Learning does not always happen in a lecture hall. For some students, it occurs miles from the nearest town, with a backpack, a map and outdoors in nature.

That is the kind of educational experience Dr. Matthew McKay, Missouri State University associate professor in the School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability, has helped create for his students for nearly a decade. His efforts in leading five programs as an education abroad director earned him program milestone recognition from the office of education abroad.

The new recognition program honors faculty members who demonstrate long-term commitment to experiential learning.

Learning that lasts

Since 2018, McKay has directed Missouri State’s geology field camps. This month-long experience mirrors the core goals of education abroad: independence, adaptability and real-world problem solving. He will lead an international trip to Iceland in June.

For McKay, the most meaningful outcomes from these trips often appear years later. Former students would reach out after passing professional exams or starting their careers, tracing their success back to a specific field exercise or moment from camp.

“These are the emails where you realize something stuck,” McKay said. “They remember a five-second interaction or one exercise, and that’s what helped them answer a question years later.”

Small groups, big impact

Some of McKay’s most memorable experiences have come from leading small groups of students into remote parts of the western United States. Over the years, about 125 students have joined his trips. Smaller numbers allow more flexibility and access to places most people never see — experiences that are not possible with large groups.

The work is demanding. Students spend weeks away from home hiking mountainous terrain, collecting and analyzing data, mapping formations and solving problems on site.

With few breaks and only one day off every six days, students build resilience, teamwork and confidence that stays with them long after the program ends.

As McKay often tells students, the experience is “the most fun you’ll never want to have again.”

Looking ahead

Sustaining these programs takes collaboration, flexibility and strong institutional support. As trips grow larger or go international, McKay stresses shared leadership and keeping students engaged at every moment in the field.

For him, the goal remains simple: create experiences that prepare students not just for graduation, but for what comes next.

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