RV
Risa Valentini
  • Exercise Physiology
  • Class of 2018
  • Chisholm, MN

Risa Valentini of Chisholm, MN Completes Research In India for St. Scholastica Study Abroad Trip

2013 Mar 27

Risa Valentini, daughter of Tina Valentini of Chisholm, MN, has completed a research project on the structure and accreditation of hospitals in India. during a recent College of St. Scholastica study abroad trip to India.

Risa is a sophomore studying Exercise Physiology at St. Scholastica. She is one of 19 undergraduate students who earned four college credits in the course "Journey to India: HITEC City." The course trip was conducted during St. Scholastica's recent "J term" – the few weeks in winter between the ending of the fall term and beginning of the spring term.

Arshia Khan, an associate professor of Computer Information Systems at St. Scholastica, spearheaded the College's study abroad program to India. This was the second year the College offered the experience to students.

Khan organized the trip so students were able to conduct interviews for individual research projects while in Hyderabad, India – the nation's "HITEC" city. Karen Petersen, associate professor of psychology and sociology, also was with the group, helping organize, creating learning objectives and supervising student research.

During the fall term prior to the trip, each student selected a research project to complete while in India. The students represented a diverse background of majors, ranging from healthcare, to education, to business. Their research projects were equally as expansive in subject matter. Topics ranged from behavioral management in the classroom to diversity in the workplace. Some students shared the same topic, but all projects were completed on an individualized basis.

"Conducting a research project from start to finish allowed these students to begin to think about India long before they set foot in the country," said Peterson. "While they were there, they engaged with the people and the country much differently than they would have as simple tourists."

It was a first trip to India for all of the students. They traveled as a group to each interview location. While one student completed an interview for her or his research project, the rest of the group would learn through observation.

"They were all learning simultaneously, on multiple levels," said Khan. "They are learning real global issues and realizing that what they read in articles at home is much different from reality. That is a wonderful thing for the students to experience."

The St. Scholastica travelers also were able to visit Indian monuments, taste Indian cuisine and experience Indian culture during their trip.

"They are not only understanding culture," Khan said, "they are getting interested in graduate school and are increasing their marketability and understanding of global issues."

The group stopped in Paris on the way home to ease the transition of time zones between the United States and India. Once back in Duluth, they displayed posters of their trip on campus in an event that included Indian food and music, so fellow students, faculty and staff, as well as friends and relatives, could learn of their experiences from the trip.

The College of St. Scholastica is regularly recognized as one of the finest colleges in the Midwest. The 2013 "America's Best Colleges" survey by U.S. News & World Report magazine ranks St. Scholastica in the top tier of Midwestern universities.