乔·加维
当Erem Ujah，一位生物医学工程学者 bet8体育娱乐入口生物电子学中心, 抵达开普敦, 南非, for the World Engineering Education Forum and 全球 Engineering Dean Council, 他说:“他不知道会发生什么.”
He and the rest of the ODU group that made the trip came away with an unforgettable experience.
“It was very inspiring,” said Ujah, who was born in Nigeria but had never been to 南非. “这就像，‘还有更多的东西要来.’ I could travel to more places and do more fun things like this. 这不仅仅是我的基础.”
Ujah是八个博士之一.D.-跟踪ODU的学生 研究生 研究 Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (G-RISE) 程序谁做了这次旅行. Jaylynn Anasco, 克里斯托弗Animashaun, Alexander Hunt and 马库斯东方国家的人 are also biomedical engineering students. 内森荷兰(机械工程)也加入了他们, 蕾拉拉沙德 (biomedical sciences) and 布莱恩•汉森 (computer science).
ODU的G-RISE项目, 哪所学校在2021年接收了第一批学生, 旨在增加攻读博士学位的学生的多样性.D. 生物医学研究相关学科学位.
Gymama屠杀, 生物电子学中心主任, said the trip was part of a collaboration with the University of Maryland, 巴尔的摩县, 以及加州大学, 戴维斯, 叫做全球承诺工程学院联盟, 旨在增加STEM领域的少数族裔人数. 杰米·古尔加努斯教授和多元化副校长, Equity and Inclusion Renetta Tull lead the efforts at UMBC and UC 戴维斯, 分别.
斯劳特从她的导师那里得知了这次会议, 珍妮特·拉特里奇, 副教务长兼研究生院院长, 并与ODU合作 全球参与中心 她正在为这次旅行寻找资金. 生物电子学中心和 研究生院 also provided financial support for the program’s first international trip. 他们11月离开的。. 25日返回. 3.
“大多数少数族裔学生都没有离开过美国.S.更不用说去过非洲了。”斯劳特说. “带他们去开普敦的机会真的很令人兴奋. 我觉得我必须尽我所能把他们带到那里.”
乌贾和霍兰德是捐赠的10名学生之一 Three-Minute-Thesis-style 会议上的发言.
荷兰, whose research focuses on biomechanics – specifically using machine learning to try to predict lower-extremity activity levels – knew he would be presenting at the conference. Ujah, who is working on developing ultra-sensitive biosensors that would detect prostate cancer in less-invasive ways than current methods entail, 没有. 斯劳特鼓励他在职位空缺后出席.
“这绝对很有趣，”乌贾说. “你必须谈论背景, 你想要做什么，并在三分钟内传达一切.”
“那是很大的压力，”霍兰德补充道.
The students made many valuable and meaningful connections at the conference.
Hanson met an employee at the hotel where the students stayed whose 8-year-old niece had diabetes.
“我不敢相信这就是他们的现实，”汉森说. 我告诉了他更多我的个人研究, which aligned to the disparity that his niece was experiencing with diabetes, and he felt a sense of hope to know that someone was aware of this problem and was developing a solution.”
乌亚联系了卡琳·沃尔夫, engineering teaching and learning advisor at Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, and they discussed the possibility of his returning to 南非 for an internship this summer.
Rashad met a UMBC student “who is conducting research similar to my own in working with a microorganism.”
霍兰德遇到了斯蒂芬妮·亚当斯, dean of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Texas at Dallas and former dean of ODU’s Batten School of Engineering and 技术.
He attended her presentation on strategic planning, which was primarily intended for deans.
“I was very participatory in her session; she even started to call on me by name because of my feedback,他说. “At some point she said something to the effect of, ‘and we have a future dean sitting amongst us.’ Her comment hit me in a direct way; I was not expecting it. But I left knowing that I want to do high-level academic administrator work like a dean in my career.”
He added that UMBC faculty and staff suggested he consider seeking a job there after he graduates in December.
伴随着会议, the students raved about experiencing the culture and scenic beauty of 南非.
他们称南非文化多样化. 居民说11种语言，但很多人说英语. They tried variations of food from around the continent, including ostrich.
“I gained a lot of knowledge from this conference and enjoyed Cape Town’s various attractions in entertainment, 食物和购物,拉沙德说.
那里的景色非常壮观.
“As I ate the food from local restaurants and viewed the sights of high-rising mountains that transitioned into beautiful beaches and the ocean, I felt like I had the best of everything I could have imagined that a single environment could offer,汉森说.
荷兰 described going to the Cape of Good Hope and being able to see where the currents from the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet, ,看到 非洲企鹅这是一种濒临灭绝的物种. Ujah recalled a hike he and UC 戴维斯 students took up 3,563-foot 桌山.
“When we got close to the top of the mountain – such silence,” Ujah said. “这是我以前从未有过的感觉. 我感到很平静.”
不过，这并不完全是一种陌生的感觉.
“It was interesting because even with all of the landscape and the history there, 也有一种西方化的感觉,霍兰德说。. “So, it could remind you of America, but they still have their own distinguished culture.”
也许伊斯特林最好地总结了这次旅行.
“Every aspect of our visit added up to a once-in-a-lifetime trip that I will always remember incredibly fondly,他说. “I am forever grateful for that wonderful opportunity to network and otherwise professionally develop myself, 去看看美丽的南非.”
那么，还会有另一次旅行吗?
“嗯，我们必须这么做，”斯劳特说. “我想我们每年都在这么做. 我们开始了一个传统.”