Electrical Engineering Students Dial-In from Denmark

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Sandoval

From left: Kaleb Crow, Stephanie Sandoval and Arman Ahmed.

Electrical engineering seniors studying abroad are not letting the distance delay their graduation. Dialing in from Denmark to attend senior design lab, and collaborating with group members in different time zones has added an extra level of education to the Integrated Design Experience.

The senior design lab introduces senior engineering students to subjects like leadership, entrepreneurship, project management, and product design topics. The lab culminates in a capstone project that showcases skills developed as an undergraduate student. While the lab is a vital component of the undergraduate curriculum, it is one of the reasons studying abroad as an engineering student often means compromising on the graduation date.

"I spent the last three years considering spending a semester abroad, but I just wasn't thrilled about the idea of pushing back my graduation date," said Isaac Kroger.

Isacc is one of six electrical engineering students participating in the study abroad program through Aarhus University. "When I heard about an exchange program for electrical engineering students that would still allow me to graduate on time, I was immediately eager to take full advantage of the opportunity." Isacc, whose team is designing a solar power station to mount on the rooftop of Harmon Garage, says the compromises were "well worth it for the opportunity to still graduate on time- even with the requirement of tuning in to class from nine to eleven some nights."

Kelly Cumiskey, who had planned to study abroad before she ever set foot on a college campus, was especially grateful to learn that she could do so as an electrical engineering student without giving up her graduation date. Kelly has also found the experience to be more applicable to real-life challenges.

"Having access to distance-learning classes has made me more responsible. I am part of a group and I want to hold up my end and be as much of a resource as everyone else in the group. I have had to meet at some pretty unconventional times but if anything, it's preparing me for real life situations if I work in a company that is worldwide". Kelly's senior design project is a collaborative effort between the mechanical and electrical engineering department. Her team is working to design a conveyor sorter system for Tyson Foods.

Kaleb Crow, whose team is working on a hardware control platform project, is finding the challenge of distance learning to be a new experience.

"While my education this semester is completely different from what I am used to, I am beginning to understand how to deal with the differences," said Kaleb. "Because my team is split across three different locations, we have to utilize the tools at our disposal to ensure that we can communicate our ideas and progress to the whole team."

Other electrical engineering students abroad include Stephanie Sandoval, whose team is working on an energy storage project, Darryonna Armstrong, whose project involves the design of a globally affordable baby monitor, and Arman Ahmed, whose team is designing an electrical substation sponsored by Black & Veatch.