Providing opportunities for interdisciplinary teams of students to engage in community-based research and development projects in agricultural and engineering, Irving Widders, professor of horticulture, and Brian Thompson, professor of mechanical engineering, have started a study abroad program to examine and meet the needs of underserved communities in the Andean highlands. Successful projects include: fruit crop promotion, ecotourism education, marketing of commodities and water-heating technology for area hospitals.

A separate study abroad program let by Gary Willyerd, professor of internal medicine, brought the colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and Human Medicine into the project as they addressed the medical needs of the community, primarily nutrition and parasites. Both programs last six weeks and allow students to gain hands-on experience while conducting professional research and helping address food and other issues in both small villages and larger cities of the Andean highlands.