Each tour is enhanced by University of Rochester faculty who will share their unique expertise to offer an educational lens into the cultures, histories, and landscapes you’ll encounter—making every trip a true extension of your intellectual journey.
Catalonia and the Cosmos
Total Solar Eclipse on the Spanish Coast
August 9-17, 2026
Kelly Douglass, associate professor of instruction in the Department of Physics and Astronomy
Kelly Douglass is currently the Director of the C.E.K. Mees Observatory, the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Physics, and runs the NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates program in physics and astronomy at UR. While Prof. Douglass’s research focuses on mapping the structure of the universe, she was one of the primary coordinators for UR’s solar eclipse festivities in April 2024 and is excited to share some of the science behind solar eclipses and witness the total solar eclipse in 2026 (hopefully with fewer clouds)!
Croatia & the Dalmatian Coast
October 9-20, 2026
Elizabeth Colantoni, associate professor of classics in the Department of Religion and Classics
Elizabeth Colantoni teaches in the University’s program in archaeology, technology, and historical structures. She is an archaeologist, and her research is focused on the ancient Mediterranean world, particularly Italy in the time before and during the Roman Empire. She regularly teaches courses on Greek and Roman archaeology, archaeological and museum ethics, and ancient Roman religion as well as Latin language courses. She has, since 2007, been taking students to Italy to participate firsthand in archaeological excavations there. In 2025 and 2026 she will be taking Rochester students to excavate at Trebula Mutuesca (near modern Monteleone Sabino, Rieti, Italy), a settlement that thrived during the Roman period and is noted today particularly for the remains of its ancient amphitheater and sanctuary to the Italic goddess Feronia.
Holiday Markets Cruise-The Festive Rhine River
December 9-17, 2026
Tim Peterson, Ann and Irving Norry Curator of Contemporary Art
Timothy Peterson serves as the Ann and Irving Norry Curator of Contemporary Art at Memorial Art Gallery. He is a leading curator noted for premiering major solo exhibitions by an exceptionally diverse slate of fast-rising and established artists including Reggie Burrows Hodges, Ryan Adams, Alison Hildreth, Yashua Klos, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Paula Mpagi Sepuya, Ghada Amer, Wangechi Mutu, Christian Marclay, Uta Barth, Alejandro Cesarco, and Shinique Smith. Peterson previously served as Executive Director and Chief Curator for the Center for Maine Contemporary Art (Rockland, Maine), Founding Director and Curator of Franklin Art Works (Minneapolis) and Chief Curator for the SCAD Museum of Art (Savannah), with prior curatorial posts at Lannan Foundation (Los Angeles), the Williams College Museum of Art, and the Provincetown International Film Festival.
Southeast Asia Odyssey
February 11–March 1, 2027
Tingting Xu, historian of Asian art, Department of Art and Art History
Tingting Xu regularly teaches courses on the introduction to Asian art, spanning from the Neolithic period to the contemporary era, as well as on visual technologies that have shaped the development of art. She is particularly interested in Buddhist ideas over the longue durée, and in how pre-modern religious thought has extended beyond the religious sphere to become foundational concepts in Asian societies and cultures. She received her PhD from the University of Chicago and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University. She also worked as a specialist consultant at an auction house in Beijing and as an assistant curator at the Peabody Essex Museum. She very much looks forward to sharing perspectives on the similarities and differences between East and South Asian Buddhist traditions, discussing the significance of cave temples and colossal reclining Buddhas in Buddhist art, and encountering diverse forms of Buddhist art and handcrafted objects along the way.
Galapagos Islands
March 9–16, 2027
Al Uy, Dean’s Professor of Biology, chair of the Department of Biology
Al Uy has worked throughout the tropics for over 30 years to explore the evolution and ecology of birds, traveling to remote sites across the globe, including the Galapagos Islands. His work combines field observations and experiments with molecular genetics to explore Charles Darwin’s mystery of mysteries—the process of one species splitting into two. He also translates his science into conservation initiatives by partnering with indigenous communities to establish conservation areas in threatened island ecosystems.
Check out his website for more information.
Floria Mora–Kepfer Uy, assistant professor in the Department of Biology
Floria Mora–Kepfer Uy serves as the academic director for ROC Galapagos, an immersive study abroad program with hands–on field training, helping undergraduate researchers learn every step of the scientific process, while experiencing Ecuadorean culture.
Her research program focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern plasticity. Plasticity is the ability to reorganize in response to changing environments and is one of the most crucial adaptations in animals. It can be essential for survival, as individuals can adjust to dynamic evolutionary, ecological, and social conditions. Her team studies social wasps that display remarkable plasticity and adapt to different environments. They also explore how parasites manipulate genes that affect plasticity in social behavior, brain functions, and aging. Check out her website for more information.
Journey through Britain: England, Scotland, and Wales
May 10–23, 2027
Thomas Devaney, associate professor, Department of History
Tom Devaney teaches courses in medieval and early modern European history, historical methodology, and the history of emotions. In a broad sense, his research explores how ideas—about identity, how one should behave, how society should be organized—played out in the real world. This has led him to explore a range of topics, including community, interfaith relations, public spectacles, popular religious practice, masculinities, and concepts of nobility. The geographic focus of his recent work has been Spain, but he developed an abiding interest in British history and culture as an undergraduate, however, and has since traveled extensively across the British Isles. He is also an avid hiker and is excited about how this tour will highlight Britain’s natural and cultural wonders.
Ancient Greece with Santorini and Crete
September 2–15, 2027
Anne Meredith, professor of instruction, Department of Religion and Classics
Anne Meredith has been a professor of religion and classics at URochester for over 30 years. An expert in religions of the ancient Mediterranean world, Meredith teaches courses in the social history and religion of ancient Greece and Rome, ancient Judaism, and early Christianity with particular interest in ancient healing, religious change, and issues related to gender and sexuality. A recipient of many teaching awards at URochester, she has led students on many trips to Greece, Italy, and England. She has taught widely in adult education programs in synagogues and churches around Rochester, and she’s eager to travel with URochester alumni and others to her favorite country—Greece!
Threads of a Nation: Weaving History and Culture in South Africa
October 15–26, 2027
Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela, vice provost for global engagement, professer at the Warner School of Education
Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela is vice provost for global engagement and professor at the Warner School of Education. She also holds an extraordinary professorship at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Born and raised in South Africa, Mabokela came to the United States after completing high school and has maintained strong and active connections to the country through her research, partnerships, and broader scholarly work. Before joining URochester, she held senior leadership roles at the University of Illinois and Michigan State University, focusing on global engagement and higher education.
Mabokela’s work centers on strengthening higher education institutions to better serve diverse and historically marginalized communities. Over the past two decades, she has led research and capacity-building initiatives across Africa and beyond, including in South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, Ghana, Egypt, and Pakistan. She is the author or editor of seven books and has published widely in leading journals in comparative and international higher education. Her work continues to shape global collaboration and policy in higher education.
Catalonia and the Cosmos
Total Solar Eclipse on the Spanish Coast
August 9-17, 2026
Kelly Douglass, associate professor of instruction in the Department of Physics and Astronomy
Kelly Douglass is currently the Director of the C.E.K. Mees Observatory, the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Physics, and runs the NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates program in physics and astronomy at UR. While Prof. Douglass’s research focuses on mapping the structure of the universe, she was one of the primary coordinators for UR’s solar eclipse festivities in April 2024 and is excited to share some of the science behind solar eclipses and witness the total solar eclipse in 2026 (hopefully with fewer clouds)!
Croatia & the Dalmatian Coast
October 9-20, 2026
Elizabeth Colantoni, associate professor of classics in the Department of Religion and Classics
Elizabeth Colantoni teaches in the University’s program in archaeology, technology, and historical structures. She is an archaeologist, and her research is focused on the ancient Mediterranean world, particularly Italy in the time before and during the Roman Empire. She regularly teaches courses on Greek and Roman archaeology, archaeological and museum ethics, and ancient Roman religion as well as Latin language courses. She has, since 2007, been taking students to Italy to participate firsthand in archaeological excavations there. In 2025 and 2026 she will be taking Rochester students to excavate at Trebula Mutuesca (near modern Monteleone Sabino, Rieti, Italy), a settlement that thrived during the Roman period and is noted today particularly for the remains of its ancient amphitheater and sanctuary to the Italic goddess Feronia.
Holiday Markets Cruise-The Festive Rhine River
December 9-17, 2026
Tim Peterson, Ann and Irving Norry Curator of Contemporary Art
Timothy Peterson serves as the Ann & Irving Norry Curator of Contemporary Art at Memorial Art Gallery. He is a leading curator noted for premiering major solo exhibitions by an exceptionally diverse slate of fast-rising and established artists including Reggie Burrows Hodges, Ryan Adams, Alison Hildreth, Yashua Klos, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Paula Mpagi Sepuya, Ghada Amer, Wangechi Mutu, Christian Marclay, Uta Barth, Alejandro Cesarco, and Shinique Smith. Peterson previously served as Executive Director and Chief Curator for the Center for Maine Contemporary Art (Rockland, Maine), Founding Director and Curator of Franklin Art Works (Minneapolis) and Chief Curator for the SCAD Museum of Art (Savannah), with prior curatorial posts at Lannan Foundation (Los Angeles), the Williams College Museum of Art, and the Provincetown International Film Festival.
Southeast Asia Odyssey
February 11–March 1, 2027
Tingting Xu, historian of Asian art, Department of Art and Art History
Tingting Xu regularly teaches courses on the introduction to Asian art, spanning from the Neolithic period to the contemporary era, as well as on visual technologies that have shaped the development of art. She is particularly interested in Buddhist ideas over the longue durée, and in how pre-modern religious thought has extended beyond the religious sphere to become foundational concepts in Asian societies and cultures. She received her PhD from the University of Chicago and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University. She also worked as a specialist consultant at an auction house in Beijing and as an assistant curator at the Peabody Essex Museum. She very much looks forward to sharing perspectives on the similarities and differences between East and South Asian Buddhist traditions, discussing the significance of cave temples and colossal reclining Buddhas in Buddhist art, and encountering diverse forms of Buddhist art and handcrafted objects along the way.
Galapagos Islands
March 9–16, 2027
Al Uy, Dean’s Professor of Biology, chair of the Department of Biology
Al Uy has worked throughout the tropics for over 30 years to explore the evolution and ecology of birds, traveling to remote sites across the globe, including the Galapagos Islands. His work combines field observations and experiments with molecular genetics to explore Charles Darwin’s mystery of mysteries—the process of one species splitting into two. He also translates his science into conservation initiatives by partnering with indigenous communities to establish conservation areas in threatened island ecosystems.
Check out his website for more information.
Floria Mora–Kepfer Uy, assistant professor in the Department of Biology
Floria Mora–Kepfer Uy serves as the academic director for ROC Galapagos, an immersive study abroad program with hands–on field training, helping undergraduate researchers learn every step of the scientific process, while experiencing Ecuadorean culture.
Her research program focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern plasticity. Plasticity is the ability to reorganize in response to changing environments and is one of the most crucial adaptations in animals. It can be essential for survival, as individuals can adjust to dynamic evolutionary, ecological, and social conditions. Her team studies social wasps that display remarkable plasticity and adapt to different environments. They also explore how parasites manipulate genes that affect plasticity in social behavior, brain functions, and aging. Check out her website for more information.
Journey through Britain: England, Scotland, and Wales
May 10–23, 2027
Thomas Devaney, associate professor, Department of History
Tom Devaney teaches courses in medieval and early modern European history, historical methodology, and the history of emotions. In a broad sense, his research explores how ideas—about identity, how one should behave, how society should be organized—played out in the real world. This has led him to explore a range of topics, including community, interfaith relations, public spectacles, popular religious practice, masculinities, and concepts of nobility. The geographic focus of his recent work has been Spain, but he developed an abiding interest in British history and culture as an undergraduate, however, and has since traveled extensively across the British Isles. He is also an avid hiker and is excited about how this tour will highlight Britain’s natural and cultural wonders.
Ancient Greece with Santorini and Crete
September 2–15, 2027
Anne Meredith, professor of instruction, Department of Religion and Classics
Anne Meredith has been a professor of religion and classics at URochester for over 30 years. An expert in religions of the ancient Mediterranean world, Meredith teaches courses in the social history and religion of ancient Greece and Rome, ancient Judaism, and early Christianity with particular interest in ancient healing, religious change, and issues related to gender and sexuality. A recipient of many teaching awards at URochester, she has led students on many trips to Greece, Italy, and England. She has taught widely in adult education programs in synagogues and churches around Rochester, and she’s eager to travel with URochester alumni and others to her favorite country—Greece!
Threads of a Nation: Weaving History and Culture in South Africa
October 15–26, 2027
Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela, vice provost for global engagement, professer at the Warner School of Education
Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela is vice provost for global engagement and professor at the Warner School of Education. She also holds an extraordinary professorship at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Born and raised in South Africa, Mabokela came to the United States after completing high school and has maintained strong and active connections to the country through her research, partnerships, and broader scholarly work. Before joining URochester, she held senior leadership roles at the University of Illinois and Michigan State University, focusing on global engagement and higher education.
Mabokela’s work centers on strengthening higher education institutions to better serve diverse and historically marginalized communities. Over the past two decades, she has led research and capacity-building initiatives across Africa and beyond, including in South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, Ghana, Egypt, and Pakistan. She is the author or editor of seven books and has published widely in leading journals in comparative and international higher education. Her work continues to shape global collaboration and policy in higher education.
Questions?
For more information on these trips or the University of Rochester Travel Club, contact Rebecca Picone, Associate Director of Lifelong Learning & Career Services, at rebecca.picone@rochester.edu
or 585-797-5709.
Questions?
For more information on these trips or the University of Rochester Travel Club, contact Associate Director of Lifelong Learning and Career Programs Rebecca Picone at rebecca.picone@rochester.edu or 585-797-5709.