Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology
Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology
Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology
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April 2011 Vol. 3<br />
THE JEROME FISHER PROGRAM<br />
IN MANAGEMENT & TECHNOLOGY<br />
M&T Abroad<br />
Abroad with Thuoron 1<br />
Immersion <strong>in</strong> Italy 2<br />
Liv<strong>in</strong>g and learn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> London 4<br />
Explor<strong>in</strong>g Hong Kong 5<br />
M&T down under 7<br />
Cultural explorations <strong>in</strong> France 8<br />
Swiss adventure with ETH Zurich 9<br />
The <strong>Jerome</strong> <strong>Fisher</strong> <strong>Program</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Management</strong> & <strong>Technology</strong>. 3537 Locust Walk, Suite 100. Philadelphia, PA. 19104. mgtech@seas.upenn.edu. (215) 898-4145.
Abroad with Thouron:<br />
Arts, Culture and Industry <strong>in</strong> Cambridge<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g the summer after my sophomore year, I<br />
had the opportunity to study abroad as a<br />
Thouron Fellow at the University of Cambridge.<br />
The Thouron Fellowship is a fully-funded twomonth<br />
program that offers eight very lucky<br />
Harvard, Yale, and Penn students the<br />
opportunity to take two classes, complete a<br />
research thesis on any chosen topic, and<br />
participate <strong>in</strong> several excit<strong>in</strong>g sem<strong>in</strong>ars with<br />
renowned Cambridge Fellows, all while liv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> one of most excit<strong>in</strong>g, beautiful cities <strong>in</strong> the<br />
world.<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce I take six<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
bus<strong>in</strong>ess classes every<br />
semester at Penn, I<br />
decided to use my<br />
Thouron Fellowship<br />
to depart from my<br />
Penn curriculum,<br />
tak<strong>in</strong>g classes on<br />
Gothic Architecture<br />
and Shakespeare. My<br />
Gothic Architecture<br />
class was a highlight<br />
of my experience, s<strong>in</strong>ce about 2/3 of the sessions<br />
were spent on field trips to Westm<strong>in</strong>ster Abbey,<br />
Founta<strong>in</strong>s Abbey, Ely Cathedral, and the many<br />
beautiful Gothic and neo-Gothic churches and<br />
colleges <strong>in</strong> Cambridge itself. While there I also<br />
completed a research thesis on Personal Equity<br />
Contracts (a topic <strong>in</strong> education f<strong>in</strong>ance), which<br />
served as a cornerstone for U + Capital, the<br />
entrepreneurial venture I co-founded dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
my junior year with two other M&T students.<br />
One of the most excit<strong>in</strong>g aspects of the program<br />
was attend<strong>in</strong>g a weekly Middle-East Foreign<br />
By Prateek Bhide<br />
Policy sem<strong>in</strong>ar with Sir Roger Tomkys, a former<br />
British ambassador to Syria, Bahra<strong>in</strong>, and<br />
Kenya. S<strong>in</strong>ce the foreign policy sem<strong>in</strong>ar<br />
doubled as a w<strong>in</strong>e tast<strong>in</strong>g sem<strong>in</strong>ar, I was lucky<br />
enough to sample f<strong>in</strong>e European w<strong>in</strong>es directly<br />
from the Cambridge cellars!<br />
The best aspect of my experience at Cambridge<br />
however, was def<strong>in</strong>itely meet<strong>in</strong>g the other<br />
students from Harvard, Yale, and Penn. All of<br />
the seven other students were study<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
liberal arts, so I often<br />
learned<br />
the most just grabb<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a p<strong>in</strong>t with one of<br />
them <strong>in</strong> a qua<strong>in</strong>t<br />
Cambridge pub. I<br />
developed life-long<br />
relationships with<br />
each of them and have<br />
become close friends<br />
with the two other<br />
students from Penn. I<br />
am tremendously<br />
happy that despite<br />
hav<strong>in</strong>g very focused<br />
career goals and be<strong>in</strong>g a part of such a rigorous<br />
program at Penn, I was still able to take the time<br />
to study abroad. I will always treasure the<br />
lifelong memories.<br />
Prateek Bhide is currently a senior <strong>in</strong> the M&T program<br />
(M&T’10) from Portland, Oregon. He is concentrat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> F<strong>in</strong>ance and <strong>Management</strong> <strong>in</strong> Wharton and Biomedical<br />
Science <strong>in</strong> the School of Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and Applied Science.<br />
Prateek’s extracurricular activities <strong>in</strong>clude M&T Club,<br />
Wharton Cohort System, Weiss Tech House Innovation<br />
Fund and his own education f<strong>in</strong>ance startup (U + Capital).<br />
Vol. 3 M&T 1
Immersion <strong>in</strong> Italian academics and society<br />
By Mauricio Aizenman<br />
with Universita Commerciale Luigi Bocconi<br />
I wanted to study abroad at Bocconi<br />
because it seemed to be the place where<br />
I would get the most out of my<br />
experience. First of all, I would be<br />
study<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Europe which I wanted to<br />
do because of my <strong>in</strong>terests <strong>in</strong><br />
understand<strong>in</strong>g how the EU is evolv<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
my lik<strong>in</strong>g of the general European<br />
culture, and the ease to travel to many<br />
new places. Additionally, I would be<br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g a new language while still<br />
tak<strong>in</strong>g classes <strong>in</strong> English (not need<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
take four language courses before<br />
go<strong>in</strong>g). As well, I learned that Bocconi<br />
was of the best f<strong>in</strong>ance and bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />
schools <strong>in</strong> Europe, and f<strong>in</strong>ally, I was<br />
correct <strong>in</strong> th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g that Italian culture<br />
would be welcom<strong>in</strong>g and a lot of fun.<br />
Courses I took…<br />
I took four courses abroad: European<br />
Economic Policy, Political Economics,<br />
International Project F<strong>in</strong>ance, and Arts<br />
& Cultures: Study of Television. The<br />
first two were my favorites. Both were<br />
taught by multiple professors (2 and 3)<br />
and they were all excellent. All had<br />
published works and were important<br />
scholars of the EU arena. European Econ<br />
Policy was mostly focused on the<br />
economic reasons for European<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegration and on where the process<br />
stands now; <strong>in</strong> Political Economics we<br />
analyzed different forms of government<br />
and then mathematical models on<br />
vot<strong>in</strong>g behaviors and policy creation.<br />
The other two courses were less<br />
<strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g but still worthwhile.<br />
International Project F<strong>in</strong>ance covered<br />
many concepts already seen <strong>in</strong> FNCE<br />
100 and was therefore very easy. The<br />
arts and cultures class was somewhat<br />
disorganized but had great content<br />
Vol. 3 M&T 2
appreciated by anyone curious about<br />
the TV <strong>in</strong>dustry.<br />
Where I was liv<strong>in</strong>g…<br />
I lived <strong>in</strong> one of the University dorm<br />
build<strong>in</strong>gs called Residenza Bocconi. It<br />
was located right next to the university,<br />
mean<strong>in</strong>g a two m<strong>in</strong>ute walk to any<br />
class, and fairly close to the center of<br />
Milan (fifteen m<strong>in</strong>ute walk). The dorms<br />
looked almost new and were very<br />
comfortable. Dorms were all s<strong>in</strong>gles,<br />
and every two shared a full bathroom.<br />
We were provided with bed sheets and<br />
towels, as well as a once a week<br />
clean<strong>in</strong>g service. The residenza was<br />
populated mostly by Italian students<br />
from other parts of the country, and<br />
there were very few of us exchange<br />
students. Most exchange students lived<br />
<strong>in</strong> Residenza Arco Baleno outside of<br />
Milan. Nonetheless, the Italians were<br />
extremely nice and welcom<strong>in</strong>g; I formed<br />
strong friendships and even went to<br />
stay at my friend’s house <strong>in</strong> Rome for a<br />
couple of nights. I met the other<br />
exchange students <strong>in</strong> class as well.<br />
Costs and travel opportunities…<br />
Rent was around 550 Euros a month and<br />
other expenses really depended on<br />
lifestyle. A university meal plan offered<br />
meals at four Euros each or you could<br />
go to local bus<strong>in</strong>esses and have lunch<br />
for about seven Euros. Most exchange<br />
students register with an organized<br />
social group and receive <strong>in</strong>vitations to<br />
trips and events as well as a<br />
membership card to get discounted<br />
entrances to clubs. Additionally, there<br />
are numerous low cost airfares across<br />
Europe that made it easy to travel<br />
almost anywhere. There are some mustdo<br />
spots <strong>in</strong> Italy as well that only<br />
require a day or two and a tra<strong>in</strong> ride<br />
(C<strong>in</strong>que Terre, Florence, Rome) and are<br />
spectacular. All that said, the Euro<br />
exchange rate can get pretty costly, so<br />
my advice is to buy many Euros when<br />
the rate is low – play the market!<br />
Mauricio Aizenman is currently a junior <strong>in</strong> the<br />
<strong>Jerome</strong> <strong>Fisher</strong> <strong>Program</strong> (M&T ’12) from San<br />
Jose, Costa Rica. He is concentrat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> F<strong>in</strong>ance<br />
<strong>in</strong> Wharton and Systems Science & Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> the School of Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g & Applied Science<br />
while pursu<strong>in</strong>g a m<strong>in</strong>or <strong>in</strong> Mathematics.<br />
Mauricio is also <strong>in</strong>volved with the Wharton<br />
Lat<strong>in</strong>o Club and The Castle (Psi Upsilon)<br />
Fraternity.<br />
Vol. 3 M&T 3
Liv<strong>in</strong>g and learn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the heart of London<br />
at University College London.<br />
I decided to go abroad because I have always<br />
wanted to live <strong>in</strong> another country and study<strong>in</strong>g<br />
abroad is a great way to <strong>in</strong>tegrate yourself <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
culture of any given region (s<strong>in</strong>ce it is generally<br />
easier to meet people at universities versus <strong>in</strong> real<br />
life). I chose University College London (UCL)<br />
because of its great location and the student<br />
life/culture. Academics-wise, UCL is one of the top<br />
5 schools <strong>in</strong> the world, so that is an added bonus.<br />
Because UCL caps the number of classes you can<br />
take per term at 4, you need to plan ahead/plan<br />
wisely to study abroad. In my case, I saved my CIS<br />
electives and my Globals/GenEds for UCL. I took<br />
COMP2007: Concurrent <strong>Program</strong>m<strong>in</strong>g, COMP2009:<br />
Software Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and Human Computer<br />
Interaction, DUTC1101: Aspects of the History of<br />
the Low Countries, and ECSH6001: European<br />
Dictatorships <strong>in</strong> the 20th Century. The work for my<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g classes consisted of several coursework<br />
assignments and a big test at the end of the year.<br />
My globals required 1-2 essays each and an exam at<br />
the end of term (ECSH6001 however has no exam).<br />
There are no midterms and much less homework,<br />
so dur<strong>in</strong>g the term th<strong>in</strong>gs are pretty relaxed, but<br />
toward the end of the year th<strong>in</strong>gs get hectic. At<br />
UCL, all exams take place <strong>in</strong> term 3 (May-ish) so if<br />
you are here only for term 1 you either don't take<br />
exams or take shorter/oral versions of the term 3<br />
exams. Also, lectures are not comprehensive so you<br />
are expected to do lots of outside read<strong>in</strong>g, but it<br />
was manageable.<br />
UCL is located <strong>in</strong> the heart of Central London<br />
(Zone 1) so there is always someth<strong>in</strong>g to do, a place<br />
to explore, people to meet, etc. The public<br />
transportation system was great, so gett<strong>in</strong>g around<br />
was super easy. I lived <strong>in</strong> Ramsay Hall, a catered<br />
By Danielle Jab<strong>in</strong><br />
dorm (th<strong>in</strong>k Hill with better food and bigger<br />
rooms) consist<strong>in</strong>g mostly of "freshers" (British term<br />
for freshmen) and study abroad students, which<br />
was very social and less than a 5 m<strong>in</strong>ute walk from<br />
campus. The downside of London is that th<strong>in</strong>gs are<br />
expensive, but there are def<strong>in</strong>itely ways to cut<br />
costs. For <strong>in</strong>stance, many stores offer student<br />
discounts (even the ones that don't advertise it--just<br />
ask), and there are several student pubs/bars right<br />
on UCL's campus which offer cheap food and<br />
dr<strong>in</strong>ks. Additionally, many restaurants offer<br />
discounted daily menus, and some clubs have free<br />
admission for people who arrive early, so even<br />
though th<strong>in</strong>gs tend to be expensive there are many<br />
ways to save through cheaper/discounted prices.<br />
Be<strong>in</strong>g right next to cont<strong>in</strong>ental Europe, London<br />
offers many opportunities for travel.<br />
Danielle Jab<strong>in</strong> is currently a senior <strong>in</strong> the M&T program<br />
(M&T’11) from Del Mar, California. She is<br />
concentrat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Real Estate and Statistics <strong>in</strong> Wharton<br />
and Computer Science <strong>in</strong> the School of Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
Applied Science as well as pursu<strong>in</strong>g a m<strong>in</strong>or <strong>in</strong><br />
Mathematics. Danielle’s extracurricular activities<br />
<strong>in</strong>clude M&T Club, Intramural Volleyball, Hexagon<br />
Senior Society and entrepreneurial endeavors.<br />
Vol. 3 M&T 4
Explor<strong>in</strong>g the Gateway to the East<br />
at Hong Kong University of Science & <strong>Technology</strong><br />
My desire to study abroad <strong>in</strong> Hong<br />
Kong was completely natural for me.<br />
For years I had been brew<strong>in</strong>g a keen<br />
<strong>in</strong>terest of Ch<strong>in</strong>a, the grow<strong>in</strong>g<br />
superpower of the East. And what<br />
better location than the economic center<br />
of the East for the past few decades:<br />
Hong Kong. The city provided me with<br />
an amaz<strong>in</strong>g blend of East and West,<br />
with its British presence still clearly<br />
noticeable. This mixture of cultures itself<br />
was fasc<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g all the while provid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
me with a comfortable situation which<br />
allowed me to truly appreciate the city.<br />
English as a national language allowed<br />
for sufficient communication, though<br />
there were several <strong>in</strong>stances where there<br />
were language barriers – but this was<br />
part of this unique experience. Hong<br />
Kong <strong>in</strong>troduced me<br />
to an amaz<strong>in</strong>g<br />
culture through its<br />
delicious cuis<strong>in</strong>es,<br />
landmarks, temples,<br />
its especially unique<br />
history, and even<br />
through us<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
most efficient<br />
subway <strong>in</strong> the<br />
world.<br />
Hong Kong<br />
University of<br />
Science and<br />
<strong>Technology</strong><br />
(HKUST) was the<br />
By Zuri Michan<br />
perfect university to attend as it was one<br />
of the lead<strong>in</strong>g schools <strong>in</strong> both<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and bus<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>in</strong> Asia. I<br />
cannot fully express how much HKUST<br />
resembled the structure of Penn – yet<br />
don’t th<strong>in</strong>k they are at all comparable as<br />
it was a truly different experience. One<br />
way I took advantage of this was by<br />
tak<strong>in</strong>g two eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g courses that<br />
were not available at Penn: one <strong>in</strong> Civil<br />
Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and another <strong>in</strong><br />
Environmental Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g. As a result<br />
of tak<strong>in</strong>g these courses, it gave my<br />
academics a clear focus which I would<br />
be able to cont<strong>in</strong>ue to study at Penn – I<br />
am currently major<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Infrastructure<br />
Systems Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g, largely due to<br />
these two courses coupled with the<br />
impressive <strong>in</strong>frastructure development<br />
October 2010 - Relax<strong>in</strong>g after a long bike ride to reach the secluded fish<strong>in</strong>g village of Sok Kwu Wan on<br />
Lamma Island, the largest satellite island of Hong Kong.<br />
Vol. 3 M&T 5
that has cascaded throughout Hong<br />
Kong, Ch<strong>in</strong>a, and the rest of the East. In<br />
addition to these two eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
courses, I treated myself to a psychology<br />
elective, while also tak<strong>in</strong>g a very<br />
<strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g and relevant course on<br />
population development <strong>in</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>a and<br />
its economic and sociopolitical effects on<br />
the country.<br />
One of my major objectives <strong>in</strong> go<strong>in</strong>g<br />
abroad was to create a network of<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternational friendships, especially<br />
Europeans. The cultural differences<br />
between the West and East, both at the<br />
university and <strong>in</strong> the city, provided for a<br />
very unique social sett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> which<br />
exchange students easily bonded. As a<br />
result, I can now trace friendships all<br />
across the world. Of course, I have<br />
notable friendships back <strong>in</strong> Hong Kong,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g my roommate who was a<br />
local student.<br />
In addition, go<strong>in</strong>g abroad has given me<br />
several opportunities already, especially<br />
as I can attribute my current summer<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternship to go<strong>in</strong>g abroad. I will be<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Europe, though my ma<strong>in</strong><br />
focus will be on the company’s market<br />
presence <strong>in</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>a. And while I am <strong>in</strong><br />
Europe, I now have several friends I<br />
hope to visit to relive those memorable<br />
experiences we had together <strong>in</strong> Hong<br />
Kong.<br />
Lastly, but perhaps most importantly,<br />
the abroad experience allows for an<br />
unbelievable ability to travel and to<br />
truly ga<strong>in</strong> a new perspective on the<br />
world. While abroad, I was able to<br />
travel to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam,<br />
S<strong>in</strong>gapore, and to an overwhelm<strong>in</strong>g<br />
amount of locations <strong>in</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>a <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
near-by Macau, Beij<strong>in</strong>g, Shanghai,<br />
Guil<strong>in</strong>, and Nann<strong>in</strong>g. Travel<strong>in</strong>g through<br />
Asia was perhaps as valuable to my<br />
experience as liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Hong Kong itself.<br />
My range of experiences <strong>in</strong>cluded<br />
stay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the rebuilt town <strong>in</strong> Thailand<br />
that was completely razed dur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
Box<strong>in</strong>g Day Tsunami, tak<strong>in</strong>g a 24 hour<br />
sleeper bus by myself to cross the<br />
border <strong>in</strong>to Vietnam, visit<strong>in</strong>g the tallest<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the world <strong>in</strong> Shanghai,<br />
see<strong>in</strong>g one of the most beautiful<br />
sceneries <strong>in</strong> the world <strong>in</strong> Guil<strong>in</strong>; this list<br />
does not do it justice. In addition,<br />
travel<strong>in</strong>g through Ch<strong>in</strong>a was truly one<br />
of the most eye open<strong>in</strong>g experiences – it<br />
was the only way to actually get a real<br />
glimpse of the country’s past, while<br />
provid<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>sight as to where it may be<br />
headed <strong>in</strong> the future. After see<strong>in</strong>g it first<br />
hand, all I can say is to hold on tight!<br />
Zuri Michan is a junior <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Jerome</strong> <strong>Fisher</strong><br />
<strong>Program</strong> (M&T’12) from San Diego, CA.<br />
He is concentrat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Operation and<br />
Information <strong>Management</strong> and an<br />
Individualized concentration <strong>in</strong> Strategic<br />
Behavior <strong>in</strong> Wharton and major<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
Infrastructure Systems Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the<br />
School of Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and Applied Science.<br />
Outside of academics, Zuri is a member of<br />
Pennchants (All-Male A Cappella group),<br />
Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity and the M&T<br />
Club.<br />
Vol. 3 M&T 6
that has cascaded throughout Hong<br />
Kong, Ch<strong>in</strong>a, and the rest of the East. In<br />
addition to these two eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
courses, I treated myself to a psychology<br />
elective, while also tak<strong>in</strong>g a very<br />
<strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g and relevant course on<br />
population development <strong>in</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>a and<br />
its economic and sociopolitical effects on<br />
the country.<br />
One of my major objectives <strong>in</strong> go<strong>in</strong>g<br />
abroad was to create a network of<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternational friendships, especially<br />
Europeans. The cultural differences<br />
between the West and East, both at the<br />
university and <strong>in</strong> the city, provided for a<br />
very unique social sett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> which<br />
exchange students easily bonded. As a<br />
result, I can now trace friendships all<br />
across the world. Of course, I have<br />
notable friendships back <strong>in</strong> Hong Kong,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g my roommate who was a<br />
local student.<br />
In addition, go<strong>in</strong>g abroad has given me<br />
several opportunities already, especially<br />
as I can attribute my current summer<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternship to go<strong>in</strong>g abroad. I will be<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Europe, though my ma<strong>in</strong><br />
focus will be on the company’s market<br />
presence <strong>in</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>a. And while I am <strong>in</strong><br />
Europe, I now have several friends I<br />
hope to visit to relive those memorable<br />
experiences we had together <strong>in</strong> Hong<br />
Kong.<br />
Lastly, but perhaps most importantly,<br />
the abroad experience allows for an<br />
unbelievable ability to travel and to<br />
truly ga<strong>in</strong> a new perspective on the<br />
world. While abroad, I was able to<br />
travel to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam,<br />
S<strong>in</strong>gapore, and to an overwhelm<strong>in</strong>g<br />
amount of locations <strong>in</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>a <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
near-by Macau, Beij<strong>in</strong>g, Shanghai,<br />
Guil<strong>in</strong>, and Nann<strong>in</strong>g. Travel<strong>in</strong>g through<br />
Asia was perhaps as valuable to my<br />
experience as liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Hong Kong itself.<br />
My range of experiences <strong>in</strong>cluded<br />
stay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the rebuilt town <strong>in</strong> Thailand<br />
that was completely razed dur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
Box<strong>in</strong>g Day Tsunami, tak<strong>in</strong>g a 24 hour<br />
sleeper bus by myself to cross the<br />
border <strong>in</strong>to Vietnam, visit<strong>in</strong>g the tallest<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the world <strong>in</strong> Shanghai,<br />
see<strong>in</strong>g one of the most beautiful<br />
sceneries <strong>in</strong> the world <strong>in</strong> Guil<strong>in</strong>; this list<br />
does not do it justice. In addition,<br />
travel<strong>in</strong>g through Ch<strong>in</strong>a was truly one<br />
of the most eye open<strong>in</strong>g experiences – it<br />
was the only way to actually get a real<br />
glimpse of the country’s past, while<br />
provid<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>sight as to where it may be<br />
headed <strong>in</strong> the future. After see<strong>in</strong>g it first<br />
hand, all I can say is to hold on tight!<br />
Zuri Michan is a junior <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Jerome</strong> <strong>Fisher</strong><br />
<strong>Program</strong> (M&T’12) from San Diego, CA.<br />
He is concentrat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Operation and<br />
Information <strong>Management</strong> and an<br />
Individualized concentration <strong>in</strong> Strategic<br />
Behavior <strong>in</strong> Wharton and major<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
Infrastructure Systems Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the<br />
School of Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and Applied Science.<br />
Outside of academics, Zuri is a member of<br />
Pennchants (All-Male A Cappella group),<br />
Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity and the M&T<br />
Club.<br />
Vol. 3 M&T 6
M&T down under at the University of<br />
New South Wales<br />
At UNSW (University of New South Wales), I<br />
took Fluid Mechanics, Mar<strong>in</strong>e Environment<br />
(natural science), Bus<strong>in</strong>ess Ethics (bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />
breadth or humanities), God, Life, the Universe<br />
and Everyth<strong>in</strong>g (humanities), and an<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternship at GE Capital (bus<strong>in</strong>ess breadth).<br />
Academics were great!<br />
I lived <strong>in</strong> Coogee <strong>in</strong> a 30-person house (Coogee<br />
Residence) about 200 meters away from the<br />
beach. I could see the ocean from my w<strong>in</strong>dow<br />
and hear the waves at night! Hous<strong>in</strong>g prices<br />
vary depend<strong>in</strong>g on where you decide to live.<br />
Many abroad students live <strong>in</strong> Coogee, however<br />
this makes it a bit more difficult to meet<br />
Australians. Liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the dorms on campus<br />
makes it a lot easier. Coogee is about a 25<br />
m<strong>in</strong>ute walk, or a quick bus ride, from campus.<br />
Over Spr<strong>in</strong>g Break, I traveled to New Zealand<br />
for ten days. I also went up and down the coast<br />
to a few spots over the weekends. Many people<br />
make it to Cairns, Melbourne, Brisbane,<br />
Surfer's Paradise and even the outback. When<br />
the semester ended, I traveled to Malaysia,<br />
Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia before<br />
return<strong>in</strong>g home. Travel<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Southeast Asia is<br />
<strong>in</strong>credibly cheap and gett<strong>in</strong>g there is<br />
surpris<strong>in</strong>gly cheap as well (as much as it costs<br />
to get to Cairns), so it's a great place to travel<br />
on a low budget.<br />
I chose UNSW because I have always wanted<br />
to see Australia and it's approved for Wharton<br />
and Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g. I talked to some people who<br />
By Kate Rohacz<br />
had done it before and they all absolutely<br />
LOVED it. I was also drawn by its proximity to<br />
Southeast Asia for the opportunity to travel<br />
after the semester's end. I am so glad I made<br />
the right choice. This experience has been<br />
absolutely <strong>in</strong>credible. I learned so much.<br />
Kate Rohacz is currently a senior <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Jerome</strong> <strong>Fisher</strong><br />
<strong>Program</strong> (M&T’11) from Shaker Heights, Ohio. She is<br />
concentrat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>Management</strong> <strong>in</strong> Wharton and<br />
Mechanical Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g the School of Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
Applied Science. In addition to her role as Practice<br />
Leader at the Small Bus<strong>in</strong>ess Development Center, Kate<br />
is also a member of the follow<strong>in</strong>g clubs and organization:<br />
Club Field Hockey, Club Lacrosse and Penn<br />
International Bus<strong>in</strong>ess Volunteers.<br />
Vol. 3 M&T 7
Cultural explorations <strong>in</strong> France<br />
via Penn-In-Tours<br />
Study<strong>in</strong>g abroad was someth<strong>in</strong>g I had<br />
wanted to do s<strong>in</strong>ce before I came to<br />
college. I love learn<strong>in</strong>g about new cultures<br />
and study<strong>in</strong>g foreign languages. When<br />
plann<strong>in</strong>g to study abroad, I considered<br />
both semester abroad and summer abroad<br />
options. The six-week summer abroad<br />
program Penn-In-Tours appealed to me<br />
because it allowed me to go abroad<br />
without <strong>in</strong>terfer<strong>in</strong>g drastically with my<br />
schedul<strong>in</strong>g; go<strong>in</strong>g abroad for a semester<br />
would have taken more plann<strong>in</strong>g on my<br />
part, and may have put me beh<strong>in</strong>d a<br />
semester.<br />
In France, I took two advanced language<br />
courses to fulfill my global requirements -<br />
one on the history of the region I was<br />
stay<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>, and one on the culture of<br />
France through media. Someth<strong>in</strong>g I really<br />
enjoyed was tour<strong>in</strong>g the chateaus I<br />
learned about <strong>in</strong> my classes. Tours is<br />
known for the many chateaus <strong>in</strong> the<br />
surround<strong>in</strong>g area that survived<br />
destruction dur<strong>in</strong>g wars. Also, the<br />
residents of the area are known for be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
very accept<strong>in</strong>g of foreigners; there are<br />
three or four summer programs through<br />
other universities as well.<br />
Another aspect I loved about my study<br />
abroad program was the flexibility to<br />
travel over the weekends. Every<br />
alternat<strong>in</strong>g Wednesday and Saturday, the<br />
program had a planned excursion to<br />
a chateau. The cost of these excursions<br />
was already <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> the program fee,<br />
but they were not mandatory. I toured<br />
By Sneha Deshpande<br />
most of the chateaus, but I also used some<br />
free weekend time to travel to Paris and<br />
Biarritz - the surf<strong>in</strong>g capital of France on<br />
the border of France and Spa<strong>in</strong>.<br />
However, the most enjoyable part of my<br />
trip by far was my host family experience.<br />
My host parents were professors of<br />
market<strong>in</strong>g and management at the<br />
university I was study<strong>in</strong>g at, and had<br />
three small children who helped me<br />
tremendously - both <strong>in</strong> terms of mak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
me feel welcome and also <strong>in</strong> terms of<br />
improv<strong>in</strong>g my French. My French family<br />
taught me how to set a table for a seven<br />
course meal (the French take their cuis<strong>in</strong>e<br />
very seriously!) and how to play the Wii<br />
<strong>in</strong> French. Liv<strong>in</strong>g with a host family<br />
allowed me to be fully immersed <strong>in</strong> the<br />
culture and language for the entire span<br />
of the program. Study<strong>in</strong>g abroad was an<br />
<strong>in</strong>credible experience I will always<br />
remember.<br />
Sneha Deshpande is currently a junior <strong>in</strong> the<br />
M&T program (M&T ’12) from Aberdeen, New<br />
Jersey. She is concentrat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> F<strong>in</strong>ance and<br />
OPIM <strong>in</strong> Wharton and major<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Materials<br />
Science and Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the School of<br />
Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and Applied Science. She is also<br />
pursu<strong>in</strong>g a m<strong>in</strong>or <strong>in</strong> mathematics and a<br />
certificate <strong>in</strong> French. Outside of the classroom,<br />
Sneha is <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> Circle K, Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g Peer<br />
Advis<strong>in</strong>g, Phi Sigma Sorority and the Daily<br />
Pennsylvanian.<br />
Vol. 3 M&T 8
Swiss adventure with ETH Zurich<br />
I wanted to go somewhere more foreign<br />
than the UK or Australia, but my<br />
language skills are not proficient<br />
enough to take courses <strong>in</strong> a foreign<br />
language. I knew that I wanted to go to<br />
Europe and ETH (Swiss Federal<br />
Institute of <strong>Technology</strong> Zurich) was<br />
centrally located with course offer<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
that would let me stay on track creditwise.<br />
This exchange is special because it is a<br />
partnership between the material<br />
science departments at Penn and ETH. I<br />
would strongly recommend this<br />
program to any systems eng<strong>in</strong>eers who<br />
haven’t done their technical or<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g electives yet. The materials<br />
department here has a great deal of<br />
overlap with their “<strong>Management</strong>,<br />
<strong>Technology</strong>, and Economics” masters<br />
program which offers a mix of<br />
bus<strong>in</strong>ess/eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g courses from an<br />
eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g perspective. I found it to be<br />
the ideal complement to MGMT 237.<br />
Off-campus hous<strong>in</strong>g is arranged<br />
through the school and will put you<br />
with dozens of other exchange students.<br />
The Erasmus Student Network is<br />
dedicated to throw<strong>in</strong>g events for<br />
exchange students <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g weekly<br />
By Michael Zhao<br />
pub nights and weekend trips<br />
throughout Switzerland. Swiss public<br />
transport is amaz<strong>in</strong>g and makes it easy<br />
to travel anywhere with<strong>in</strong> Switzerland.<br />
The fact that Switzerland is <strong>in</strong> the center<br />
of Europe makes it easy to travel<br />
throughout the cont<strong>in</strong>ent. Tra<strong>in</strong>s and<br />
discount airl<strong>in</strong>es make it easy to go<br />
wherever you wish.<br />
Michael Zhao is currently a senior <strong>in</strong> the<br />
M&T program (M&T’11) from Belmont<br />
Hills, PA. He is concentrat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> F<strong>in</strong>ance<br />
<strong>in</strong> Wharton and System Science<br />
Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the School of Eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and Applied Science. Michael’s<br />
extracurricular activities <strong>in</strong>clude Wharton<br />
Leadership Ventures, Penn Lions and The<br />
Tutor<strong>in</strong>g Center.<br />
Vol. 3 M&T 9