Students Travel To Germany

More than 800 University of South students are spending their Maymester and summer breaks studying abroad in various countries. Studying abroad allows students to leave the traditional classroom setting and take off to a new country to learn.

 In May, College of Engineering and Computing associate professor, Dr. Ed Gatzke, took 18 engineering and computing students on a two-week trip to Germany. They traveled from Frankfurt to Munich learning along the way. The students observed world-class research facilities and learned about the German approach to energy.

 “They learn about various energy production and energy efficiency efforts,” said Dr. Gatzke. “We do almost all of our travel using public transportation. We saw solar panel testing and production facilities, we toured a wind farm, and we saw sustainable farming techniques. We toured green suburban developments and talked about energy efficient infrastructure.”

 The Maymester trip also provided students with the chance not only to learn about energy production and energy efficiency efforts, but also to sample German culture. The engineering and computing students tried local foods, climbed the tallest church in the world and visited the highest point in Germany.

 According to Dr. Gatzke, “The whole experience of being abroad has a huge impact. Students get to see a different perspective on everything. Some students had never flown before and many had never been to another country. They are exposed to a lot of technical material, but the biggest impact is from the whole cultural experience.”