Chuck Eggleton, professor and chair of mechanical engineering, has received a Fulbright award to teach two engineering courses and conduct research at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia during the fall 2017 semester. Eggleton will work with Colombian Mechanical Engineers and biophysicists to research cellular adhesion, and will utilize the wind tunnel facility at the Universidad de los Andes for research using Particle Image Velocimetry. He also hopes to develop a study abroad program for UMBC students to travel to Colombia to expand their research in the future.
“This will be a life-changing experience for me and my family,” he says. “I am grateful to UMBC for making this opportunity possible.”
While in Colombia, Eggleton will teach global engineering to undergraduate students and fluid mechanics to graduate students. UMBC’s Marc Zupan, associate professor of mechanical engineering, has previously taught global engineering concurrently to students at UMBC and the Universidade do Porto in Portugal, giving the students a chance develop their cross-cultural communication skills and better understand how to work with international colleagues to solve engineering problems on a global scale. Eggleton will collaborate with Zupan to bring the course to South America for the first time, and teach the course on three different continents at the same time.
“This is an exciting time to be in Colombia,” Eggleton says. “I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues at UMBC and Universidad de los Andes to create global engineering opportunities for American and Colombian students.”
In addition to Eggleton’s award, UMBC announced in June that seven recent graduates will pursue Fulbright teaching and research fellowships around the world during the 2017-2018 year, from Germany to Malaysia.
Banner image: Chuck Eggleton. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.
Tags: COEIT, Fulbright, International Stories, MechE
