In this special episode of Aggies Near and Far, we sit down with Marina Mautner, co-founder of the Aggies Near and Far podcast and a UC Davis alumna whose passion for global learning continues to shape her professional journey. Marina joined us to reflect on the origins of the podcast, launched in 2020 as part of the Global Education for All Fellows program, and how a small student-led initiative grew into a lasting platform for sharing global education stories.

Marina shares the inspiration behind starting Aggies Near and Far, the challenges of launching a creative project during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the lessons she learned about collaborative production, ethical storytelling, and amplifying diverse voices. She also reflects on how podcasting has shaped her personal growth and professional path, from her Ph.D. work in hydrologic sciences at UC Davis to her current role as a groundwater and policy expert with SEI’s Water Program.

Whether you're a student interested in studying abroad, a podcaster in the making, or just curious about the intersection of global education, storytelling, and science, this conversation offers meaningful insights on leadership, creativity, and impact. Tune in to hear Marina’s story and get inspired to tell your own.

Editing was done by Jeff Nagle and Jannet Torres Espinoza.

In this episode, Sara, Negar, Jannet, and Jeff, four international students, come together to share delicious memories tied to the traditional foods of their home countries: Spain, Iran, Peru, and Brazil. Each student navigates how food shapes cultural identity, community, and connection across borders. By weaving personal narratives with cross-cultural insights, the episode embodies the principles of global learning: an approach that encourages empathy, curiosity, and critical reflection across national and cultural boundaries. Listeners are invited to consider that food is more than just nourishment; it also feeds the soul. Additionally, the episode highlights how everyday practices like eating and cooking can serve as meaningful sites for intercultural dialogue and global connection. Editing was done by Jeff Nagle and Jannet Torres Espinoza.

In this episode, we sit down with Samantha Libreros and Zienab Fadul, two recipients of the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, a program that empowers students from diverse backgrounds to study and intern abroad. Our guests share their experience in Spain in 2023. They talk about what they learned in this intercultural experience and offer invaluable advice for future applicants.

Get ready to take notes and learn from their experiences as we dive into their application process. An insight tip: Have an authentic application, good time management and get your recommendations letters on time! Samantha and Zienab were mentored by Scott Palmer, one of the Gilman Scholarship advisors that UC Davis has on campus. You can also listen to Scott’s interview in our previous episode. Again, thank you, Scott!

Samantha and Zienab also describe the challenges they overcame, the ways studying abroad impacted their perspectives on the world, and the personal growth gained. Studying abroad can be fun, but it also moves you outside of your comfort zone. Samantha and Zienab remind us of the importance of embracing the challenge and navigating cultural differences.

Whether you’re considering applying for the Gilman Scholarship, another fellowship, or simply love stories of transformation through global experiences, this episode is packed with inspiration and practical tips

We recorded this episode in December, 2024. During that Quarter, Zienab graduated from UC Davis in those days. Congrats, Zay! The interviewer of this episode is Jeff Nagle. Kylea Lindelli participated in the intro and outro. Editing was done by Jannet Torres Espinoza.

Stay tuned! If you liked this episode, please share it with your friends and help others to make the world their classroom.

Ready to turn your study abroad dreams into reality? In this episode, we sit down with Scott Palmer, a distinguished advisor at UC Davis of the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, a program that has helped thousands of U.S undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds study and intern abroad. Our guest shares invaluable insights into the scholarship’s mission, eligibility criteria, and the life-changing impact it has on recipients.

We discuss what makes a strong application, common mistakes to avoid, and how students can leverage their international experiences for future academic and career success. Whether you're a student dreaming of studying abroad and considering applying for the Gilman Scholarship, or an educator guiding applicants, or simply love stories of transformation through global experiences, this episode is packed with insights, inspiration, and practical tips to help you navigate the process with confidence.

We record this episode last December 2024. The interviewer is Zienab (Zay) Fadul who received the Gilman Fellowship in 2023, her experience adds an insightful perspective to the interview.

Sara de Blas participated in the intro and outro. Editing was done by Jeff Nagle.

We are glad to share that the next episode will be an interview with two Gilman scholars’ recipients. Stay tune! Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Soundcloud

In this episode, Jannet Torres, Jeff Nagle, Kylea Lindelli and Zay Fadul have a chat about their interests and observations about being a students in such a vibrant and diverse community at UC Davis. The conversation touches on why they decided to join Aggies Near and Far, international experiences, and how to connect with global learning at UC Davis.

This recording was done during November 2024. Monet Lahn participated in the intro.

Editing was done by Jeff Nagle.

During this episode we realized that we would like to share information about the Gilman Scholarship! We are thrilled to announce that is the topic of next episode. Stay tune!

In this episode, we explore the Humanizing Deportation project, a powerful initiative documenting the human consequences of migration and border control regimes in the United States and Mexico since 2017. With nearly 500 digital stories already uploaded, this project provides a crucial platform for migrants to share their experiences and serves as an invaluable archive on migration.

We're joined by Professor Robert Irwin, Project Coordinator, and Brooke Kipling, a key member of the research team, who share their insights into the importance of this project. Their passion and commitment to bringing these stories to light are palpable in their explanations.

We highly recommend listening to the story of Doña Esther, an important ally of the project. The interview also highlights the activism of migrants Douglas Oviedo, Dales Louissaint, and Tanya Duarte. These stories, originally in Spanish, come with English subtitles for broader accessibility.

There are scholars from Mexico and US involved in this project. The current team of Humanizando la Deportación at UC Davis includes graduate students Brooke Kipling, Lucas Ruppel, María José Gutiérrez, Ricardo Aguilar, Sandra Pulido, and Mara Uriol Garate. Visit their webpage at humanizandoladeportacion.ucdavis.edu to learn more about this remarkable project.

This episode features Elmira Loui and Jannet Torres Espinoza from Aggies Near & Far as the interviewers, with the recording taking place in March 2024. Zienab Fadul, member of AN&F, participated in the outro.

Editing was done by Jeff Nagle and Jannet Torres.

Image credit for this episode: Humanizing Deportation Project logo created by Maureen Burdock (PhD UC Davis, Cultural Studies, 2021).

Tune in to hear these compelling stories and understand the profound impact of the Humanizing Deportation project.

Have you heard about Global Education or Global Learning at UC Davis? Listen to episode 2 from our Aggies Near and Far 2023-2024 team and find out all the valuable information :)

We interviewed the leaders of Global Education for All (GE4A), part of Global Affairs at UC Davis, to learn about the history of this program, to understand the philosophy behind, how their leadership shapes the program, and about the goals they've had during their nine years in operation.

Thanks to Joanna Regulska (Vice Provost and Dean of Global Affairs), Nancy Erbstein (Associate Vice Provost of Global Education for All), Jessica Fareri (Program Coordinator, Experiential and Intercultural Programs) for their participation and for sharing with us.

Benjamin Fong, member of Aggies Near & Far, is the magnificent interviewer.

This episode was recorded in January 2024. Jeff Nagle and Jannet Torres edited it.

As an update: After several months, GE4A leaders have been working in transform this project. As a result, it is now a new project called Global Impact Fellows. You can read more about it in their webpage globallearning.ucdavis.edu and follow them to participate in their opportunities.

Welcome to our season 2. We are thrilled to share our first recording as a new team at Aggies Near and Far for the 2023-2024 academic year. Our beginning takes a look at ourselves: who we are, our interests in global education, previous experiences about studying abroad, and reflections on learning from cultural differences. The participants in the recording are: Benjamin Fong (interviewer), Elmira Louie, Jannet Torres Espinoza, Jeff Nagle, Joe Bender, Mili Adhikari, Monet Lahn, Zienab Fadul and William Evans. Sara de Blas Hernández and Santiago Eslava do not appear in the recording but are also members of the team.

This episode was recorded in December 2023. Jeff Nagle and Jannet Torres edited it.

More episodes coming soon...

We sat down with UC Davis professor of water management Dr. Samuel Sandoval to talk about his experiences with tuition-free higher education in Mexico and the necessity of removing cost barriers to increase access to global higher education + a few bite-size interviews from Picnic Day 2022 about what global education looks like at UC Davis. Enjoy!

We take a look at study abroad in French-speaking countries by interviewing two undergraduate students who participated in UC Education Abroad Programs in Fall 2021. Evan Pearson studied through the Sciences Po program in Paris, France, while Sophia Mares de Juan took part in the Field Research and Internship Program, Brussels, Belgium. Our guests discuss the difficulties of navigating a foreign language and the rewarding experiences they had through their respective programs.