Color Day in Santa Chiara 2011.Located in an ancient Estruscan hill town southeast of Florence, the study center hosts several other universities in addition to Texas A&M. Students participate in weekly fieldtrips to Tuscan hilltowns and larger communities like Perugia, Rome and Florence. Longer trips are planned for the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii to the south and Venice and the Dolomites in the north.

Professors Richardson and Gardner first weekend trip with the students is to Cinque Terre, five villages on terraced slopes that suspend between sky and the Ligurian Sea. “It’s a natural laboratory,” Dr. Gardner says, “sea, rocks, cliffs and a rugged coastline. We will have plenty to see and discover.”

In addition to earning credit for core science classes, students will also learn about the history, art, and architecture of the region. “It’s a full learning experience for our students,” Dr. Richardson says.

The program is part of a college-wide commitment to provide more study abroad learning experiences for geosciences students.

See the Santa Chiara Blog.

Wilford Gardner
Earl F. Cook Professor of Geosciences
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Mary Jo Richardson
Regents Professor
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