Professors Steve Goodwin and Jennifer Thorpe were honored with the Study Abroad Faculty Director of the Year Awards last spring. In the most recent Health Behavior and Nutrition Science study abroad program, they took students to watch the Olympic and World Cup games in western Europe to truly immerse students into the competitive sport culture of the international community.

From campus to the world

Article by Jack Mullarkey and Stephanie Ferrell Photos courtesy of Jennifer Thorpe and Steve Goodwin August 11, 2025

Professors honored for study abroad excellence

As a leader of study abroad for over 100 years, the University of Delaware’s programs have had long-lasting impacts on over 40,000 Blue Hens. The significance of studying abroad for students is undeniable, but it can also be life-changing for the faculty members who plan and lead these programs. For Steve Goodwin, a recently retired associate professor of health behavior and nutrition sciences — and one of this year’s Study Abroad Faculty Directors of the Year — having the opportunity to show UD students the world has been a career-long passion.

Throughout his time at UD, Goodwin led students across the globe, from Latin American countries including Brazil, Ecuador and Costa Rica, to western Europe. He has also led programs in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Africa.

Most recently, he received overwhelming positive reviews from students in the Summer 2024 Health Behavior and Nutrition Science study abroad program he led throughout the United Kingdom, France and Spain. Goodwin was specifically commended for leading two dozen UD students on excursions to the men’s and women’s World Cup and the Olympics, the world’s largest sporting events. Throughout the month-long program, they visited former Olympic sites and attended several ticketed events at the Summer Games, including track and field, soccer, rugby and water polo. With Goodwin's guidance, students got a glimpse into the community that health and wellbeing and sport culture can create, from an international perspective.

Blue Hens participated in several excursions across the United Kingdom, Spain and France last summer, experiencing the cultural ties that health, wellness and sports have from an international perspective.

Faculty Director awards are based on a student-driven nomination process, showing the true impact Goodwin had on his students.

“Steve has a record-setting 68 different student abroad proposals in our system dating back over 20 years to 2004,” said Matt Drexler, director of UD Study Abroad. “Steve creates a sense of safety, of familiarity and of respect that inspires students to take that step outside of their comfort zone and into the depths of experiential learning. He challenges them to see through the experience and to gain an understanding of how our culture affects how we interpret activities and experiences, and how those perspectives impact our health and wellbeing — our happiness.”

When asked what motivated him to continue to create more opportunities for students to study abroad, Goodwin explained: “A common answer is that we all want our students to be different people. I have modified that. I want them to be a better person — not just different. I believe the study abroad experience accomplishes this goal more easily and consistently than any other teaching experience.”

Steve Goodwin, retired associate professor of health behavior and nutrition sciences, was awarded with the 2025 Study Abroad Faculty Director of the Year Award. Goodwin has proposed 68 different UD student abroad programs dating back over 20 years — a record-breaking number. “One of our major goals is for every student to be pushed outside their comfort zone at least once on every program, and to recognize that different is not necessarily good or bad — it is different,” Goodwin said.

Goodwin’s ambition has fueled a true passion for study abroad and the once-of-a-lifetime experiences it can provide students.

With over 100 years of history as a leader in study abroad, UD currently offers 100 programs across over 40 countries in all four of UD’s academic terms. In addition to semester-long programs, Blue Hens have the unique opportunity to participate in shorter faculty-led Winter and Summer Session study abroad programs. These three- to five-week programs give students the opportunity to carry the lessons learned back on campus and apply them to a unique experience under the guidance of their UD professor.

Goodwin’s unique point of view on the value of study abroad created a strong foundation for him to act not only as a leader and teacher for participating students, but also to be someone that encourages open communication and mutual trust. The impact he left on students contributed to him being named one of Faculty Directors of the Year for 2025. This annual award dating back to 2012 presented by the Center for Global Programs and Services (CGPS) honors some of UD’s most dedicated and impactful leaders for going above and beyond when planning and leading their study abroad program. Most recent winners include Suresh Sundaram in 2024, Ismat Shah in 2023 and Bill Deering in 2022.

In May, Goodwin was honored with his awards at the monthly Facul-TEA Time event in Alumni Hall, which provides the opportunity for UD staff and faculty to network and brainstorm their study abroad dreams.

Professor Jennifer Thorpe, instructor in the Department of Health Behavior and Nutrition Sciences and Director of Undergraduate Nutrition Programs and the Food and Nutrition Education Lab, assisted Professor Steve Goodwin on her first study abroad program as a co-director. Thorpe assisted with planning pre-departure meetings and supporting student excursions. She was nominated for the Faculty Director of the Year Award because of the relationships she formed and the impact she had on all of those who participated in the program.

Alongside Goodwin, Professor Jennifer Thorpe was also recognized for her leadership of the same summer study abroad program. She received overwhelming positive feedback on the impact she had on her students during the program as a first-time assistant director.

Thorpe helped Goodwin lead students to popular tourist attractions and toured past Summer Games sites to see how they’ve been repurposed, in addition to their academic coursework. She also focused on planning pre-departure meetings to allow students to get to know one another and build relationships that could carry into the program, which students found immensely helpful. In their post-program survey, one student commented that, “Professor Thorpe was not just a teacher, she was a friend, a wise advice giver or a mother, when any of us needed it."

“It is such an honor to receive this award,” Thorpe said after being named one of the Faculty Directors of the Year. “I wanted the students to feel comfortable and have a high level of trust with us as the program leaders. I also wanted them to work together well as a group, and to challenge themselves individually to maximize their experience.”

Thorpe and Goodwin’s award-winning collaboration has inspired them to continue their impact. They are looking forward to leading another successful Health Behavior and Nutrition Sciences program together in South Africa during the 2026 Winter Session.

To learn more about UD Study Abroad and upcoming global education opportunities, visit udel.edu/global/studyabroad. Faculty members looking to create and lead their own study abroad program can explore the Proposal Process on the UD Study Abroad homepage with specific resources and a guide to getting started with study abroad.

About the Center for Global Programs and Services

The Center for Global Programs and Services (CGPS) at the University of Delaware is home to the operations of UD Global, which includes Study Abroad, International Student and Scholar Services, World Scholars Program and Global Outreach and Partnerships. The Center provides leadership and collaborative innovation in support of all of the University's global initiatives and campus internationalization efforts, with its Global 360 Strategy serving as a roadmap for infusing international perspectives throughout the University’s scholarship, research, and service missions. Focused on a student-centered approach, CGPS provides expert advising and a wealth of global engagement opportunities to the UD campus community, including the weekly International Coffee Hour in the fall and spring semesters.

Follow and engage with @UDGlobal on LinkedIn and Instagram for the latest updates on everything global happening at UD.