Mainebiz reports on USM Cuba course co-taught by Steneck

Mainebiz reported a group of students from the University of Southern Maine recently completed a team-taught, 20-day course off Cuba to learn how to develop a tourism strategy that included sustainable initiatives regarding Cuba’s coral reefs and the hospitality training needs of its residents. Led by Tracy Michaud Stutzman of USM’s Department of Tourism and Hospitality, Cuba tourism expert Jeffrey Boutwell and University of Maine oceanographer Bob Steneck, the students snorkeled on a remote coral reef and sailed on a Maine-built tall ship as part of their Navigating Change in Cuba: Sustainable Maritime Environments and Tourism Development course, the article states. “Overall, this was a life experience for everyone,” said Steneck, a professor in the UMaine School of Marine Sciences. “This is the beginning of an ambitious experiential academic program in Cuba. Although the island country is less than 100 miles from the United States, it is a completely different world. All of the students embraced the pioneering aspect of this program and brought incredible enthusiasm to the program.”