Global Experience

Bryan Hill
Global Experience Chair

Students majoring in Industrial Engineering who are interested in study abroad experiences are eligible to apply to the John L Imhoff Global Studies Endowment for scholarships.  These scholarships are designed to help defray the expenses for industrial engineering students while engaged in for-credit overseas study and/or overseas work experience defined as internships and cooperative work programs.
To be eligible for consideration, undergraduate students should be full-time students who meet the following criteria:

• Students must have completed a total of 60 credit hours at the time of their study abroad program.  Thirty of the 60 credit hours must have been taken at the University of Arkansas.
• Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.0
• Students interested in this program should apply directly through the Study Abroad Office.

As part of the application process the students will be required to write a one page summary of their proposed study abroad experience and explain how it will enhance their understanding of the global economy, global business practices and global cultures.  In addition to the essay candidates will be evaluated based on their academic merits with emphasis on performance in relevant courses.  Upon return, students will be expected to construct a brief PowerPoint presentation summarizing their experience.

¡Ven conmigo!
A recipient of the John L. Imhoff Global Studies Scholarship, Nathanael Harris completed a study abroad program in Puebla, Mexico during summer 2022. The experience abroad, he feels, strengthened his Spanish fluency and helped him become more adaptable and able to handle life’s challenges. Upon returning from Puebla, Nathanael plans to start his own business. He’s excited to begin his fall semester and looks forward to the challenge of entrepreneurship paired with receiving an education in industrial engineering. Nathanael is a junior from Springdale, Arkansas.

Adventures in Puebla is a detailed view of Nathanael’s experiences in Puebla.

To Germany and Back Again, an Industrial Engineer story

Alexander “Xander” Smith was a recipient of the John L. Imhoff Global Studies Scholarship. A junior completing dual degrees in Industrial Engineering and German, he was keen to use his scholarship to study in Germany. We caught up with him after his time abroad, before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was one of the few students who was able to complete his study abroad. Read his story here.

Maddy Suellentrop

My Semester in Sweden

Maddy Suellentrop is in Jönköping, Sweden during fall semester, at Jönköping University. She invites you to join her as she begins her first trip to Europe! She is eager to travel around Sweden and to other countries in Europe. “Stay tuned to see where I go, who I meet, and what I learn…”
You can follow Maddy’s travels here.

Brooke Larkin

Brooke Larkin – Abroad in Belgium

Brooke spent the month of May in Belgium at the University of Ghent. She blogged while there and shared her thoughts on the similarities and differences in how safety, sustainability, manufacturing, and continuous improvement are approached in Europe compared to what she had experienced in her internships at Tyson and J.B. Hunt.
You can read about Brooke’s experience here.

Christine Rheinberger

We are going abroad again – this time in Australia!

Junior IE student, Christine Rheinberger is spending spring 2019 studying abroad at the University of Newcastle in Newcastle, Australia. She has agreed to take us along with her as she travels and explores Australia. Click on this link to see the blog.

Matthew Walters

Matthew Walters Just Returned from Belgium!

Matthew is a junior, and recipient of the John L. Imhoff Global Studies Scholarship. He spent several months in Belgium and returned recently. Check out his travel blog here.

Donna Quedens

Life Down Under

Donna Quedens spent 5 months at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Newcastle is a coastal city just a little north of Sydney. Continuing her engineering coursework. She says, “I’m lucky that we have such an amazing exchange program that will allow me to study abroad and still graduate on time.” Check out Donna’s blog here.

The University of Arkansas and Walmart partnered on an engineering senior design project experience in Mexico

International experiences are invaluable and are becoming increasingly important to employers and universities across the country. The University of Arkansas enables students to gain international experiences through a range of study abroad programs and has seen tremendous growth in the percentage of students graduating with international experience.

In partnership with Walmart International, a group of four Industrial Engineering students, Adam Klausing, Kelsey Kraynik, Lucas Ivanovic, and Stephanie Bakewell, traveled to Mexico City as part of their international senior design project. The project scope was to help define routines and standard operating procedures for job roles in Sam’s Club stores in Mexico. The students had the opportunity to apply learnings from their coursework to a global project and gain professional experience in the process. Through leveraging their knowledge and learnings, they gained insight into the international operations of the world’s largest retailer while simultaneously delivering value to the organization.

The students created a video to share their incredible experience in Mexico. The video includes a short introduction on the project followed by a picture slideshow.