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Therkelsen’s trips also have included travel to Ghana, where Fresno State students and faculty offered their expertise to cocoa farmers in the southeast Volta region, where farmers have struggled to bounce back from wildfires that swept over the land in the 1980s. The visiting group, including faculty and students with Agriculture and Business backgrounds, worked on ideas to help farming become more efficient, productive and sustainable. “This was the first time Fresno State went to Ghana,” Therkelsen said. “We just want to create an ongoing collaboration with that region.” Another destination has been Tanzania, where students helped build community in schools and particularly with girls and young women, who drop out for many reasons. With the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC), Therkelsen traveled last sum- mer to Ireland to teach photography and storytelling as a visiting professor. Therkelsen said he’s worked with 60 to 70 Fresno State students during various study abroad programs, describing those experiences as important opportunities for growth and deepening cultural understanding. “All of those trips are valuable,” he said. “Study abroad is something that is really vital to this University.” ACCESS - The Division of Continuing and Global Education 5