October 27, 2003 —
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(back row) Gustavo Buenrostro, Jason Chan, Merrick Mosst, Jason Giggles, Jeff
Dralla, Nels Beckman, Rand Voorhies, Gregory Mooney, Jon Watkins, Steve Bucher,
Fima Macheret, Ammar Chinoy, Kendra Yates, Carrie Blalock. (front row) Melissa
Lorenzen, Veronica Loete, Lindsay Johnson, Rita Roohi, Associate Dean Louise Yates,
Krupa Savalia, Lilibeth Gangas, Jennifer McLean, Christine Keushguerian, Rahul
Dutta. (seated) Marisa Margaretich, Geoff Shiflett. At El Escorial monestary. |
by Christian Camozzi*
The academic plates of engineering undergraduate students are fully loaded. From
civil engineering to chemical engineering, students juggle thermodynamics with
calculus, chemistry with computational methods, hoping to cram their required
courses into eight scant semesters. This leaves little room for free units—dessert.
You might think there’s no time for a semester abroad. But you would be wrong,
and the dessert servings are getting better.
The School currently offers a summer overseas program, a chance for engineering
students to venture abroad, but still take courses that fulfill their academic
requirements. This past summer, 22 students, three teachers, two administrators
and one teacher’s assistant trekked to Madrid, squeezing Spanish courses and museum
trips into the students’ already-busy curriculum.
The program actually has a considerable history, having debuted in 1981 with
a session in Madrid. It took an eight-year hiatus, then returned in 1989 and has
been held consistently every other year, alternating between London and Paris.
The program has grown significantly in terms of academic offerings. In 1981,
it offered one class and an internship; in 2003, it expanded to four different
classes, three of which were upper division courses in the engineering curriculum.
These courses are taught by USC faculty and fulfill graduation requirements for
the School’s different engineering majors.
“This means that students can participate in an abroad experience without pushing
their graduation date back,” says Krupa Savalia, a sophomore from West Orange,
N.J., studying biomedical/biochemical engineering.
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Southern Spain has a unique mix of Catholic and Moorish (Islamic) influences,
as can be seen by this Catholic shrine leaning against a wall that displays traditional
Moorish architectural details. |
Given the success and popularity of the most recent session—the program saw the
largest number of participants in its history—the School now hopes to offer the
program every year, expanding the list of overseas options. Next summer, students
will head to Paris, while Rome remains on the program’s radar screen.
To coordinate this program, the School partners with the ACCENT International,
Inc., an international education organization that works with over 50 American
colleges and universities. This organization helps organize study abroad programs
and provides reliable housing and computer facilities, as well as some helpful
advice and guidance for students.
This support is key since the students’ schedule can be intense. “Classes are
extremely fast-paced,” says senior Christine Keushguerian, an environmental engineering
major. “The same amount of material taught in the fifteen-week semester is covered
in just six weeks.”
She adds, “The time constraint was a major challenge. When faced with the decision
to finish a thermodynamics problem or view the collection of Salvador Dali’s masterpieces
at the Reina Sofia, which would you choose?”
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Associate Dean Louise Yates with Krupa Savalia, Rita Roohi, Jason Giggles, Lilibeth
Gangas, Jon Watkins, Lindsay Johnson, and staff member Erika Pratt in the Plaza
de España, Seville. |
The bond that students and faculty develop, though, balances this intensity.
Classes are small, and this past summer’s participants made a number of excursions,
including trips to Seville, Granada, Segovia, and Cordova.
“You get to know people much better,” says Geoff Shiflett, associate professor
of aerospace and mechanical engineering who has taught the thermodynamics course
during the past three sessions. “I don’t usually go out to lunch or ride a bus
for six hours with students,” adds Steve Bucher, who taught an advanced undergraduate
writing class this past summer. “When you’re on a bus for six hours at a time,
it’s hard not to bond.”
This camaraderie energized the program participants. “The students and teachers
shared dinners, outings, overnight trips, excursions, and the excitement of a
foreign environment,” says Keushguerian. “We fought through the same language
and custom barriers,” adds Jason Chan, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering.
Back in the United States, students reflected on their experience in Madrid,
preparing papers for Bucher’s writing class, which is a required course for engineers.
Many students said they look at their field in a new light, and each seems eager
to develop into a global engineer. Junior Ammar Chinoy sees this as “an engineer
that, culturally speaking, transcends geographical boundaries.” Chan, who plans
to attend law school with his engineering degree, agrees: “With engineering being
such a global profession, there is a great need for students to experience other
cultures. As future engineers, we may need to coordinate tasks or projects with
companies or clients based in other countries. Or we may find ourselves working
for large international companies that need engineers who are able to work in
different locations around the world.”
An international student from Pakistan, Chinoy adds, “I realize the important
role that cultural immersion plays in structuring a global engineer.” He believes
that a study abroad experience profoundly affects students, making them “more
versatile and universal in nature.” As he sees it, this change comes as students
understand and adapt to cultural differences. “Adaptation essentially eliminates
further culture shock,” he says, “and results in the development of an able and
truly global engineer.”
Resoundingly, the returning students appreciate the value of their experience,
the power of their broadened perspectives. They are quick to connect it to the
professional work they will do in the future. For many of the students, this was
their first trip outside the United States, and their time in Madrid made them
more aware of their own cultural identities. Suddenly, they found themselves as
foreigners.
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Melissa Lorenzen and Mariana Blanco are relaxing by a fountain in Seville. |
“Living my whole life in a small suburb twelve miles away from USC, I have always
had the luxury of going home whenever I pleased,” says Keushguerian. “Being away
from family and friends for a substantial period of time has given me a stronger
sense of independence and responsibility.” But that doesn’t mean she didn’t face
challenges along the way. “Studying abroad is all about the frustration of miscommunication,”
she points out. “It’s about the need to play charades when buying nail polish
remover and pointing at fruit you don’t know the name of.”
Chinoy, though, sees a payoff for all the frustration. “The program allows engineers
to adapt to a different culture and become more open-minded, creative, and well-rounded
individuals.” He jokes about the stereotypes Americans have about Spanish culture.
“When visiting Spain, you learn that the country has more to offer than bulls,
flamenco, sangria and siestas.”
But perhaps the main difference students discovered between American and Spanish
culture had to do with energy conservation. As Chinoy explains, “Europe in general,
and Spain in particular, prioritize conservation in terms of reduced consumption.
Spanish electrical, transport, and telecommunication systems are all influenced
by this quest for efficiency.”
He points out, “The lack of air conditioning, time-controlled lights, and smaller
vehicles are all elements of Spanish culture that Americans are not entirely acquainted
with.”
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Fima Macheret sitting by one of the many fountains decorating the plazas of Seville. |
Senior Jennifer McLean, who is majoring in environmental engineering, agrees:
“The entire city of Madrid has been designed to save energy and increase efficiency
wherever possible.”
Chan adds, “The streets of America, especially Los Angeles, are a stark contrast
to those of Madrid, and those of Europe as a whole. Large sedans and SUVs don’t
dominate Madrid’s roads. Instead, highly fuel-efficient subcompacts seem to be
the automobile of choice.”
In recognizing these differences, students can see how their professional work
as engineers will be culturally specific. They see the importance of being mindful
of people’s culture as they carry out their work. In a very real way, they understand
that the concepts they learn will touch people’s lives, that their work is closely
tied to the world around them.
After all, as Savalia put it, “Engineering affects everyone, no matter where
they live, and is ultimately a means of serving humanity.”
*Christian Camozzi’s article was based on stories written by program participants
Jason Chan, Ammar Chinoy, Christine Keushguerian, and Krupa Savalia for their
engineering writing class.
