Academics

Student gets 'concrete' experience thanks to international opportunities

Penn State Harrisburg student Alice Zhang studies how adding recycled aggregates affects the strength of concrete. Credit: Penn State Harrisburg / Penn StateCreative Commons

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Alice Zhang came to Penn State Harrisburg from her native China because of the University’s excellent reputation in engineering education. She earned her master’s degree in engineering management from Penn State Harrisburg in 2015 and currently is pursuing a master’s degree in engineering science. But she returned to China this past year for a summer of research because of the excellent laboratory facilities she could use there.

That type of international cooperation benefits everyone, according to Y. Frank Chen, professor of civil engineering in Penn State Harrisburg’s School of Science, Engineering, and Technology. Chen set up Zhang's exchange with the help of two visiting professors from the Taiyuan University of Technology (TYUT), and has hosted seven professors from four Chinese universities during his tenure.

“Penn State becomes more visible, more recognized” through such exchanges, Chen said. “China is the number one exporter of scholars and professors. There are tangible and intangible benefits.”

Zhang said she has wanted to become an engineer since she was a child. She accompanied her father, a hydrologic engineer, when he inspected dams, and she was always good at math. She applied to Penn State to get a master's degree and to focus on structures.

“Penn State was my top option because of the strength of its engineering department,” she said.

She wanted to do research on the strength and performance of concrete after adding various recycled aggregates to it, hoping to create a new type of material that would also be more environmentally friendly. Taiyuan University has a large, well-equipped laboratory for that type of research and a new, fully-funded material development project that interested Zhang.

It took a year of planning to make the arrangements, she said. She worked closely with Chen and the two visiting professors, Associate Professor Yuanzhen (Jenny) Liu and Assistant Professor Wenjing Wang.

She said she knew no one when she arrived at TYUT, but somebody met her at the airport and university personnel arranged for her housing during her two and a half months there. She soon met students from all over the world, and became friends with one from Australia.

“It was a really good opportunity,” she said. “There are different concentrations, resources and knowledge ... I felt more confident in my field. I got to know more people.”

Her Penn State Harrisburg and TYUT experiences complemented each other, she said. At Taiyuan, she could focus purely on her research. At Penn State, she not only learned more about structural engineering, she became part of the college culture. She helped out in the career center, assisting with the career fair and advising students on writing résumés and forging career paths.

“The professors and students are nice here,” she said. “I love it.”

When she graduates in May 2017, after writing up her research for publication, she hopes to work for a U.S. firm for two years.

“I have enjoyed the environment and culture of the University. Now I look forward to learning work culture,” she said.

Eventually she wants to return home “because I miss my mom and dad,” she said.

Chen would like to encourage more exchanges, although developing them can be time consuming. Academic standards can be quite different between the two countries. It takes support from the top administration down, which Penn State has, he said.

“We have to ask: Are the courses equivalent to ours?” he said. “It can be hard to evaluate. It's complicated.”

The faculty exchanges have benefited him too, said Chen. His knowledge of more advanced structural engineering techniques in the U.S. has earned him invitations to make presentations in cities throughout China. In turn, he has learned more about China's long-span bridges and high-speed railways.

Zhang recommended trying an exchange, if only for the memories. “It makes (your) path more colorful,” she said.

Last Updated January 18, 2017