Where a Lecture Can Lead You
In The Women's College, our instructors have the power to move you.
Linda Smith, the first-ever visiting scholar at the college and a former science adviser for the International Foundation for Science, gave a lecture late last fall on the discovery, analysis and clean-up of arsenic in the groundwater of rural Nepal.
Three DU students visited Professor Linda Smith in Nepal. They learned about Smith's nonprofit orgranization, Filters for Families, and worked on their own projects.
Watch a video about Sarah, Jessica and Robyn's exploits in Nepal.
After completing related research as part of a Fulbright Scholarship, Smith later formed Filters for Families, a nonprofit that explains arsenic poisoning to the Nepalese, distributes water filters and trains residents to use the filters.
When Smith shared the stories of Filters for Families at DU, three undergraduates in The Women's College—Jessica MacNaughton, Robyn Smith and Sarah Tonso—were so inspired by her experience, they sought out Smith, who promptly invited them to visit Nepal.
It wasn't long before the students were on their way to Katmandu.
Why they went
Jessica, a senior communication major from Atlanta, wanted to film a documentary about Filters for Families.
Sarah, a senior information technology major from Arvada, Colo., wanted to study information technology in a developing country.
And Robyn, a junior communication major from Sunnyvale, Calif., wanted to learn about teaching in a developing country.
Robyn visited a school in Nepal to learn about education in a developing country.
The college's academic programs are designed for working women, so all three students work during the day and take classes at night. Sarah, Jessica and Robyn found themselves planning their expedition around family, career and even a few pets.
Linda Smith met the students in a tiny village near India and introduced them to her work and the local community. She will return to the DU campus this fall to teach a course called "Victorian Women Explorers." The course examines the geology, history, art, and culture of the countries visited by women such as Florence Nightingale.
DU's commitment to study-abroad programs—we have the second highest rate of participation among undergraduate students in the nation—opens up the learning experiences of a lifetime.
Watch a video about the Jessica, Sarah and Robyn's exploits in Nepal.
Published on April 24, 2007