Study Biology Abroad in the Caribbean!

Program Dates and Location

Program dates: Jan 3/4 – 19, 2026

Program Location: Montserrat, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean

The island of Montserrat is an ideal location for a Biology study-abroad course due to its small size (~40 square miles, population of ~4,500), safety, unique ecosystems, and number of rare and endemic plant and animal species. Montserrat is a Level 1 country on the US State Department website, which is the safest level. This program offers students a chance to study biology in very different ecosystems compared to those in eastern Washington, such as Dry scrub/forest, Wet forest/Elfin woodland, and Marine systems/coral reefs. Parts of the island have experienced major ecological changes over the past several decades due to a series of eruptions of the Soufriere Hills Volcano from 1995-2012, creating a natural experiment for examining biodiversity in response to disturbance. Furthermore, Montserrat is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and faces numerous other challenges that demand sustainability on the island, including energy independence, food and water supply, and tourism.

Program Curriculum

Through this hands-on, experiential learning opportunity, students will learn about biology and conduct scientific research while strengthening their intercultural competency and awareness. This will be achieved through collaborative interactions with local Montserrat researchers and agencies, such as the Department of Environment and the Montserrat National Trust and Botanical Gardens. Students will also engage daily with local Montserratians including staff members at the field station, which will provide a rich cultural exchange for all.

Fall 2025

A 1 credit BIOL496 Program Orientation course in fall 2025 will be required for program participants and will include a basic introduction to the island’s culture, history, and ecology. The pre-departure course will also ensure appropriate travel requirements have been met (e.g. passport processing). Students will be encouraged to participate in water safety lessons through the EWU aquatics center in preparation for the program. Participants will have the option to get SCUBA certified through EWU in fall 2025 at their own expense. 

Research proposals will be submitted to the Montserrat Department of Environment at least three months prior to the program start date (i.e. October 2025).

Winter 2026

The following core courses will be offered during the quarter in which students will travel and would permit students to be full-time and eligible for financial aid:

BIOL 320 – The Human Prospect (5 cr) (Biology elective and Global Gen Ed requirement) 

BIOL 490 – Senior Capstone (5 cr)

BIOL X99 – Directed Study (at least 2 cr)

Students in the Montserrat program will be encouraged to enroll in the above core courses and be full time. While priority will be given to students in BIOL 490, students enrolled in other courses will be considered on a case-by-case basis. However, these students will be expected to at least enroll in an Independent Study (399 or 499) and complete a scholarly activity that is presentable at the EWU spring symposium.

Program Objectives:

In addition to the Learning Outcomes listed below, program objectives include

1. Providing students with experience in different climates, habitats, and terrestrial environments beyond the Pacific Northwest. One of the appeals of Montserrat as a destination is its diversity which includes volcanic deposits, dry forests, wet forests, and scrublands.
2. Provide students with an exposure to marine ecosystems, which are not available in our surrounding area.
3. Establish a collaboration with faculty and students from Bard College.
4. Establish long-term monitoring sites to describe biodiversity at a variety of temporal and spatial scales.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this program, students will:

1. Demonstrate cultural competency and global awareness by effectively interacting and collaborating with individuals from diverse backgrounds, and exhibiting respect, empathy, and understanding. Students will identify and respect how culture shapes perspectives and behaviors. 
2. Develop adaptability and resiliency skills by learning to be flexible in unfamiliar and dynamic situations.
3. Develop problem-solving and self-management skills, gaining confidence by independently navigating new and dynamic situations. 
4. Apply new insights and perspectives to personal, academic, and professional development by connecting their international experiences to their strengths, challenges, values, and future endeavors.
5. Demonstrate information literacy skills by preparing a synthesis of literature from peer-reviewed sources. 
6. Demonstrate creative and analytical thinking skills by designing and conducting a scientific research project.
7. Demonstrate quantitative literacy and analytical thinking skills by organizing, analyzing, archiving, and interpreting scientific data. 
8. Demonstrate communication skills by effectively articulating the research project in written and oral form.

Program Staff

Faculty Leader #1

Dr. Jenifer Walke, Associate Professor of Biology, EWU

Email:  jwalke@ewu.edu, Telephone: 509-359-2742

B.S. James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA; Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Dr. Walke is an Associate Professor in Biology and has been at EWU since 2017 (walkelab.com). She is a microbial and disease ecologist and has published 40 peer-reviewed scientific research articles, many of which include undergraduate and graduate student authors. She routinely mentors undergraduate student researchers who publish and present their work in a variety of local and national venues. In addition, many of Dr. Walke’s courses are designed as Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs). 

Dr. Walke has traveled to Montserrat twice (for multiple weeks) to identify student-friendly research projects, establish collaborations with colleagues from Bard College and local agency biologists on the island, and troubleshoot any logistical challenges we may encounter. She also has substantial experience travelling internationally and conducting tropical field biology research for nearly a decade through the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama. Dr. Walke is American Red Cross first aid and CPR certified.

Dr. Walke will be involved in program activities before, during, and after the study abroad. She will help organize pre-departure information sessions, orientations, events, and activities. While abroad, J. Walke will be on site throughout the program to ensure that all activities are being conducted in a suitable and safe manner. Post-travel, she will help with de-briefing and program assessment.

Faculty Leader #2

Dr. Paul Spruell, Associate Professor and Chair of Biology, EWU

Email:  pspruell@ewu.edu, Telephone: 509-385-4760

B.S. The University of Illinois, Champaign, IL; M.S. Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI; Ph.D. in Zoology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA

Dr. Spruell is an Associate Professor and Chair of Biology and has been at EWU since 2015. In addition to his time at EWU, he has been a faculty member at the University of Montana and Southern Utah University. In total, he has 19 years of experience teaching classes and mentoring undergraduates. He has published 26 peer-reviewed articles, many of which include undergraduate and graduate student authors.  

Dr. Spruell has traveled to Montserrat twice (for three weeks total time) to identify student-friendly research projects, establish collaborations with colleagues from Bard College and local agency biologists on the island, and troubleshoot any logistical challenges we may encounter. In addition, he has taught a course on Island Biogeography and led one study abroad program while at the University of Montana as he and two colleagues took 13 students on a trip to the Galapagos Islands in 2003. Dr. Spruell is Wilderness First Aid certified.

Dr. Spruell will be involved in program activities before, during, and after the study abroad. He will help organize pre-departure information sessions, orientations, events, and activities. While abroad, both Dr. Spruell and Dr. Walke will be on site throughout the program to ensure that all activities are being conducted in a suitable and safe manner. At the end of student travel, Spruell will remain in Montserrat to complete a quarter of sabbatical. This would permit him to assist students with any follow up data collection that may be necessary after their departure.

Field Station Director

Dr. Thomas Coote, Montserrat Field Station Director & Faculty at Bard College at Simon’s Rock

Email:  tcoote@simons-rock.edu, Telephone: 413-644-4509

B.A., Bard College at Simon’s Rock; MSES Bard College; Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Amherst (Department of Environmental Conservation)

Dr. Coote’s research focuses on aquatic ecology and genetics with a particular focus on molluscs. In his teaching and research, he draws from several disciplines including agroecology, environmental science, political ecology, and landscape ecology. Dr. Coote has been the recipient of the Hudson River Foundation’s Polgar Fellowship as well as the New York National Sea Grant Fellowship. In addition to his academic background he served for 10 years in Student Affairs. He is the director of the Berkshire Environmental Research Center, based on the Bard College Simon’s Rock campus. Dr. Coote will be in Montserrat during the EWU Study Abroad Program.

Program Itinerary, Accommodations, and Meals

Travel to the island:

Students are responsible for purchasing and booking their own travel to Antigua (in consultation with program leaders). As part of the fall BIOL 496 pre-departure orientation course, we will host a “flight booking party” to coordinate travel from Spokane to Antigua. The travel from Antigua to Montserrat will be booked by EWU and included in the program cost. This is because we will charter two flights on the 7-8 seat planes to and from Montserrat. 

Transportation on the island:

The Montserrat Field Station will coordinate transportation on the island, which will include the use of two 8 passenger vans. 

Housing Accommodations:

Housing will be at the Simon’s Rock Montserrat Field Station in Old Towne, Montserrat. The residence hall for students is Knapp House, which has 12 beds arranged in double and triple rooms and two shared bathrooms (with 3 toilets, 3 showers, and 2 sinks). The residence hall has wifi, two shared living spaces, a small refrigerator but no cooking facilities. Faculty members may reside in the Campus Center apartment and Small House, each with bathrooms and kitchenettes.

Linen packs (sheet set, one pillow, one towel, one hand towel, and one basic cotton blanket) are provided for the duration of the program. Laundry facilities are off limits to renters but housekeeping will do laundry approximately twice a week. Each participant should provide their own labeled laundry stuff sack for use by housekeepers.

Meals:

Meals on island are included in the program cost and will be provided by the Field Station staff. Meals will be prepared by a professionally trained chef in a commercial kitchen at the field station and will be held in the field station dining area. On days when students will be away from the field station during a meal (e.g. conducting field work), a sack lunch will be provided. Dietary restrictions can be accommodated (e.g. vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free).

Meals are generally scheduled within the following time blocks:

Monday-Friday: breakfast (7:30-9:30 am), lunch (11:30 am-1:30 pm), and dinner (5:00-6:00 pm)

Saturday-Sunday: brunch (10:30 am-12:30 pm) and dinner (5:00-6:00 pm

Water on island is safe to drink, and it is important to STAY HYDRATED! Carrying and drinking water at all times of travel is essential. 

Program Expenses

The two-week international program will cost ~$1,500 (exact cost is dependent on exact number of students and other factors; finalized cost is anticipated by October 2025). Expenses included in the program cost are: travel between Antigua and Montserrat, travel on island, food on island, and all accommodations (on island and during layovers). Required field trips are covered by the program but some optional programs, such as becoming a certified diver, are not. Additional costs separate from the program include university tuition and fees, airfare to and from Antigua, meals on travel days, vaccinations, and personal expenses. 

Deposit: A $1,000 deposit is required by October 22, 2025.

Refund Schedule:

• Withdrawal prior to November 17, 2025 = 100% refund of program cost paid to date less a nonrefundable administrative fee of $500

• Withdrawal on or after November 17, 2025 = no refund

How to Apply

In order to participate in the program, interested students must submit a brief application outlining their reasons for wanting to attend the program and an explanation of how it fits into their overall academic plan. This is particularly important to ensure that students are able to meet their graduation requirements. In most cases this can be accomplished with sufficient planning and in conversation with your academic advisor, program leaders, and course instructors. Apply Now!