Students Visit Ireland for Transformative Study Abroad Experience
This summer, the Department of Psychology (PSYC) and the Undergraduate Major in Neuroscience (NEUR) offered a new study abroad program in Ireland.
The experience was an international version of PSYC302: Principles of Learning and Behavior, a class typically taught during regular and summer terms. The course was open to all UMD students meeting prerequisites; the 18 students who participated represented a range of majors: psychology, neuroscience, kinesiology and biology.
The course provides an overview of the fundamental types of learning that occur without formal instruction. It covers a variety of theories of learning, and how they influence behavior.
“The goal for the three-week study abroad experience was to take this one step further and challenge students to consider how culture, history, and social norms also play a role in shaping behavior as well as see how these principles are applied in different cultural settings,” said Senior Lecturer Amanda Chicoli, who organized the experience with NEUR Director Hilary Bierman.
The opportunity was met with excitement by students in both PSYC and NEUR, who had been asking about study abroad opportunities.
“I had heard from advisors in PSYC and NEUR that there are students who were searching for a short-term program that could easily apply to their major. This made me realize there was a needed gap that could be filled. PSYC advisor Lori Kader helped to get the ball rolling,” Chicoli said.
Trip highlights included an Irish dancing show, visits to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway during a folk music festival, tour of a historic Irish prison, and learning about and playing Gaelic sports. There were also guest lectures from leading researchers in Ireland, so that UMD students could learn from local scholars.
“I knew I wanted to study abroad, but I didn’t want to dedicate an entire semester to it, so this summer study abroad program was the perfect fit for me,” said senior Tracy Ly. “In addition, as a physiology and neurobiology major on the pre-med track, I wanted to take a course that was relevant to both my major and future profession. Taking PSYC302 allowed me to explore a subject related to my studies while experiencing a new culture!”
The experience was memorable for many students, especially because of the cultural learning aspects.
“Being immersed in another culture so deeply allowed me to see how different cultural norms are across countries. We always read about this, but lived experience is very different from what you learn. As a future doctor, it adds to my open-minded mindset,” said Cynthia Amaghi, who is pursuing a B.S. in neuroscience.
For Chicoli, it was rewarding to see students make real-world connections between what they had learned and actually experiencing Ireland themselves. One of the group’s favorite experiences was a walking tour of Dublin.
“Students got really excited to see a herring gull in St Stephen’s Green and were able to identify it during the walking tour. We learned about these birds during our study of modal action patterns, and it made me really happy to see them excited to recognize the patterns of the beak and recall the differences between behaviors learned and those that are instinctual,” Chicoli said.
The organizers hope to run the opportunity every other year, next offering it in 2028. Chicoli said the experience was deeply rewarding to her as an educator.
“This was a highlight of my teaching career thus far, and I am so thankful to the students who decided to take this risk and adventure with us and made the trip a truly incredible experience,” Chicoli said.
Published on Tue, Sep 1, 2026 - 2:01PM