As part of International Education Week, UT Social Work’s Farya Phillips, Ph.D., joined an interdisciplinary team of faculty and students to present findings from a summer research project in Tamil Nadu, India, at the President’s Award for Global Learning showcase.

The team shared outcomes from a four-week in-country study focused on the long-term impact of service-learning projects in rural communities. Their work builds on a decade of collaboration between UT Social Work and the Cockrell School of Engineering through Projects with Underserved Communities (PUC) — a program that has engaged nearly 300 Longhorns in community-based projects across four continents.

During the study, students partnered with Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action, a nonprofit based in Tamil Nadu, to develop protocols for engaging with rural communities and evaluating the long-term effects of three earlier PUC initiatives.

The team’s presentation highlighted :

  • Evaluation of a children’s library built in 2021 in the village of Kallathupatti, now serving 3,000 residents with tutoring, lessons and educational resources.
  • Evaluation of a housing project for a nomadic community launched in 2015.
  • Creation of community engagement protocols developed to guide future service-learning efforts.

Students also shared creative outputs from the trip, including a documentary on service-learning and a book of community stories capturing the legacy and resilience of local residents.

The showcase offered students a platform to reflect on what they accomplished abroad, what they learned from their community partners and how the experience shaped their understanding of global service and interdisciplinary collaboration.

“This showcase is more than a presentation — it’s a celebration of what happens when students listen deeply, collaborate across disciplines and learn from the communities they serve,” said Dr. Phillips.

The event underscored the School’s commitment to preparing students for leadership through hands-on learning, cultural humility and community-driven research. This mission continues to guide UT Social Work’s global engagement.