UF Study Abroad Program “Sustainability Exploration in Greece” Selected as a Finalist by GoAbroad.com
The UF in Greece - Sustainability Exploration program, led by Bahar Armaghani and Michael Kung, is a finalist for the GoAbroad Innovation Awards for the Innovation in Climate Action category.
This award by GoAbroad.com honors commitment to environmental conservation and/or sustainable community development projects through an organization’s programs and day-to-day operations. Nominees are assessed on overall impact, groundbreaking strategies, and integration of their message.
Sustainability Exploration in Greece is a faculty-led program designed to immerse students in the realities of climate action within one of the world’s most climate-sensitive regions. In partnership with WorldStrides Higher Education and grant support from Siemens AG, Bahar Armaghani and Michael Kung from the University of Florida developed a program that confronts what climate action looks like when the stakes are high.
Greece provides an ideal living laboratory, where rising seas, water scarcity, and energy isolation demand immediate adaptation. As Kung notes, “Greece doesn’t let you be abstract about sustainability… Students need to feel the weight of real decisions.” This philosophy underscores every component of the program.
In Athens, students analyzed large-scale sustainable design and climate-forward urban regeneration at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. Meetings with engineers at Siemens Greece deepened their understanding of smart grids, renewable energy integration, and future-focused building technologies.
Across the Aegean, students encountered the constraints of island environments where resource management is a daily necessity. In Santorini, they met with the mayor, observed desalination operations, and proposed improvements to the island’s sustainability plan. On Paros and Naxos, they examined sustainable agriculture and local food systems. Prior cohorts also visited Kythnos and Crete, investigating EV charging infrastructure, smart marinas, traditional farming, and energy retrofits.
The program treats climate action as an interconnected system and immerses students in both dense urban centers and on resource-constrained islands. Through collaborations with municipal leaders, Siemens Greece, and the DAFNI Network, students engaged directly with governance and infrastructure behind sustainability practices.
Wesley-Rae Braznell, a student from the 2025 cohort, described the experience in comparison to growing up in Florida. “It was interesting to learn about how they use water desalination to provide water to the island of Santorini. Water conservation is a major part of daily life there due to limited freshwater access. Growing up in South Florida, I was aware of the process of desalination, but it was so cool to see the behind-the-scenes parts that we were shown and the infrastructure that they have to transform the water and distribute it across the island.”
Through place-based learning, direct interaction with decision-makers, and evaluation of real-world infrastructure, students developed critical analysis skills, gained cultural and policy awareness, and learned to evaluate the practical realities and trade-offs of climate solutions, which are exact outcomes aligned with innovation in climate action.
Check out Roselyn Gonzalez’s video about her experience.
Congratulations to all our Global Gators!