Abroad as a Faculty of Science Student

A Q & A with second-year Medical Physics student and Engineers Without Borders 2019 Junior Fellow, Pursod Ramachandran.

Pursod Ramachandran, second from the right, in Kumasi, Ghana.

You probably hear a lot of science and engineering students say “It’s not possible for us to go on exchange” and a lot of the time – with a few exceptions – it’s true. But Pursod Ramachandran, a second-year Medical Physics student at Ryerson, still found a way to take his learning global by participating in the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) program

After six months of preparations, the FOS student headed to Kumasi, Ghana. The four month-long trip would require a lot of work – before, during and after – but would be well worth it. Curious to know more, we asked Pursod a few questions about his time abroad.

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Live in Labs – Surviving the Floods

By Michelle Fedorowich, 4th Year student in Social Work, Faculty of Community Services

“I spent the past month predominantly in southern India and survived one of the worst natural disasters in over 300 years to take place in the state of Kerala.”

More than 1 million people in Kerala were displaced into refugee camps, the navy and military in full effect, airports, railways, and roads closed throughout the state because of monsoon rains and landslides, with the death toll surpassing 300. Now that I’m home, settled, and trying to show this jetlag who’s the boss, it’s time to share stories. I will post more photos on Facebook in the coming weeks.

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#YesMan

By Kelvin Urbina, Undergraduate student in Chemistry, Faculty of Science

This past summer, I spent four months in London, England participating in an exchange at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, the University College London School of Pharmacy. During my time abroad I conducted research to create a drug delivery system to treat bovine mastitis, aka cattle mammary gland infections, in the nano-fabrication and dosage design form laboratory.

Inspired by the Jim Carrey movie Yes Man — about a man who, quite literally, says yes to every option that is presented to him — I spent my summer in London saying yes to opportunities and this attitude brought me nothing but happiness.

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My Summer of Science in London, England!

By James Burns, Graduate of the Biology Program, Faculty of Science 

My global experience with Ryerson began last summer after my 3rd Year when I travelled to London, England on a research experience with the Global Science Citizen program through the Faculty of Science. My placement at the University College of London (UCL) School of Pharmacy, UK, found me working with Dr. Shozeb Haider in computational modelling.

When I first arrived I was welcomed with open arms by a fantastic group of post-grad and doctoral students from across Asia and Europe. We found common ground in the School of Pharmacy as our home-away-from-home and a constant environment of high energy, passion, and comradery.

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#DiscoverDagoretti: RTA Community Engagement in Kenya (Part 3 of 3)

By Jessica Burtt, Undergraduate student at the RTA School of Media, Faculty of Communication and Design

Last February I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Kenya for the RTA International Development class. Our trip was in partnership with Amref Health Africa, an organization that has developed multiple initiatives in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia, to improve the health of people living in Africa through community empowerment and better health systems. During our trip we visited two projects, spending time with the local people to develop content for Amref’s social media, in hopes that it would increase awareness and encourage others to donate or volunteer their time.

Continue reading #DiscoverDagoretti: RTA Community Engagement in Kenya (Part 3 of 3)

#DiscoverDagoretti: RTA Community Engagement in Kenya (Part 2 of 3)

By Hannah White, Undergraduate student at the RTA School of Media, Faculty of Communication and Design

This past October, all RTA students received an e-mail about “RTA in Kenya” explaining that RTA would be offering an International Development course that winter, and as part of the course, the students would travel to Kenya and work alongside AMREF Health Africa, a medical relief not-for profit organization.  Students would create content for AMREF Canada while overseas.  

Going to Kenya had been a dream of mine since the 5th grade, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to mix my interests and my education!

Continue reading #DiscoverDagoretti: RTA Community Engagement in Kenya (Part 2 of 3)

#DiscoverDagoretti: RTA Community Engagement in Kenya (Part 1 of 3)

By Hayley Graham, Undergraduate student at the RTA School of Media, Faculty of Communication and Design

I’ve always loved storytelling, whether it be listening to a story or telling one. So, when the opportunity to take the RTA International Development course to work on a storytelling project for Amref Health Africa came about, I couldn’t let it pass me by.

Along with 6 of my fellow classmates and our professor, Lori Beckstead, I travelled to Kenya for 2 weeks in February 2017 to film two projects.

During the first week, we travelled outside of Nairobi to Magadi to film a documentary about Amref’s project, Alternative Rites of Passage on the topic of female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital circumcision.

Continue reading #DiscoverDagoretti: RTA Community Engagement in Kenya (Part 1 of 3)

Shedding Skin at Talking Bodies 2017

By Emma Dunn, PhD Student in the Graduate Program in Communication and Culture

As a PhD student, international conferencing can be intimidating. If you’re like me, when surrounded by brilliant minds in your field, you can often feel stuck somewhere between shameless optimism and crippling self-doubt. However, the recent conference I attended with the support of Ryerson’s International Conference and Research Support Fund (ICRSF) – Talking Bodies 2017 at the University of Chester, UK – helped assuage my uncertainties and increase my confidence as an emerging scholar. Continue reading Shedding Skin at Talking Bodies 2017

Conferencing in Thailand and Beyond

By Adel Alhalawani, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

 In March 2017, I received the International Conference and Research Support Fund (ICRSF) to travel to Thailand for an unforgettable global learning experience. My wife, Rania, came with me as well!

For the first week of our trip, we explored Bangkok, getting a taste of its people, food and culture. Soon after, I presented my research on new silicate-based bioglasses for orthopedic applications at the 3rd World Congress of Smart Materials hosted by BIT Global Inc. The conference was an extremely rewarding experience. I took advantage of various opportunities. For instance, sharing knowledge from the other side of the world, discussing possible advances in the field and making plans for future collaborations with leading innovators in the sector.

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