Germany, Greece Among Faculty-Led Study Abroad Courses

Scranton students study abroad to experience personal growth and development, among other reasons, according to the University's Office of Global Education.

Royals who spent time in Europe on faculty-led travel courses to Greece and Germany this past June encountered numerous opportunities to satisfy those goals.

For the third consecutive year, Joan Grossman, Ph.D. and Andrew Venezia, Ph.D., Department of Health and Human Performance, took 12 students on a 10-day study abroad course to Greece, KNES 296 - Sport and Physical Culture in Ancient Greece. This travel course, from June 22 to July 2, explored athletic competition and physical culture in ancient Greece, with trips to: Athens, Marathon, Sparta, Nemia, Thermopylae, Delphi and Olympia.

"Students learned about the beginnings and importance of athletic competition within the Greek society and how athletic competition in ancient Greece has influenced the kinesiology discipline from the perspective of ancient Greek civilization to the modern day," said Dr. Grossman, professor, Department of Health and Human Performance.

The Panathenaic Stadium - the venue for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 - was the first stop of the first full day in Athens for students who studied abroad this past June in the KNES 296 Sport and Physical Culture in Ancient Greece course led by Drs. Joan Grossman and Andrew Venezia. Shown, from left, are: Dr. Venezia, Amelia Kearns '27, Gavin Grogan '27, Roman Cutrufello '27, Elizabeth D'Antonio '27, Christopher Monda '27, Conor Doogan '27, Cole Malone '27, Madison Markiewicz '26, Grace Castellano '27, Julia Kile '27, Anneliese Burg '27, Ariana Sioutopoulos '28 and Dr. Grossman.

Personal experience inspired Dr. Grossman to begin leading the travel course.

"I had the opportunity to study abroad while a doctoral student at Colorado State University, at Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, and it was a transformative experience. During my sabbatical in the fall 2021, part of my work included the creation of this course, as our department did not have a study abroad offering," Dr. Grossman said. "The kinesiology discipline traces its roots to Greece and therefore, this was a perfect fit."

Thanks to Dr. Grossman's "transformative experience," University students can create a few of their own memories of note.

Dr. Grossman described one encounter that resonates with Royals.

"The students have an opportunity to run in the ancient Olympic stadium, which is simply awesome," Dr. Grossman said.

Interested in Greece?

The next course offering is planned for June 2026, with an informational session scheduled for Monday, Oct. 6, at 3 p.m., Kane Forum, Leahy Hall. Dr. Grossman encourages students with an interest in a faculty-led study abroad course to Greece to attend.

Dr. Grossman, shown, joined The University of Scranton faculty in 2010. She earned her B.S. from King's College, her M.S. from Colorado State University and her Ph.D. from Colorado State University/Marywood University.

Französischer Dom and Konzerthaus, Berlin Germany

Six students visited Germany this past June in the theology/religions studies (T/RS 396), Christ, Resistance, and Reconciliation course led by Fr. Michael Azar, Ph.D., over an 11-day period.

"The course considers closely the theological roots of and reasons for resistance against unjust government policies, domestic or foreign. The first half of the course is devoted to the relatively few Christians who resisted during the Nazi period. We consider how the theological sources of Christianity (especially the Bible) inspired their resistance at a time when the vast majority simply complied with Nazi policies (or outright supported them)," said Fr. Azar,

"In the second half, we look at modern-day resisters in contemporary Germany, especially Christian institutions that provide church asylum for refugees who are under threat of deportation from the German government. Above all, we consider: What does it mean to learn from your past and to promise to yourself and others, "Never again"? How does one genuinely prevent the past from repeating?"

Fr. Azar explained how he shares this powerful message with students.

"Aside from reading primary sources (for example, anti-Nazi sermons from the WWII period), we devote much of our time to learning from contemporary models of resistance, most especially at a Catholic monastery in Northwest Germany that has become a major center of church asylum. It is striking to see nuns, who live a cloistered life according to the Benedictine Rule, being remarkably active in wider society on behalf of those who need it most."

For half of the course, University students and faculty stay at the 13-14^the century St. Scholastica Benedictine Convent in Dinklage, Germany, shown.

One of the sites the students visit is Kloster Esterwegen Convent, a Catholic convent on the property of the former Esterwegen Concentration Camp. Sr. Makrina Finlay, who co-teaches the course with Fr. Azar, offers insight as to the experience of residing at a convent on the grounds of a former concentration camp.

Sr. Makrina Finlay, shown above at right, co-teaches the course with Fr. Azar. Sr. Finlay offers insight on the experience of residing at a convent on the grounds of a former concentration camp.
Shown below, Sr. Makrina Finlay guides students at City Hall (Rathaus) in Osnabrück, Germany.

"During the second half of the course, we spend a lot of time with Christian leaders who are providing church asylum for refugees as well as with the refugee communities themselves. Our hosts teach us the meaning of learning from one's past and living out the Christian gospel now."

Fr. Azar holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Fordham University and an MA in theology from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary. He is currently writing a book on Orthodox Christian-Jewish relations, while his other scholarly pursuits focus on New Testament studies, especially apocalyptic thought and the "parting of the ways," as well as the effects that contemporary sociopolitical policies have on scholarly understandings of the ancient world.

His research has been previously supported by a CCD Grant from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Biblical Association, and a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Faculty Fellow grant from Fordham University's Orthodox Christian Studies Center. He is currently a 2024-25 Lady Davis Fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (postponed to 2025-26) and continues to serve as a special advisor to the Orthodox Chair of the Orthodox Christian-Jewish dialogue and as a member of its planning committee. He is a priest of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

• Shown, at a Lebanese restaurant in Berlin, Germany, are from left, Madison Waltz '26, Maria Viola '26, Jack Cowgill '27, Samantha Horsnall '28, Matthew Galligan '26, Sophia Perrin '26, Fr. Michael Azar.
• Emmaus Church, Berlin, Germany
• Interior Gothic-style church: St Peter's Cathedral, Berlin, Germany
• University students view a wall display: Resistance (Wiederstand) Museum, Berlin, Germany.