Glenville State University faculty, staff, and students completed an international study abroad program in the Philippines during Summer 2026, bringing together academic exchange, applied research, field-based learning, and cultural engagement.

GSU student participants included Waylon Lucabaugh and Ethan McIntyre, both BS Land Surveying and Mapping students, and Hannah Cooley and Kieren Poff, both BS Natural Resource Management students. The faculty and instructional team included Dr. Rico Gazal, study abroad coordinator and GSU representative to the WV Abroad Consortium; Dr. Jacob Petry, faculty member in Land Surveying; Ms. MacKenzie Petry, lecturer in Accounting; and Jonah Siminski, laboratory instructor.

The program, held from May 14 to June 1, included visits to the University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Southern Luzon State University, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau, the Forest Products Research and Development Institute, Maibarara Geothermal Powerplant, DENR El Nido in Palawan, and DENR-CENRO Masinloc in Zambales. The itinerary also included research activities at Makiling Botanic Gardens, a visit to the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve, and discussions on future academic collaboration, Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), student exchange, and partner visits to GSU.

A major focus of the program was the connection among forestry, land surveying, accounting, environmental science, and natural resource management. GSU faculty and staff presented updates on the academic programs of the Department of Land Resources, including forestry, natural resource management, and land surveying. Ms. MacKenzie Petry also presented on forensic accounting through her presentation, “Hidden in the Canopy: Finding Fraud in Forestry.”

GSU students presented research on invasive plant pressure in West Virginia, microclimate and soil variation across forest types, rural boundary processes, and indigenous land boundary recognition in the United States and the Philippines. These presentations gave GSU faculty, staff, and students the opportunity to share academic programs, technical expertise, and research with Filipino faculty, students, and natural resource professionals.

Faculty and staff from GSU also participated in technical discussions on academic programs, forestry, land surveying, accounting applications in forestry, and international collaboration. The program highlighted the importance of connecting classroom learning with real-world field experience, especially in areas such as forest monitoring, protected area management, land-use planning, and sustainable resource management.

“This study abroad program gave our students the opportunity to connect their academic training at Glenville State University with real forestry, environmental science, and land surveying issues in the Philippines,” said Dr. Rico A. Gazal. “Through research presentations, field visits, applied research, and cultural exchange, students gained a broader understanding of how natural resource challenges are studied and managed in different parts of the world.”

The program also strengthened ongoing academic partnerships between GSU and Philippine institutions. In addition to research and technical activities, the itinerary included discussions with CFNR officials about COIL, student exchange, and future visits to GSU.

For more information about the programs of the Department of Land Resources at Glenville State University, contact the Department of Land Resources at Land.Resources@glenville.edu or (304) 462-6370.