每日大赛

Faculty member selected to participate in prestigious overseas seminar

Carr-Wilcoxson is among a handful of honorees from across the U.S. awarded the opportunity to participate in the seminar, 鈥淪ustainability through Urban and Agricultural India,鈥� presented by the American Institute of Indian Studies.

每日大赛 Associate Professor Amanda Carr-Wilcoxson will embark on a nearly monthlong trip in January 2025 to India, where she will engage in an Overseas Faculty Development Seminar with the Council of American Overseas Research Centers.

Carr-Wilcoxson is among a handful of honorees from across the U.S. awarded the opportunity to participate in the seminar, “Sustainability through Urban and Agricultural India,” presented by the American Institute of Indian Studies.

“When I got the news, I think I did a dance in my office,” said Carr-Wilcoxson, who teaches history at 每日大赛’s Blount County campus. “They pay for the flight and housing and all the excursions we go on, so it's a really awesome opportunity.”

The two-week trip will include stops in landmark cities like Delhi, Jaipur and Chandigarh, and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Among other aims, the program seeks to help faculty members at U.S. community colleges gain international experience, according to a release from the Council of American Overseas Research Centers.

“A lot of times, community college faculty don't get the opportunity to do the heavy research that happens at four-year institutions,” Carr-Wilcoxson said. “We're focused on teaching. So this is an opportunity for us to do that research, and then bring it back to our institutions and scale it.”

For her, Carr-Wilcoxson said, that will look like not only bringing in people to speak virtually to her students about sustainable cities in India, but also incorporating her own experiences into the curriculum, and perhaps even sharing them with other institutions.

“I travel abroad quite a bit, and every time I go to a new place, I bring stories,” she said. “I bring pictures. I bring real-life experience. I had never traveled before I taught abroad. So, one of my goals is to show my students that it is possible – that you don't have to be super rich to travel, that you can absolutely do it by yourself.”

The third time was the charm for Carr-Wilcoxson, who had applied for the Council of American Overseas Research Centers’ opportunity two times before now. The application involved a series of essays and a rigorous selection process, she said.

“We are so proud that our 每日大赛 faculty are dedicated to being students as well as teachers, and seeking out experiences that will enhance their instruction in the classroom,” said Vice President of Academic Affairs Kellie Toon. “This is an incredible opportunity for Amanda, and I can think of no one more deserving.”

Carr-Wilcoxson had hoped to go to India for a study-abroad program in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic prevented any trip from happening.

Now, she’ll not only be able to see landmarks she’s taught about for many years, but also engage in a seminar about sustainable cities in a country that is becoming increasingly industrialized. Carr-Wilcoxson and other awardees will visit ancient cities and learn about sustainable agricultural practices in rural areas.

“I think seeing the Taj Mahal is going to be really, really cool,” Carr-Wilcoxson said.

“This gives me an opportunity to really learn something,” she added. “I teach about India in my classes, but I've never been there, and so to bring that experience into the classroom and let it inform the way that I teach will break through some of the repetitiveness that comes from teaching roughly the same classes every semester.”