MY STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE

Hi, my name is Karlie Daff, and I am a junior majoring in biomedical engineering. This past May, I had the remarkable opportunity to study abroad in Ireland for two weeks. This three credit hour course, titled Global Engineering Design, challenged me to apply the design process knowledge and teamwork capabilities that I have been practicing throughout my college career to a problem in industry.

I worked closely with a team of peers to address the need of a cardiac technician at a diagnostic center in Galway, Ireland. By the end of the trip, my team and I were able to deliver a prototype idea to the employees of our industry partner, Croí House. Being able to apply my engineering education and see the benefits of my design first hand was beyond rewarding. We also studied the ethics that pertain to the biomedical industry and how these principles may apply to global projects. In addition to the academics, the program left plenty of time for exploring and fun! In my short time there, I was able to visit cities such as Belfast, Dublin, Galway, and Cork as well as explore the Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, Giant’s Causeway, Guinness Storehouse and so much more. The pictures I took and memories I made in Ireland will be something I cherish for the rest of my life. I definitely recommend that all undergrads take the chance to study abroad. This tripadded a dimension to my education that I couldn’t have gotten otherwise, and it was one of the best experiences of my time here at Purdue.