For 30 years, Carla Millar was a constant presence in the College of Arts and Humanities dean’s office at Fresno State, where one of her duties was coordinating the London semester and the London winter intersession program. Now retired, she continues supporting students.
On Dec. 27, 2023, 36 Fresno State students boarded a plane in San Francisco to cross the Atlantic Ocean for the “Art History, Architecture, and Artistic Exchange in Tudor, Stuart, and Georgian Britain” winter intersession course.
One of the most important parts of Fresno State’s study abroad program is students’ voices during their time out of the country, both to show the value of their experience and to inspire students to go abroad in the future.
In 1990, Dr. Jerry Bryan, professor of international marketing, took his video camera with him and followed the students during the London Semester. Two decades later, London semester alumnus Eric Maul found the VHS tape and recalls his experience.
With about three months to reflect on their experience, Fresno State students were present at Fresno State’s M Street Graduate Studios gallery during ArtHop to show off their paintings and projects in a unique exhibition that combined digital humanities with the fine arts.
In 1987, Fresno State student Danny Swartz departed for London. It was only his second trip on a plane — the first had been a short hop from Fresno to San Francisco — and his first time out of the country. Up until that point, he had only left the state a couple of times to go to Reno and Las Vegas. Now he would be spending his spring semester in London as part of the Fresno State London Program.
Students will be able to take classes taught in English or Portuguese in social sciences and humanities, business, economics, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and other academic disciplines while living in Lisbon and experiencing Portuguese culture.
The MCLL department is working with the study abroad office to arrange exciting courses that are academically worthwhile, economically feasible, and degree-enhancing while giving students a life-changing educational experience.
The silent auction portion of the art affair will feature works from many of the Valley’s finest regional and international artists, including past and present Lund Scholars.