Faculty head to Turkey for spring break trip

A diverse group of faculty and staff members traveled to Turkey over spring break on trip designed to highlight a partner institution and provide travel opportunities to those who have not been on a faculty-led trip.

The group was sponsored by the Padnos International Center and led by an experienced guide, Jim Goode, professor of history and former coordinator of Middle East Studies. Goode used to teach at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey. He said his goals as a guide were to introduce the group to Turkish culture "so they can understand that you can travel to the Middle East and have a good time."

The Grand Valley group was Goode and his wife, Virginia (retired Grand Valley employee); Esther Billings, associate professor of mathematics; Virginia Jenkins, chair of art and design; Bob Schoofs, library; Steve Snell, aborist; Robyn Toth, academic department coordinator for Finance; and Danielle Wiese, assistant professor of communications.

The group stayed at Middle East Technical University, an English-speaking university with an enrollment of 18,000. An exchange agreement was signed in 2005 between Grand Valley and METU.

Billings said she enjoyed the trip and applied for the travel grant partly because she wanted to learn more about the culture and history. As an American born in the Middle East, she said was interested in re-establishing her connections and understanding of this part of the world.

While at METU, Billings was matched with a mathematics educator in the Faculty of Education. She said they discussed common research and teaching interests in the preparation of elementary school teachers. He also gave her a tour of several local elementary schools and METU's math lab and classrooms.

Snell and his host discussed landscaping and tree planting. Snell said they are planting about 1,000 trees a year on the 11,000-acre campus; all faculty and staff help with planting, which he said adds to a sense of ownership.

Mark Schaub, executive director of the PIC, said 26 people applied for travel grants. PIC plans to sponsor a trip again next year to another partner institution.

A group of faculty and staff members stand in front of tomb in Turkey. They spent spring break at Grand Valley's partner institution, Middle East Technical University / Photo courtesy of Steve Snell