Hefty international demand

For 10 years, P. Scott Hefty has led KU students across Europe through a study abroad program he created to give students hands-on experience in biomedical research and public health, including past summer.

“Most of the program's students, almost three-fourths, have never traveled internationally. By having a faculty-led course like this, my hope and primary goal, is to enable them to be a traveler for life,” said Hefty, who knows first-hand the significance of international travel. 
 

A first-generation college student who worked full time to put himself through school, Hefty didn’t travel internationally until nearly 30—selling his car to afford five weeks of backpacking before beginning his postdoctoral fellowship. That experience, he says, fundamentally reshaped how he viewed people, opportunity, and the wider world.

When KU’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences called for new STEM-focused study abroad programs in 2016, Hefty drew on his infectious disease research network to create Biomedical Research and Public Health in Western Europe, now in its 10th year. The three-week course brings students—many traveling abroad for the first time—to leading research institutes, pharmaceutical companies, and public health organizations across six countries. The program has tripled in size since its launch, inspiring Hefty to build additional pathways, including the spring break Biomedical Sciences and Public Health in Italy program and academic oversight for KU’s Hospital Shadowing in Europe practicum.

Across a decade, he has enabled more than 300 KU students to experience international education. As Hefty puts it, “By far, the most rewarding aspect for me is hearing from the students how these experiences have dramatically impacted their worldview and enriched their professional considerations."