Landing in Greece with 10 Greek words in his vocabulary, David Acker felt like a Boy Scout dropped off in the woods during a survival exercise. In a way, he was. Acker, associate dean for academic and global programs, learned not only how to survive in a foreign land during his first trip in 1972, but how to thrive. "I learned the importance of listening and understanding as a first step in operating in a cross-cultural setting and the importance of learning foreign language as a way to break down barriers and understand a culture at a deeper level," he says.