Joseph Gomez of Omaha visits Panama for sustainability project

2017 Jan 27

Joseph Gomez of Omaha was among 12 students in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Global Immersion program who spent winter break in Panama helping a teak tree plantation.

Gomez is a senior international business major in the College of Business Administration.

The students worked with Panamanian business owners and leaders to learn about conservation and created plans for sustainability, ecotourism, logistics, sales and distribution for the La Finca Feliz plantation in Guayabal.

"The students calculated how many trees could be harvested each year for the operation to be sustainable and profitable," said J.K. Osiri, director of international business and associate professor of practice in management in the College of Business Administration who also sponsored the trip.

The students - whose majors range from international business to accounting - were enrolled in Osiri's International Studies in Business and Economics course during the fall semester, in which they studied business practices and prepared for the project.

During the trip, students visited the U.S. Grains Council in Panama City where they heard a presentation from Marri Carrow, the council's regional director for the Western Hemisphere. They also celebrated the new year and shared meals with indigenous communities.

"We managed to get around language and cultural barriers easily," said Lucas Kahnk, a senior international business major from Tecumseh who participated in the project. "I had a blast seeing the country while learning from experts in the field and eating some delicious Panamanian food."

For more information on the Global Immersion program, part of the university's business college, visit http://cba.unl.edu/studyabroad.