Ciao! My name is Rachel Thornton. I just completed my second year studying Chemical Engineering in the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering. I am also pursuing a minor in Chemistry and certificate in Sustainability. Outside of classes and being in the Honors College, I keep busy as the upcoming Head of Outreach in Pitt Society of Women Engineers (SWE), sing with the Treble Choral Ensemble (TCE), actively participate in Phi Sigma Rho Social STEM Sorority- Zeta Chapter and serve as a mentor in the engineering school’s Pink Panthers+ Mentorship Program. Despite my packed schedule, I love to read, be active outside, explore new places, try new foods and meet new people! Naturally, I thought studying abroad would be an incredible opportunity to further enrich my experiences.
Throughout the upcoming month of May, I will participate in Engineering Perspectives of the Renaissance and Sustainability: Florence. This unique program will provide an introduction to technological and engineering advancements of the Renaissance and place these within the artistic and sociological contexts of the period. I will understand the physics and engineering of the Renaissance through architecture, biomedical engineering and mechanical inventions. I am particularly excited to start learning how sustainability concepts were prevalent during the Renaissance and how they parallel to modern designs!
My enthusiasm for sustainability is what drew me to my selected program. When I learned of the existence of the Sustainability Certificate at Pitt and that this program counted towards it at the end of the last academic year, I immediately picked up a second summer job to start saving up the funds and applied in the fall. Going abroad is new to me, but I aim to learn how to integrate sustainable engineering practices into as many of my classes on Pitt’s campus as possible. I plan to additionally incorporate these principles into my upcoming fall co-op rotation with Avient Corporation. I am eager to broaden my perspectives about the world around me, build and foster a sense of global community and even step outside of my STEM comfort zone by taking a Renaissance art history course and immersing myself in Florence’s rich cultural heritage. I am so grateful to be a Martinson Elevate Scholar in addition to a National Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs (NRIEP) Scholar for this program, and this support will only allow me to further immerse myself in my learning.
There are still a couple days before I arrive in Florence, Italy, but I cannot wait to share my experiences with you over the next month! A presto!
