reproductive Technologies for Cattle and Other Species Creative Inquiry.”
This research project focuses on methods to increase bovine fertility and examine the putative microRNA markers associated with early pregnancy and early pregnancy loss in pregnancies produced by in vitro fertilization or embryo transfer.
Kailie is studying abroad this summer through one of Clemson’s third-party programs, which are coordinated by other universities and study abroad organizations. Kailie is studying at the Institute of Lorenzo de’ Medici (LdM) in Florence, Italy. LdM is noted as one of the most distinctive and well-established study abroad institutions in Italy.
“My typical day starts with a walk to a new coffee shop, my roommates and I are trying all the coffee we can, then I grab lunch and sit outside while I catch up on readings for class.”
At LdM, Kailie is taking an introduction to cross cultural communication course. This course explores and explains everything from the influence of culture on personal identity, differing conceptions and norms of personal space, rituals, speech patterns, myths, ideologies, and the mass media’s influence on cross-cultural representations of reality.
In her free time, Kailie is enjoying walking the streets of Florence, trying new restaurants, and exploring all of what Italy has to offer. She has visited the Amalfi coast, Tuscany, and participated in a cooking class.
“I have met some really great people from all over the United States, as well as some students in my classes from all over the world. This is by far one of my favorite experiences!”
Brooke Dellingham ’24
This summer, senior genetics major Brooke Dillingham spent about two weeks studying abroad in Greenland, Denmark, the world’s largest island, located in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Brooke is from York, SC and is involved in many extracurriculars on campus including conducting research in Dr. Michael Sehorn’s DNA repair and Meiotic Homologous Recombination lab.
“In addition, I act as a Clemson LIFE peer mentor, the assistant attorney general of Clemson’s Judicial Board and a member of the Science Student Advisory Board.”
Brooke studied abroad in Greenland as a part of Clemson’s National Scholars Program, exploring the ideas of art and climate change in the Arctic. Led by associate professor of art Dr. Todd Anderson, Brooke and the group started out their trip in Copenhagen, where they went to the Statens Museum for Kunst, the national gallery of Denmark.
“The first part of Greenland we explored was Kangerlussuag where we saw the Russell Glacier, reindeer, an arctic hare, an arctic fox and an ice sheet.”
Known for its airport, Kangerlussuaq is a small town in western Greenland where 25km east, you will find the Russell Glacier. The Russell Glacier flows from the Greenland ice sheet and stands like a wall of ice – reaching up to 60 meters at some points. Brooke also explored Disko Island, where they saw Bowhead Whales and did a polar plunge.
“Our final destination was Ilulissat, which is one of the larger settlements in Greenland. It is said that the iceberg that sank the Titanic originated from Ilulissat’s Disko Bay.”
While visiting Copenhagen, Kangerlussuag, and Ilulissat, Brooke and the group spent most of their time outside taking in the breathtaking scenery and hiking.
“There is nothing that can compare to seeing the icebergs and glaciers of Greenland. When standing next to some glaciers there are points when you look up and around you and all you can see is ice.”
Photo credit to Dr. Todd Anderson
Gabbie Gardiner ’24
Gabbie Gardiner, senior genetics and biochemistry major, minoring in Spanish, is participating in a one-month study-abroad program. The Clemson Language Immersion Program aims to provide students with a language immersion experience in Spain.
Gabbie is originally from Louisville, KY and is involved in Alpha Chi Omega, the Clemson Spanish Club and a non-profit called Her Best Foot Forward, which distributes hygiene necessities to girls in need. In addition, Gabbie participates in Clemson F45, a fitness training that combines elements three different types of workouts, and she works in the Genetics and Biochemistry Teaching Lab as a work-study student.
Currently studying at the University of Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain, Gabbie is only permitted to speak Spanish during the duration of her study abroad experience. Therefore, she takes two classes conducted entirely in Spanish, one with a Clemson faculty member, who focuses on Spanish grammar, and one with a local Spanish professor at the University of Salamanca, who teaches the culture and history of Spain. After classes, they typically have an activity to attend.
“During the week we have our two classes then usually an activity in the afternoon, whether it be a tour of a historical monument in Salamanca or an activity with local students at the university.”
Throughout this break, she also has the time stop into stores or get gelato or a tapa, do some homework and talk with her host family. Gabbie lives with a host family to help immerse her into the culture and language. Her host family only speaks Spanish and has introduced her to traditional Spanish meals and customs.
“My experience with my host family has been amazing and I have learned a variety of new Spanish vocabulary, traditions, and meals.”
On the weekends Gabbie and the other students travel to other parts of Spain to learn more about the differences in culture between the autonomous communities. So far, they have visited five autonomous communities: Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Madrid, Galicia, and País Vasco. While there, they visit monuments and museums, learn about different local dialects and Spanish cuisine.
“Some of the most notable things we have seen are the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the Royal Palace of Madrid, the cathedral of Toledo, the Tower of Hércules, La Playa de La Concha and the Guggenheim Museum. My favorite place we have visited is San Sebastián in País Vasco. The cuisine there is impeccable and unique to the community.”
Gabbie loves to walk around the town and admire the beautiful architecture, go on a run across the Puente Romano, siesta, and meet friends from both Clemson and ones she has made in Salamanca in the Plaza Mayor for gelato.
“Overall, this experience has been so rewarding and my Spanish has improved significantly.”
Logan Rush ’26
Logan Rush with her OTH Regensburg acceptance letter.
Logan Rush is National Scholar and a sophomore genetics major with a minor in Pan-African studies. She is currently studying abroad in Germany for eight weeks.
On campus Logan is involved in the Call Me Doctor ESTEEMED Scholars Program, College of Science Student Advisory Board, National Society of Black Engineers, Sister2Sister, and more.
“I serve as the financial committee chair for Clemson’s chapter of the NAACP, the social media liaison for the college of science and a mentor in the program CONNECTIONS. Furthermore, I also participate in research in Clemson’s bioengineering department.”
Logan is studying abroad in Germany with the rest of her National Scholars Program cohort. All NSP study-travel experiences are designed specifically and exclusively for National Scholars. These experiences offer NSP students the opportunity to develop intercultural competencies, grow personally and intellectually and build a community within and across their scholar cohort.
For the first two weeks of her study abroad experience, Logan explored parts of Berlin and Stuttgart. She then arrived in Regensburg, Bavaria to her internship at the university OTH Regensburg. OTH Regensburg is one of the most research-intensive universities of applied sciences in Bavaria.
“I’m interning in a health informatics lab where my project consists of becoming familiar with/writing about research pertaining to privacy risks associated with genetic processing.”
In her free time, Logan has enjoyed exploring the town, traveling to neighboring places, and even has a plan to visit Prague in the next few weeks.
“Overall, I’ve really enjoyed having the opportunity to explore, learn, and immerse myself in a different culture.”
Allison Donohue ’24
Allison Donohue is a biochemistry major with a minor in cluster engineering from Kinnelon, NJ. Allison is currently participating in the Faculty-Directed: Summer Undergraduate Research in Osaka, Japan.
This study abroad program provides research experience for students in world-class research laboratories at one of three top universities in Japan. The research project that Allison is conducting is synthesis of ruthenium complexes towards anticancer drugs.
Allison’s days consist of hands-on experiments, synthesizing different compounds and working on her research paper or Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) presentation. COIL is a program where Clemson students work alongside Japanese students to construct a presentation comparing certain aspects of Japan to the United States. In addition, she also meets with her professor to discuss her research progress and her assigned mentor who helps her get acclimated to the Japanese lifestyle.
In her free time, Allison has loved getting to travel, enjoy the traditional Japanese cuisine, shop for souvenirs and immerse herself in everything Japan has to offer.
“I love exploring different areas of Osaka and traveling to different parts of Japan. I enjoy getting to see the more touristy parts of Japan, but the less touristy, more natural beauty areas of Japan are even more intriguing.”
One of Allison’s favorite trips was visiting Amanoshidate, a pine-covered sand-bar and one of Japan’s three scenic views. They stayed in a more traditional home, got to try out an onsen (a hot spring) and see more of Japan’s natural beauty. Another place she enjoyed visiting was Nara, the deer park. Here she was able to pet and feed deer that bowed to her.
“I’ve loved everything about this experience so far and I cannot wait to experience more as I go through the rest of my experience here.”
Honors College student and Breakthrough Scholar Katie Barfield named Dixon Global Policy Scholar.
Genetics and sociology double major, Katie Barfield, is one of the twelve Clemson University students that have been named a 2024 Dixon Global Policy Scholar.
Created through an endowment from the active Clemson family members, the Dixon family, the Dixon Global Policy Scholars program is a selective and intensive program for high-achieving Honors College students with a demonstrated interest in major national or global issues.
During summer of 2024, the scholars will take specialized courses on global perspectives on politics, economics, philosophy and public policy and participate in an intensive study abroad experience in France and Germany, where they will visit European institutions, important historic sites and museums, and meet with key policymakers, diplomats, academics and journalists.
