Students from the College of Liberal and Fine Arts, College of Architecture, and College of Engineering walk the streets of Perguia, Italy, during one of the many educational travel experiences they took together as a group.
UTSA Engineering students know what it takes to succeed in their chosen major. Hard work. Dedication. Pasta.
Pasta? Yes, this Italian staple is certainly playing a part in the lives of the civil and environmental engineering students who pioneered the first College of Engineering-sponsored study abroad in Urbino, Italy, this fall semester.
“The goal of the Urbino study abroad is to promote collaborative and professional multidisciplinary project-based learning,” said Heather Shipley, department chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Burzik Professor in Engineering Design Associate Professor. “The students take a total of 12 credits and have the chance to apply and implement all of the things they learned at UTSA in Italy into their final senior design project and presentation.”
Nine students took part in the trip to Urbino, which is located in the Marche region in Italy, about one hour from the coastal city of Pesaro. The walled city is a World Heritage Site and is known for its legacy of independent Renaissance culture, picturesque cobblestone streets, and Medieval vibe. The University of Urbino is located within the city walls, with its buildings seamlessly blending into the surrounding architecture. Close to 14,000 Italian students are enrolled at the university and attend classes in the city center, while the UTSA students have their classes outside of the city walls at a smaller campus where there are facilities dedicated solely to UTSA study abroad.
“The overall experience has been great,” said senior civil and environmental engineering student Travis Lung. “Learning the Italian code has been amazing. And being able to see all this history, that is something that you just can’t get in the United States. The Romans have been building for thousands of years, and for us to get that exposure and see what they have developed, it shows us that the things we do today aren’t much different than what they knew back then. It’s pretty incredible.”
Travel played a large part in all of the students’ lives in Italy; there were university-led, in-country trips every week. The students also had the opportunity to travel on their own to places all throughout Europe including Germany, England, France, Norway, and Amsterdam, just to mention a few.
“My favorite thing about studying abroad in Italy is the cultural immersion,” said senior civil and environmental engineering student Ricardo Del Rio. “It is unreal how much of a difference this makes in my life and my view of the world. Enjoying and learning the ways of other people, how they are, and how they think. The way they live, it has been a life-changing experience.”
The UTSA College of Architecture, Construction and Planning, and the UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts have been sending students to study in Urbino since 2011. “I believe that study abroad is an extremely important piece of a college education, so when I was approached by Dean John Murphy about teaming up with his existing study abroad program, I was thrilled,” said JoAnn Browning, dean of the College of Engineering. “I was able to witness first-hand the impact of the Urbino program on architecture students, and I knew that our engineering students would greatly benefit from the expansion of mind from the cultural experience, as well as the interdisciplinary nature of the senior design projects and learning from European engineers using the Eurocode.”
Leadership in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has been working with the nine engineering seniors over the past two years, making sure that their coursework would line up and that they would graduate on time. UTSA Civil Engineering Professor Jose Weissmann and Assistant Professor Auturo Montoya both traveled to Italy to teach required civil engineering coursework. Additionally, the students worked with Italian professionals in the classroom for both Italian language and construction management classes. The students also had in-country program managers that they could depend on when facing any challenges during their time abroad.
Though all the students said they learned a lot in the classroom, a lot of learning went on outside the classroom as well.
“I have always lived at home with my family,” said senior civil and environmental engineering student Rogelio Ondarza. “Here in Italy, I get to be on my own, wander around. I have to adapt and figure out things on my own for myself, and I like that. I have the chance to immerse myself in a culture that is amazing. I am from Mexico, but I was in an English school so I didn’t run into a language barrier when I moved to America. Now over here, that was something else. I like the struggle, and we were lucky enough to find friends who are willing to help us out. We help them learn English and Spanish, and they help us learn Italian. I have forged really good new friendships. Plus, the fact that we are able to visit other places and travel as much as we have in Europe to get to know new things is fantastic. This study abroad is an amazing opportunity that I would definitely recommend to other people.”
—Story and Photography by Deborah Silliman
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