ETSU professor will spend semester abroad

Dr. Ingrid Luffman, an award-winning ETSU professor in Geosciences, will spend a semester immersed at Harlaxton College.

East Tennessee State University’s Dr. Ingrid Luffman, an award-winning professor teaching in the Department of Geosciences, will take her expertise across the Atlantic next year as part of a budding international partnership.

Luffman will teach a semester at Harlaxton College during the 2024 spring semester. 

While ETSU and Harlaxton College have been formal academic partners since 2019, Luffman is the first ETSU professor to teach a semester at the England-based school.  

Such a partnership promises a wealth of opportunities that benefit faculty, staff, students and the community, including the chance to share resources and curriculum, student and faculty exchange opportunities, joint research and academic collaborations, and more.  

“I feel honored to be the first of hopefully many ETSU faculty to spend a semester abroad at the college,” said Luffman, who will teach “Environmental Science,” “Environmental Geology” and “Introduction to Statistics.” “I will live and work at Harlaxton Manor, which has many acres of property that I will use as a living laboratory for several classes. As class sizes are generally small, I look forward to getting to know the students and leading many field activities, discussions and hands-on projects.” 

The university’s relationship with Harlaxton highlights ETSU’s commitment to providing students with experiential learning that results in a real-world impact, as well as a competitive edge on the job market.  

“We are excited about this partnership with Harlaxton College for the opportunity it provides our faculty in teaching abroad and for the classroom and field experiences our students here at ETSU gain when faculty return,” said Dr. Joe Bidwell, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. 

Across a range of programs, ETSU aims to help students shift seamlessly from enrollment to employment. Geosciences at ETSU is known for offering students valuable field experience and professors who excel in both research and teaching.

 
“Our relationship with Harlaxton College is indicative of so much of what we stand for here at ETSU,” said Dr. Christopher Keller, senior international officer at ETSU and dean of the Honors College. “We look forward to this partnership producing great benefits for our region and beyond.”

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East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.