Castles and Coastline: Eight SEAS students go to Wales for inaugural study abroad program

Students in the Swansea-UB exchange program in front of Caerphilly castle in Wales.

Students in front of Caerphilly Castle, a medieval  fortification in Caerphilly in South Wales. From left are: Daniel Cannon, Leo Chen, Peter Bui, Eric Forrest, Alex Dunn, Anthony Destaso, Sakib Ahmed and Emily Segelhurst.

by Nicole Capozziello

Published September 25, 2019

Students from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences had the opportunity to get out of the classroom this summer, traveling to the coast of Wales for the inaugural year of the Swansea Study Abroad program.

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“This program gave me the chance to travel to an amazing new country and experience a new culture while also furthering my education. It is the highlight of my time at UB so far, and I know that it will remain as one of my favorite parts of my college experience.”
Emily Segelhurst, junior environmental engineering major

Eight students took part in the program, studying at Swansea University in Swansea, Wales, UK. The public research university serves 20,000 students at its two campuses in the coastal region of Swansea and was named the best university in Wales in 2016.

The students spent July 6-22, 2019 on campus, fulfilling the engineering requirement of EAS 360: STEM Communications.

“The experience exceeded my expectations and was extremely fun while being productive,” says Leo Chen, a junior mechanical engineering major. “It was my first trip to Europe and it didn’t disappoint.”

The course enables the students to fit a study abroad experience into the engineering curriculum, and lighten their workload by taking a summer course.

Kris Depowski O’Donnell, an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Engineering Education, and faculty lead and program coordinator for the trip, had been hoping to take this course abroad. Not only did it offer students the chance to take a class on a campus with Swansea’s state-of-the-art engineering facilities but it gave them the opportunity to learn about and experience the region and its culture.

O’Donnell studied abroad in the UK during her undergraduate years and still loves the region. “Students can partake in a wide range of experiences, from hiking along the rugged coastline to exploring ancient castles to attending Shakespearian plays at London’s Globe Theater.”

Students participated in visits to the 12th century site Tintern Abbey, Caerphilly Castle, and the Tower of London, and went hiking on the Gower Peninsula, known for its rugged beauty. Another highlight was seeing “A Midsummer Night's Dream” at the Globe Theatre during a weekend trip to London.

“This program gave me the chance to travel to an amazing new country and experience a new culture while also furthering my education,” said Emily Segelhurst, a junior environmental engineering major. “It is the highlight of my time at UB so far, and I know that it will remain as one of my favorite parts of my college experience.”

In addition to Chen and Segelhurst, students participating in the program were Sakib Ahmed, aerospace engineering; Peter Bui, aerospace engineering; Daniel Cannon, electrical engineering; Anthony Destaso, aerospace engineering; Alexander Dunn, mechanical engineering; and Eric Forrest, electrical engineering.