Over J-Term, 20 CEC students went abroad on the Paper Engineering in Austria and Central Europe program, or P.E.A.C.E. for short.

Students had the opportunity to take three courses during their month overseas, and receive six credit hours. These courses were more experiential in nature than the ‘standard’ class, and included Global Perspectives and Paper Making.

While traveling between Austria, Germany, Slovenia and Italy, students visited different facilities along the way. In Graz, Austria, they stopped at Andritz headquarters, a manufacturer for machinery used in the pulp and paper industry. Then they went to Omya, a calcium carbonate mine for filler in paper, Sofidel, a tissue paper mill, and more.

Julia Poth, senior chemical engineering major with a paper engineering minor, says that the experience was helpful in finding different interests.

“Usually while you’re [in the U.S.], many people do internships. But you only get to see one or two [mills],” says Poth. “It was interesting to see how things are different in European mills.”

Along with technical exposure, the trip was balanced with visits to cultural sites, as well. Technical experts in pulp and paper manufacture and experts in the conservation of paper artifacts in museums provided demonstrations, lectures and tours.

Dr. Steven Keller, organizer and lead faculty member of the program, explains why P.E.A.C.E. was so beneficial to the group.

“It provided a comprehensive exposure to all aspects of the pulp and paper process, in one of the leading regions of manufacturing in the world,” said Dr. Keller. “[They] were able to move across the region as a team, sharing the experience with each other, while having the freedom to explore individual interests.”

For more information on CPB study abroad opportunities, visit the website.

By Jenna Calderón, CEC Reporter