A self-proclaimed college campus geek, Steve Crawford, ‘03 MA, of Columbus, Ohio enjoys visiting institutions beyond Denison University, where he is director of alumni relations. He is intrigued by how other universities work, from their administrative structure to student involvement. With Denison globalizing its culture, Crawford decided to apply for and received a Fulbright Award to explore German higher education.

The two-week tour of Germany last October took him and a cohort to 10 universities, a technical school and a college preparatory school. “The program exposed me to a significantly different style of higher education.” Back at Denison, he has increased his contributions tenfold. For one, he discusses study abroad differently with students. He compares American higher education to the German model, which provides free tuition to all students. “Even if (students) are not planning to visit Germany,” he said, “they are more informed.”