Chemical and Mechanical Engineering students departed from Philadelphia, PA, earlier this month to study abroad at Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany under the guidance of Dr. Steven Wrenn, associate department head of the Chemical and Biological Engineering department and assistant dean of graduate affairs for the College of Engineering.
“It is a group – rather than individual – study abroad program. Being part of a group gives the students more confidence to explore the new culture and make more contacts with people there, said Wrenn.”
For the next 10 weeks, students will have the opportunity to participate in a hybrid program that will allow them to take a full course-load of engineering curriculum while studying internationally and exploring another country. Drexel students have also been given the opportunity to join Ruhr University students during some courses and in addition to traditional engineering coursework, students are working with Ruhr University faculty in directed research.
“It arose out of a research collaboration and continues to involve research as a central theme. A highlight of the program is that students participate in real research projects alongside German faculty members and German graduate students; this is the epitome of experiential learning. The research and classroom work complement one another, increasing the interest level and knowledge gained from each,” said Wrenn about the hybrid program.
Students will be working on a number of research projects ranging from the investigation of high pressure sprays by particle image velocimetry to extracting aromas using scCO2 and ethanol as co-solvents. To learn more about the program, click here.