This research presentation is a compilation of the author’s various publications and current research on the topic of what students are NOT learning abroad, why not, and how the “interventions” of cultural self-awareness, “othering,” knowledge of plausibility structures, and the introduction of cognitive dissonance can be implemented pre-departure to prepare participants to have meaningful cultural experiences while abroad.

Kelly Kristopher Lemmons is the assistant dean of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts and assistant professor and program coordinator of geography at Tarleton State University–Texas A&M. Lemmons has a passion for teaching and conducting researching on the topics of cultural geography, economic geography, and travel/study abroad. He received a BS from Brigham Young University, an MS from the University of Massachusetts, and a PhD from Texas A&M University. Lemmons and his wife Ami Leatham are the parents of Brody, Vivian, and Guy.