Argentine Expedition: Ethics and Ecology from Buenos Aires to Patagonia
The Argentine Expedition is an opportunity to study intensely on the South American continent! The four-week program is designed to integrate travel, classroom learning, and purposeful engagement with local and regional leaders to help students better understand their own role in caring for God’s creation as well as the various environmental challenges facing Argentina and creative solutions being formulated by those in South America. Students will travel throughout the city of Buenos Aires, down the Tigre river, and in Patagonia to learn more about biodiversity conservation efforts, local farming practices, and how Christians are called to care for God’s creation.
The Argentine Expedition is designed for:
- Any student interested in completing Seaver Core classes during the summer
- Any student looking to learn more about how to care for God’s creation
- Students pursuing Sustainability majors and minors
- Students who desire to learn about sustainability with other like-minded and passionate students
- While there is no Spanish language requirement, students with Spanish will be able to go to the next level in engaging their homestay parents and locals they meet
Program Dates
May 9 - June 4, 2027
*Dates above indicate a planned departure date from the US and in-country return departure date.
Costs
Health & Safety
Visa Information
Course Requirements and Offerings
Refer to the academics page for details on the minimum unit requirements and class pre-requisites for the program. Textbook lists will be provided by the program staff.
Faculty-in-Residence
Dr. Sarah Stone Watt
sarah.stonewatt@pepperdine.edu
Professor of Communication
Divisional Dean of Seaver College’s Communication Division
Sarah Stone Watt was born and raised in Southern California. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication: Rhetorical Studies and a certificate in legal studies from California State University, Long Beach where she was an active member of the Speech and Debate Team. Then, she earned a masters degree in Communication & Journalism from the University of Wyoming, where she coached their highly competitive debate team and served as an advocate, court observer, and hotline volunteer at the local women’s shelter. She earned a PhD in Rhetoric and Women’s Studies at The Pennsylvania State University and coached debate at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY before returning to Southern California to join the faculty at Pepperdine. Dr. Stone Watt directed the Pepperdine Waves Debate program for 10 years and helped transition the team into civic and international debate competitions. Prior to becoming Divisional Dean of Communication, she served as the faculty in residence for Pepperdine International Programs in Buenos Aires and London. Dr. Stone Watt teaches courses in persuasion, intercultural communication, gender, and sustainability.
Dr. Chris Doran
Professor of Religion & Sustainability
Coordinator of Sustainability Program
Religion and Philosophy Division, Seaver College
Chris Doran was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. He went on to Seaver College at Pepperdine University to study biology. After receiving a bachelor's degree in biology and then a Master of Divinity from Pepperdine, he went off to Berkeley to study the intersection of theology and science. He founded the Sustainability program here at Seaver and teaches many classes related to the various impacts climate change is having on people and the planet.
Doran has spent considerable time in New Zealand researching and teaching during the last 10 years, which led him to create the sustainability study abroad program in Kaikoura. He took Seaver students to the South Island in 2018 and 2019. He took students to Buenos Aires in 2023 to study sustainability and looks forward to continuing to work on sustainability issues in Argentina during May 2027.
He is an avid runner and hiker. As a certified scuba diver, he spends as much time underwater as he is able, including 19 dives in a recent trip to Tahiti. Finally, Doran has been a friend, supporter, mentor, minister, and advocate for many of his LGBTQ+ students over the years. He has led numerous club convos on LGBTQ+ topics from a Christian perspective, gave the first 3-day lecture on LGBTQ+ concerns in the history of the Pepperdine Bible Lectures, works regularly with Centerpeace, and has given advice to numerous churches on LGBTQ+ matters.