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Josie Bryk

Major: Animal Sciences

Project: Internship at the Oregon Zoo

"I've gotten a chance to do things that I didn't imagine were possible for an intern to do. For example, my first attempt at phlebotomy was on a Black Rhino named Pete who suffers from hemachromotosis, or, iron storage disease. He's trained to allow keepers to draw over 1,000 cc's of blood twice a week while he stands and eats apples. Without this continual blood letting, his organs would suffer severe damage and he would probably already have passed on. Some other highlights include traveling with the vet staff to take an MRI of a wolf suffering from seizures, observing and participating in training sessions for hippos and Colobus monkeys, and even grooming the giraffe with a broom. I've been keeping an account of my experiences in a personal journal."

Anjali Chavan

Majors: Political Science and Criminology

Projects: A summer enrichment program and internship in Washington, D.C.

"This summer I had not just one but two awesome opportunities to work in the nation's Capitol. From May-July, I was one of twelve students chosen from around the country to participate in the Charles B. Rangel Summer Enrichment Program, in which we lived and studied at Howard University in the heart of Washington D.C. Then I garnered an internship at the United States Peace Corps. Working in the Office of Special Initiatives, I helped to start the plans for the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps in 2011. This summer was a whirlwind of meetings with Congressmen and women, political appointees, as well as other interns who are also trying to leave their marks on the world."

Greg Delaney

Major: Architecture

Project: Study Abroad with the Knowlton School of Architecture

"Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Venice, Florence, Basel, and Munich--7 major cities and a hundred in between. This is how 35 Architecture students, including myself, spent the first five weeks of our summer! Led by Architecture Professor Jackie Gargus, this trip was a crash course in experiencing and understanding contemporary and historic architecture of Europe. Every day was an adventure. Entire sketchbooks were filled by the beginning of the fourth week! It was an unbelievable opportunity to experience what we learn and discuss in the Knowlton School of Architecture. Studying abroad at Ohio State not only offers students a chance to diversify their academic experiences, it gives them an awareness of the world, its people, and in our case, its architecture like never before!

Peter Lovejoy

College of Dentistry

Project: Volunteered dental services to homeless children in Mexico

"We saw probably about 200 patients in four days. We actually ran out of patients to see. It was amazing! We treated everything from routine cavities to extractions and things like that. Some of the children were a little bit afraid. For a lot of them, it was the first time they’d seen a dentist. There were kids whose parents kicked them out of the house when they turned a certain age because they didn’t have enough money to feed them anymore, young moms with little tiny babies. It really makes you appreciate America. We’d love to go back."

Charlie Rea

Major: Agricultural Engineering

Project: College of Food Agriculture and Environmental Science's agricultural study abroad program in the Czech Republic

"Exploring the historically intact Czech Republic has broadened my world view and input on agriculture. It was interesting to see the production and structure of agriculture in a country that is still settling from the outfall of communism. One of my best experiences was spending four days living within a Czech family. Some other great experiences included observing old town Prague, viewing Charles Bridge, touring castles, industries, and the countryside. While in Europe I was also able to travel to Italy, Germany, and Great Britain. However, both the country and the people made the Czech Republic unbelievable."

Heather Sweetser

Majors: Arabic and International Studies

"I won a Critical Language Scholarship from the U.S. State Department to study Arabic in Sana’a, the capital of Yemen. I had been to the Middle East before, but nothing prepared me for the beauty and congeniality of Yemen. It rains in the capital this time of year, and the main street turns into a river that children play in. The houses in the old city look like a fairy-tale land of gingerbread houses and colorful windows. And the weather in Sana’a is a pleasant 75 degrees all summer long. Talk about the perfect place to study Arabic!"

Adrienne Strong

Majors: Biomedical Science and French

Project: Medical volunteering in Tanzania

"My group of 12 students from all over the United States set up four clinics in two different regions of Tanzania, Africa. We were able to serve over 1,000 patients in these four days. The rest of the time we conducted village triage to collect demographic information. We also assessed the needs of the people that would be coming to our clinics. It was an incredible experience that was eye-opening and helped affirm my ambition to become a doctor and work in Africa."

Noel Voltz

Major: African American and African Studies

Project: Researching her honors thesis in New Orleans, with the help of a university-funded research grant

"The highlight of my summer was my two week trip to Louisiana to conduct research for my thesis, 'Black Female Agency and Sexual Exploitation: Quadroon Balls and Plaçage Relationships,' which is a historical study of free women of color in Antebellum New Orleans. While in New Orleans I was able to perform archival research as well as absorb the contextual environment of the legendary Quadroon Balls. I am still trying to make my way through the mountains of materials I collected. My next big adventure is to learn French so that I can understand more of the documents."

Amanda Wincek

Major: Anthropology

Project: Building a preschool in Malawi

"I went to Malawi to build a preschool along with two other OSU students, Matt Clayton and Malcolm Cunningham. We lived in a village in Thoza, Malawi, for a month while we built a new three-classroom block for students of the Temalechi School in Embangweni. We became great friends with the people of Thoza and Embangweni, learned a bit of the local language (Tambuka), and traveled around the country. We visited Lake Malawi, the Zomba Mountains, and Tanzania. The experience was life changing for all of us. We hope that this program will become a study abroad opportunity for other students in future years."

Matt Wohlever

Major: Biochemistry

Project: Independent biochemical research abroad program in Milan, Italy

"In addition to my research, I spent the weekends backpacking around Europe, immersing myself in various European cultures. My research advisor, Dr. Richard Swenson, has a colleague at the University of Milan who is conducting research related to our own at OSU. Dr. Swenson, The Honors Collegium, and the Office of International Education helped me to construct this one-of-a-kind program. This summer experience has not only allowed me to expand my research knowledge, but it also has given me an opportunity to observe the way different societies support and respond to scientific advancement."

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