Two Framingham State University faculty members have been awarded prestigious fellowships from the Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation, supporting international travel experiences designed to enrich teaching and expand learning opportunities for students.

Dr. Werner Krings, Visiting Associate Professor of Marketing in the College of Business, received funding for a study visit to London, Cambridge, and Oxford in the United Kingdom. His project, Innovative Curricula Development in International Business and Marketing, will explore how leading universities and organizations integrate global business perspectives, multicultural consumer behavior, digital transformation, and emerging artificial intelligence technologies into education and practice. The experience will inform curriculum enhancements in courses such as International Marketing, Consumer Behavior, and Digital Transformations, while providing students with new case studies, experiential learning opportunities, and global perspectives relevant to today's interconnected economy.

Dr. Erika Schneider, Professor of Art History in the College of Arts &  Humanities, was awarded a fellowship to travel to Japan as part of her project, Experiencing Japan: Art, Culture, and Place in Art History Education. Through visits to museums, historic sites, temples, and cultural landmarks in Tokyo, the Ise region, and Kyoto, Schneider will deepen her understanding of Japanese art and culture and translate those experiences into new teaching materials for students. Her project emphasizes place-based learning and global engagement, helping students better understand the historical, cultural, and architectural contexts that shape artistic traditions. Schneider also hopes the experience will lay the groundwork for a future student study tour to Japan.

The Whiting Foundation Fellowships support educators in pursuing travel-based learning experiences that broaden their perspectives and strengthen their teaching. By bringing firsthand international experiences back to the classroom, Krings and Schneider will help Framingham State students engage with new ideas, cultures, and ways of thinking, advancing the University's commitment to preparing graduates to thrive in a global society.