Program Overview
Global Studies at Lawrence helps students understand an interconnected world by bringing together perspectives from politics, history, culture, language, economics, religion, and the arts. Students shape the major around a thematic track while pairing interdisciplinary coursework with sustained language study, a required off-campus global experience, and a final portfolio that connects their academic, cultural, and experiential learning. Along the way, they work closely with faculty, pursue research and reflective analysis, and engage global issues through both local and international contexts. Graduates are prepared for internationally engaged careers and advanced study in public service, education, law, nonprofit work, business, and related fields.
Program Highlights
Put Global Learning into Practice
Complete a required global experience that connects your coursework with hands-on learning in local, domestic, or international settings.
Explore Global Questions Across Disciplines
Choose an interdisciplinary track that brings together perspectives from politics, culture, history, language, and the arts.
Build Language and Cultural Fluency
Develop sustained language skills while deepening your understanding of global communities, cultures, and challenges.
Spotlight
Lawrentian Spotlight
Alumni Perspective
“My experiences in Global Studies prompted me to become interested in the social and environmental impact of the fast fashion clothing industry. Since graduating, I have completed a 3-year apprenticeship in bespoke tailoring in Germany. Using the skills I have acquired through my major and the apprenticeship, I hope to continue making positive contributions toward a more sustainable future in the textile world.”
Tamima Tabishat ’20
Global Studies
Monmouth, Illinois
Advising
At Lawrence, academic advising helps you shape an educational experience that reflects your interests, goals, and aspirations. Your faculty advisor will support you as you plan your path, connect with campus resources and communities, and make informed decisions that prepare you for a meaningful and fulfilling future.
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Faculty
Engage deeply and collaboratively with professors who are experts in their field and committed to supporting your education.
Chair(s)
Ameya S. Balsekar
Associate Professor of Government
My interests are in the sub-field of Comparative Politics, with a focus on developing countries, the politics of identity, political rhetoric, and constitution-making. I also teach courses on democracies and…
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Ameya S. Balsekar
Associate Professor of Government
My interests are in the sub-field of Comparative Politics, with a focus on developing countries, the politics of identity, political rhetoric, and constitution-making. I also teach courses on democracies and…
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Peter A. Blitstein (He/Him/His)
Provost and Dean of the Faculty and Associate Professor of History
peter.a.blitstein@lawrence.edu
As Provost and Dean of the Faculty I am the chief academic officer of the University and a member of the President's Cabinet. I'm a historian of modern Russia specializing…
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Jason Brozek
Stephen Edward Scarff Professor of International Affairs and Associate Professor of Government
Jason Brozek is Associate Professor of Government and Stephen Edward Scarff Professor of International Affairs, and since joining the faculty in 2008, has taught courses on global politics, international law,…
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Hillary Caruthers
Associate Professor of Economics
hillary.caruthers@lawrence.edu
My interests include Economic Development, Labor Migration, Global Nutrition and Health, and Southeast Asian Studies.
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Dominica Chang
Margaret Banta Humleker Professor of French Cultural Studies and Professor of French
I was trained as a scholar of 19th-century French literature and revolutionary studies. However, I love teaching all aspects of French and Francophone Studies, especially language courses, cultural studies, and…
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Sonja Lynn Downing (she/her/hers)
Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology
I am an ethnomusicologist with research interests in Balinese gamelan music and dance, traditional music pedagogy, the intersection of gender and performance, and ecomusicology. My book Gamelan Girls: Gender, Childhood,…
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Lucero Estrella (she/her)
Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies
Lucero Estrella (she/her) is an interdisciplinary historian of Japanese migration to the Americas, focusing on diasporic communities in northeastern Mexico and south Texas. Her current book project explores the circuits…
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Thelma B. Jimenez-Anglada
Associate Professor of Spanish
thelma.jimenez-anglada@lawrence.edu
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Lena L. Khor (she/her)
Associate Professor of English
I love reading literature: It teaches, delights, and moves me. I enjoy sharing my love of literature with others through my research and teaching. My research areas are human rights…
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Claudena Skran (she/her)
Edwin & Ruth West Professor of Economics and Social Science and Professor of Government
Claudena Skran is Director of the Business & Entrepreneurship program and Professor of Government and the Edwin and Ruth West Professor of Economics and Social Science.As a the Director of…
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Martyn Smith
Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Religious Studies examines how groups of people find meaning in their lives and impart value to the world around them. My own central research question revolves around the relationship of…
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Rosa Tapia (she/ella)
Professor of Spanish
Spanish and Latin American film and 20th-century Spanish literature. National Chief Academic Consultant for AP Spanish. Co-organizer of LULASFF, Latin American and Spanish Film Fest (see 2022 video here). Publications include…
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Brigid E. Vance (she, her, hers)
Associate Professor of History
Brigid E. Vance's research focuses on the intellectual and cultural history of dreams and dream divination in late Ming China. She also has research and teaching interests in early modern…
View Full ProfileLearning Spaces
A distinctive part of Global Studies at Lawrence is the required global experience, which takes students beyond campus and into real communities. Some students study at the London Centre, where they examine migration by exploring neighborhoods and meeting people who have made London a new home. Others complete globally engaged work closer to campus through partnerships with organizations such as the Fox Valley Refugee Resettlement Agency, the Hmong-American Partnership of the Fox Cities, or the City of Appleton Office of Diversity & Inclusion. These experiences are not add-ons; they are built into the major and tied to a student’s language study or thematic track. Students learn by observing, listening, researching, and reflecting in settings where global questions become local and personal.
