Abstract
Professor Kumpaty provided unique opportunities to Milwaukee School of Engineering Undergraduate Engineering Students to conduct materials research in summers at excellent research centers in India and South Africa through both International Research Experiences for Students Site, OISE-1001605 (2011–2013) and Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site International component, EEC-1460183 (2015–2017) funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Through current NSF Scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (S-STEM) grant, DUE-2027632, two undergraduate mechanical engineering students spent six weeks at Stellenbosch University near Cape Town, South Africa on the first-ever STEM Scholar research initiative abroad. The seeds of this collaboration with Professor Natasha Sacks in South Africa started in 2017 and various challenges for an opportunity for a pilot study were overcome and many lessons have emerged from the successful implementation in 2023. Students worked on Design and Analysis of Lattice Structures in a Racing Bike Stem and presented both orally and in a poster session at both institutions.
MSOE received its first-ever S-STEM grant in 2020 which supports academically talented but financially challenged students. PI Kumpaty has been connecting STEM scholar cohorts with industry for internships and guiding them in securing REU positions at various universities in the U.S. The thought of research abroad has been a difficult idea for scholars to embrace while they were trying to settle down in their coursework and strive for academic success. In the meantime, Kumpaty and Sacks have collaborated on the research areas and logistics for U.S. undergraduate students to participate in a pilot study, for a few years. In Spring 2023, several MS Teams sessions were conducted to meet students interested in attending Stellenbosch University as a Research Affiliate. Various logistical details will be provided in the paper to highlight the preparation needed to establish viable programs for international collaboration.
The impacts of this global and cultural immersion are manifold. Participants have an appreciation for working with engineers and scientists and meeting with people of South Africa. The faculty are impacted as well in terms of our resources and pedagogies in training and developing the future STEM workforce. Overall, we find global perspectives to aid excellence in engineering education.
