Professors Eng and Lindner Awarded WORLD Class Travel Grant for International Seminar in Ecuador

Counselor Education faculty explore global citizenship and cross-cultural exchange through immersive seminar in Quito.

September 29, 2026

Danielle Lindner, PhD, Associate Chair of Stetson University's Department of Counselor Education, and Timothy Eng, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor in the department, received a WORLD Class Travel award to attend the International Faculty Development Seminar (IFDS), a five-day immersive program held in Quito, Ecuador, during Summer 2026.

The WORLD Class Travel Award, offered through Stetson's David and Leighan Rinker Center for International Learning, provides funding to help faculty internationalize the university's campus and curricula. Awards support faculty in exploring emerging global opportunities with a broad impact on student and organizational learning. The seminar paired workshops and lectures on planning and leading global exchanges with hands-on cultural immersion. Highlights included a guest lecture from environmental leader and activist Natalia Greene, a "survival Spanish" lesson upon arrival, and, as Eng noted, no shortage of chocolate.

Eng said the highlight of the trip was a drive into the Andean region for a homestay with Indigenous community members of San Clemente. The visit included sharing ancestral Indigenous knowledge, a Pamba Mesa community meal, a hike through a medicinal garden, time spent with local farm animals, cooking dinner alongside host families, and an evening of Indigenous music.

Eng said he hopes to bring what he learned in Quito back to Stetson's classrooms.

"I hope to take what I learned from the IFDS seminar and integrate it into an international immersion experience to examine how we understand our identities as global citizens in counselor education," Eng said.

Experiences like the IFDS seminar reflect the Department of Counselor Education's commitment to global engagement, giving faculty new tools and perspectives to bring back to students as they prepare for a diverse and increasingly worldwide counseling profession.