Associate dean hopes to increase study abroad opportunities for Smeal students

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When Terrence Guay was an undergraduate student at Clarkson University in upstate New York he had the opportunity to study abroad.

That experience continues to reverberate through his life.

“I am passionate about studying abroad. I had the opportunity to do that when I was an undergraduate, and the experience was absolutely life changing. I want more of our students to have a similar experience to see other countries and experience different cultures and ways of life,” he said.

Guay, who is a clinical professor of international business and director of Smeal’s Center for Global Business Studies (CGBS), is spending fall semester acclimating to an additional role, that of associate dean for international programs.

One of his top priorities early in his tenure, he said, is finding solutions to a challenge his predecessor, Jeff Sharp, also wrestled with.

“Unfortunately, COVID-19 had a significant impact on study abroad numbers, so my short-term goal is to boost the numbers to pre-pandemic levels,” he said.

“Longer-term, I would like to expand our portfolio of semester-long, summer and embedded courses to give students the maximum flexibility to study abroad at least once during their time at Smeal. My goals for the international business minor are similar because I think it is so important for Smeal graduates to better understand the global business environment in which they will soon work.”

Guay already had a full plate with his teaching and CGBS duties, but a combination of factors made the associate dean position attractive to him, he explained.

“I am beginning my 19th year at Smeal. I have been very engaged in teaching international business (IB) courses, doing research in the area and leading study abroad programs for Smeal undergraduate and MBA students,” he said.

“I felt that, at this point in my career, I could have a more direct impact on shaping IB within Smeal and nurturing a culture that emphasizes a global perspective with an administrative position like this. I also knew that Smeal’s Office of International Programs (OIP) staff do an incredible job assisting our students to study abroad and earn the IB minor, and I would enjoy working with them.”

Guay said he was grateful that his decades of international business experience and passion for the position were recognized as a good fit.

“My first reaction was gratitude that the Dean's Office and the search committee had confidence in my ability to take on this role,” he said. “My second reaction was, ‘OK, where do I start?’ There's no guidebook for being an administrator, so it will be my task to initiate what I think should be IB priorities for the college, especially with respect to study abroad and the IB minor. But I will be looking to my faculty and staff colleagues for lots of advice!”

Fortunately, Guay sees opportunities to merge some of what the CGBS offers with the OIP.

“I see many synergies among the two positions. CGBS can sponsor speakers such as business executives and academics to discuss current opportunities and challenges that they see developing in the global economy. These could be of great interest to the Smeal community. In particular, they might spark student interest in studying abroad and taking IB courses,” he said.

“I am currently working with Smeal’s Business Career Center to organize a panel with CGBS advisory board members to advise students how to prepare for, and embark on, a career in IB. I also will be at a vantage point that will allow me to enhance the College’s IB capabilities by leveraging the combined resources of CGBS and OIP. For example, CGBS provides funding for undergraduates to do research with Smeal faculty members, which I hope will build further interest for IB among students and faculty.”