FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Not all students have the opportunity to gain real-world experience through international internships, but Ben Putman, a biological and agricultural engineering student in the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, was fortunate enough to have that chance.

Through connections he made with his adviser and other professors, Putman landed an internship with Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, an industrial system that develops, scales-up and custom-manufactures bio products in Ghent, Belgium. During his two-month internship, Putman worked alongside Bio Base Europe staff on the production of biodiesel from waste animal fat and industrial fermentations.

"I spent a majority of my time in the laboratory where I would first attempt to repeat the reported results of a particular process given to me by my supervisor, which came to him from a client," said Putman. "Then I would design small-scale alterations in the process to achieve desired results, such as increased yields or decreased production time. After optimizing the process, I would then attempt to recreate that process on a larger scale."

According to Putman, it was a one-of-a-kind experience.

"Working with a bioengineering company in which I was entrusted to design my own alterations to processes, engineer them to large-scale reactions, using state-of-the-art equipment, all for multimillion-dollar clients is an experience that very few undergraduate engineering students ever have," he said.

Putman hopes his experience at Bio Base Europe is an example of his skills.

"The fact that BBEU is a foreign company whose employees consider English a second, third or even fourth language is a testament to my ability to handle complex bioengineering tasks in an extremely unfamiliar work environment, and still do exceptionally well," he said.

Putman's supervisor, Brecht Vanlerberghe, agreed.

"Putman showed a multidisciplinary background, which resulted in an excellent scientific collaboration," said Vanlerberghe. "In addition, he established a remarkable work power, resulting in numerous experiments. He is capable of analyzing the results in a critical way and making suggestions for further experiments."

In addition to his successes in the laboratory, Putman's character was also an asset, Vanlerberghe said.

"He was very cooperative, flexible and was able to work in a team," said Vanlerberghe. "He is very social and friendly, and has an excellent team spirit. We enjoyed and appreciated his stay at our facilities."

Although Putman enjoyed his internship and his stay in Ghent, he was still reminded of home. "The city reminded me a lot of Fayetteville," he said. "It was a college town with a thriving cultural center. However, bike travel is exceedingly more common, and the emphasis on music and the arts is much more prevalent in Ghent. Everyone was very friendly throughout the city."

Putman said the combined experiences of international culture and working at Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant have prepared him to meet the challenges associated with joining the workforce.

"The experience gives me a leg up on other candidates for potential jobs and also gives me the confidence to take on any task in any circumstance," said Putman said.

Experiences like Putman's are an excellent way to expand and develop skill sets, experience diverse cultures and gain real-world work experience.

Studying and internships abroad are a one-of-a-kind experience. Students interested in pursuing international internship opportunities should contact Leslie Edgar, director of the Bumpers College office of international programs, at ledgar@uark.edu.