Five questions with Gareth Barkin, professor of anthropology

Gareth Barkin has dedicated his life to travel. But he doesn’t celebrate just checking the countries he’s visited off on a map. His joy comes from finding new ways to make travel more meaningful, especially to college students. For the past decade, Barkin has torn apart and rebuilt some of Puget Sound’s study abroad programs to focus on cultural exchange—ensuring students connect with those from different backgrounds than their own. The cornerstone of his efforts is a three-week Southeast Asia field school course which sees Puget Sound students and Indonesian college students living and learning together collaboratively.