Several students shared with us a bit about their international experiences this spring and summer. Many were also visited by Dr. Berka during the month of July. Scroll through the postcards to learn more about where students have interned and what they have learned while abroad.

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Franny Duong & Julie DesAutels

Majors: Biomedical / Ocean Engineering & Chinese IEP students
Activity: Huayu BEST Summer Program at our exchange partner Tunghai University in Taiwan from June 20 to August 1, 2025

We were privileged to receive the opportunity to travel and study in Taiwan this summer thanks to the support of our professors and staff as well as the generous Hasbro Scholarship. During our time abroad we have gained so much cultural experience and linguistic knowledge both in the classroom and traveling around the country. While in this program we have not only connected with other students traveling from across the globe, but also peers in Taiwan who shared what they loved most about the country with us, from shopping malls to mahjong and everything in between.

Some of the highlights included our program outings to the National Taichung Theater and to the Gaomei wetlands (高美湿地 – we are obsessed with how pretty it was!), sightseeing in Nantou at Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) and the HoHoCha Tea Factory, and meeting up with Taiwanese language buddies and other program-mates as part of an organized crosscultural peer experience. On our free day, Franny took the high speed rail to Taipei to visit the Taipei Zoo, which featured a broad range of cool animals such as red pandas, arctic penguins and pangolins. While Franny was at the zoo, Julie went to visit the hometown of her friend and teacher Hsieh Laoshi in Xiao LiuQiu (小琉球) Island to learn about local life and experience the Taiwanese home life complete with a family-style hotpot dinner. And we are also excited to share that after 75 dedicated hours of language learning, classes were passed with flying colors by all four URI students participating in the program!

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Katie Aaronson

Majors: Ocean Engineering & Spanish
Internship Location: IHCantabria in Santander, Spain

For the past five months, I have been working at the IHCantabria as a part of the Coastal Engineering and Management Group. My primary focus here has been the testing and documentation of the IH’s Shoreline Evolution Tools (IH-SET), a software designed to predict shoreline evolution through a compilation of process-based empirical models derived from scientific literature. Additionally, I support the CoastSnap citizen-science project, through which visitors of Santander’s most popular beaches can submit photos to our team to help track local shoreline evolution. These projects called for me to develop my knowledge of shoreline monitoring and modeling while working with Python and MATLAB, ultimately expanding my understanding of coastal processes, project management, and coding. At the IHCantabria, I have also had the privilege of traveling on a flexible schedule and working alongside an international team of engineers, helping me to improve my Spanish and develop cultural competencies. Overall, this internship abroad has provided me with global connections and technical skills that will benefit me throughout my career. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have worked at the IHCantabria and I am excited to share my experience as an IEP ambassador this upcoming year.

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Alexi Andresky & Matthew Tibbits

Majors: Electrical Engineering & German/ German International Computer Science Program
Internship Location: Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen, Germany

Alexi: I worked on validating the position of wiring harnesses in vehicles using photogrammetry, a method that generates 3D models from photos. After capturing images of specific vehicle components, I processed them into 3D scans and aligned them with existing CAD models. This alignment was originally done manually, but I focused on improving and automating this process. Using an open-source tool, I developed a user-friendly interface that allowed for easier positioning of scan data by applying point cloud alignment techniques. My experience at Mercedes-Benz provided me with valuable insights into the automotive industry and the broader state of the industry amidst a rapidly changing global environment. Working at Mercedes has created a strong sense of independence in me, and I feel well equipped to navigate the current competitive job market. I would highly recommend to anyone unsure about going abroad to go for it. It challenges you to step out of your comfort zone, creates personal growth, and often leads to unforgettable memories.

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Ethan Carpio, Daniel Ginsburg & Bert Moklebust

Majors: Mechanical Engineering (x2)/ Chemical Engineering & German Internship Location: Bosch in Feuerbach, Germany

Ethan: In my internship, I conducted hardness and scratch test measurements
on various soft materials using the Advanced Surface Mechanics Universal Nanomechanical Tester. I also developed Python script to automatically generate
graphs of output data from hardness and scratch tests to speed up data analysis, as well as to help team members analyze X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data. Finally, I conducted coating delamination tests on samples in an ultrasonic bath using hydrogen peroxide.

Being in Germany has impacted my life in many ways, largely due to the fact that I was able to meet many cool people from around the world. I made great friends here, which led me to travel to different countries where I was able to see the cultures of my new friends firsthand! Within Germany I also had the opportunity to become friends with local people through my internship and at university. This allowed me to socialize while also practicing German language skills.

Daniel: I had the opportunity to work under two different employees at Bosch, allowing me to have a wider view into what working at Bosch looks like. With one, I started out working with SolidWorks, then quickly moved into work with MatLab and Python in data analytics. For the other, I helped run tests using the Autosorb, a machine that measures adsorption of nitrogen in materials. This also involved the use of Python and other software specific to the Autosorb.

Joining the IEP was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It allowed me to go places and see things I don’t know if I would have ever seen otherwise. I have been able to become a better person and a better student because of it. I may not have been able to do all the things I set out to do, but I am motivated now to see it all through. Hopefully in the future I will have the opportunity to come back and work in Germany again, or even a company’s location in the US. I think it is extremely important to go and experience how other people live their lives, especially in times like these when the world feels a little closed. I’ve learned so much about the German education system, professional life and how to live in a variety of places.

Bert: While working at Bosch in Stuttgart, I’ve gotten a large variety of experience while handling numerous different responsibilities. As a part of a team testing the early stages of life of a hydrogen fuel cell, I have worked to write and debug code, create a comprehensive overview graphic to monitor test station parameters in real time, and performed hands-on assemblies of a test bench and multiple flow assemblies. With this project, I’ve learned about programming as well as troubleshooting unexpected issues efficiently.

Studying abroad in Germany has truly been  an invaluable experience. German has been a huge  part of my life for nearly a decade and I am so grateful for the opportunity to finally experience the country and the culture, not only as a student but as a person living life from day to day. During this year I have been able to meet people from all over the world, each with their own experiences and perspectives, that have helped me to learn more about who I am. This program has given me the chance to leave the little town I grew up in and see the world, to see how other people live and I know that going forward, into my Master’s and my career, I will be a better person because of it.

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Jacob Cultrera

Majors: Chemical Engineering & German
Internship Location: Bosch in Feuerbach, Germany

In my internship at Bosch I contribute to their fuel cell project by assisting with post-mortem analysis of fuel cell stacks. I am able to learn and use a variety of different tools and analysis methods as well as hone-in my German language skills along the way.

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Ella Junge

Majors: Chemical Engineering & German
Internship Location: Siemens Healthineers in Forchheim, Germany

As a cadmium telluride sample preparation and characterization intern at Siemens Healthineers, I have gained ample experience in important characterization techniques, ranging from Scanning Electron Microscopy to Raman. While working here, I was tasked with an independent research project to determine the feasibility of reusing the containers that hold the cadmium telluride. Through this project I was able to independently use 5 different forms of characterization and implement my own cleaning process. Outside of work, living in Bamberg has been amazing. Bamberg is small and charming, I often describe it like a “German Fairytale”. But, Bamberg is also closely located to numerous exciting cities like Munich or Nuremberg and beautiful lakes like Chiemsee or Eibsee.

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Nathaniel Nichols

Majors: International Computer Science & German, Studio Art & Philosophy
Internship Location: BMW in Munich, Germany

At my internship at BMW in Munich, I’m working with my team to develop a shift augmentation pipeline, which uses a series of pre-trained AI models to shift the perspective of a database of images, which will be used as synthetic training data for future automated driving systems. I have been assisting with various tasks to improve the existing pipeline, including researching alternate AI depth estimation/completion models for use within the pipeline, investigating the possibility of shifting images at lower resolutions to improve efficiency, and various other tests and parameter optimization tasks.

Unlike some internships that consist of mostly small, menial tasks, my coworkers have entrusted me with tasks that make significant contributions to the development of the pipeline, and I have a lot of freedom to creatively choose how I solve the problems at hand. I’ve also appreciated the fact that, unlike some other teams at BMW, my team members mostly speak in German, which has afforded me a chance to regularly practice and rapidly improve my German skills. My time in Munich has also been a great time for me to integrate into Bavarian culture, expand my knowledge of German history through direct contact with significant historical sites, and become more connected with my German roots – and is a great home base to travel to other countries nearby as well, like Austria, Switzerland, and Italy.

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Matthew Vaudrain

Majors: Mechanical Engineering & German
Internship Location: IAV in Gifhorn, Germany

I am given many different tasks on a daily basis due to me having a part in several teams. I use a program called ASCET that is block based similar to Matlab SIMULINK where I can develop systems that allow the car to run efficiently. One of my projects was developing a system that would allow Volkswagen buses to operate better at higher altitudes taking into account variables such as oil temperature and air density. With the AI team I write code using Python that will support the development of these systems made in ASCET. Vehicle testing is self explanatory, we run tests while we drive the car to see what needs work.

Being in Germany for the past year has not only improved my professional life but also my personal life. The number of people you are able to meet from different cultures is immense. My number one piece of advice is to branch out, join a club, make friends in class and try to experience as much as you can. I live in a WG with other Germans and also joined a lacrosse team that has really immersed me in the culture. That being said, myself being in my fifth year means that I am going to start my career when I get back. Nothing will build your confidence in the professional world than hosting meetings, interacting with coworkers and talking to customers in another language. I feel now more than ever very prepared to jump into work when I return.

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Dakota Watjen

Majors: International Business Program & German, Supply Chain ManagementInternship Location: Evitado in Hamburg, Germany

My internship covered many different aspects of the internal operations at Evitado. This included creating marketing materials, BOMs, and handling purchasing for packaging materials. I was involved with packaging orders to be shipped to customers, maintaining and creating maintenance tickets, as well as conducting internal cybersecurity and manufacturing compliance assessments.

Going abroad was the most impactful experience of my life. I have been able to reconnect with old international friends, celebrate local festivals from Prague to Amsterdam, travel across the continent, and even tour Brussels and the government of the EU as part of my Gilman Scholarship. I met people from all over the world and learned more about their cultures, from celebrating Christmas in France to Vietnamese Lunar New Year traditions, and of course “Abendbrot” as well. It has not always been easy, but it has made me a better and more conscious person, and I will always cherish these memories, the people, and the adventures.

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TU Braunschweig Summer School Meet-Up

Dr. Berka paid a visit to TU Braunschweig to meet up with IEPers participating in a short term study as well as the German students and instructors who will be coming to URI this academic year.