Student Profiles

Sample student profiles

 Cooperative and competitive game theory in Brussels
 Math is an international language, but she speaks French too!
 Astrophysics major explores mysteries of space and French culture
 Computing in a foreign language, understanding a foreign culture

(See overview page for important information on profiles and lists.)

Cooperative and competitive game theory in Brussels

Name: Ashley C. Undergraduate major field(s): Biochemistry, French, Computer Science minor Goals for her Paris Field Study semester:To work in a professional laboratory, learning how to use computational tools and informatics to help solve complex problems. Placement: MLB (Machine Learning Group, Free University of Brussels) Responsibilities as intern:  participate in a project on a new and useful subject for the laboratory  engage in objective preliminary research using software to analyze biological data  obtain a prototype and test samples  create an algorithm using cooperative and competitive game theory as a tool to examine protein interaction. Subject of research: Using Cooperative Game Theory to Model Protein Interaction. And... Her research findings represent a scientific advance and will be the object of scientific publication.

Math is an international language, but she speaks French too!

Name: Brenda D. Undergraduate major field(s): Mathematics Goals for her Field Study semester: Learn about the ways mathematics is used in other fields such as biology or agronomy. Placement: The Digiplant Laboratory for Interactive Models of Plant Growth and Architecture Responsibilities as intern:  Attend lectures and training sessions to become familiarized with tools for work, such as the computer platform and programs for digital modeling  Develop two models on two different scales and monitor their growth  Collect and analyze data from digital model Subject of research: Mathematical Modeling of Plant Growth And... After graduation, inspired by her experience abroad, Brenda decided to explore yet another culture and language, teaching at Shandong university in China

Astrophysics major explores mysteries of space and French culture

Name: Jillian S. Undergraduate major field(s): Physics and Astronomy Goals for her Field Study semester: To gain real research experience and improve her French, especially technical vocabulary for her field Placement: Astrophysics research laboratory Responsibilities as intern:  Participate in a research project for the cosmology group of a prestigious astrophysics laboratory, studying dark energy in the universe by analyzing data of various wavelengths from a satellite telescope  Build the data treatment tools necessary for detection of dark energy  Work on data sets from previous satellites, developing simulations and testing the method she devised. Subject of research: Integrating Planck and the Sachs-Wolfe effect: A new constraint for dark energy? And... Jillian continued her work in the field, completing a master’s degree in astronomy in bilingual Canada

Computing in a foreign language, understanding a foreign culture

Name: Danielle J. Undergraduate major field(s): French studies & Computer science Goals for her Field Study semester: TLearn how the field of information technology is approached in different language, culture, and work environment. Placement: Open-source computer services firm Responsibilities as intern:  Work with colleagues at a micro-enterprise to learn new programming skills and platforms to work with open-source Content Management System  Develop a complex website using the open-source Content Management System  Meet with various actors in the field, including other professionals and client for website  Research market for open-source operating systems and applications Subject of research: Change and Development in the Open Source Computing Market in France And... Danielle’s internship served as a step in the direction of her career goals—She now works as a software development engineer for Microsoft.