Graduate Student Spotlight | Lori Duke
“The faculty cultivate an environment where rigorous scholarly discourse is paired with genuine respect for each student.”
Graduate Study & Research Abroad
The Graduate School at Hood College partners with academic departments across the College to provide study and research abroad opportunities that enhance graduate students’ educational and personal experiences and align with each program’s curricular goals.
Studying abroad as a graduate student is more than an academic experience—it is a transformational journey that expands perspective, deepens cultural competence, and strengthens professional confidence. In this section, you’ll hear directly from Hood graduate students as they reflect on how international study shaped their research, enriched their leadership development, and prepared them to thrive in globally connected careers.
Their stories highlight the real-world impact of stepping beyond familiar borders—academically, professionally, and personally.
Lori Duke
Discover how Humanities graduate student Lori Duke’s transformative study abroad experience in the French Caribbean deepened her intellectual engagement, broadened her global perspective, and enriched her graduate journey in lasting and meaningful ways.
Maui Smith
Explore graduate student Maui Smith’s study abroad experience in Prague. A poet and MFA candidate in Creative Writing, Maui shares how the Prague Summer Program strengthened their artistic voice, expanded their global perspective, and sparked new creative and professional connections.
Prague Summer Residency Program for Writers | July 2025
Offered by the MFA Creative Writing program
Contact: Dr. Elizabeth Knapp, knapp@hood.edu
Hood students interested in creative writing may attend the Prague Summer Program for Writers, the nation's oldest study abroad program for creative writing in the English language. Undergraduate students will receive 3 workshop credits for the 3-week program in July. MFA students may opt to spend their second summer residency in Prague, where they will earn 6 residency credits. For more information, please contact Dr. Elizabeth Knapp (knapp@hood.edu), Professor of English and Director of the MFA in Creative Writing.
Dr. Scott Pincikowski | Director of Study Abroad
pincikowski@hood.edu
301-696-3475
Tanith Fowler Corsi | Director of Graduate Admission
fowlercorsi@hood.edu
301-696-3603
Students planning a study abroad experience should carefully consider the timing of their trip within their academic program, as well as how they will fund their experience. Thanks to the generosity of Hood alumni and donors, scholarships are available to support both semester-long and short-term study abroad opportunities.
To learn more about funding options and program planning, please contact Hood College’s Director of Study Abroad, Dr. Scott Pincikowski, at (301) 696-3475 or via email at pincikowski@hood.edu.
Hood College Graduate Study Abroad
Graduate Student Spotlight | Maui Smith
“Hood providing me the opportunity to learn from talented Black writers like Donna Hemans, Celeste Doaks and Steven Leyva meant the world to me because I got to receive feedback from the audience I write my poems for. Black students in creative writing spaces don’t always get that experience."