Imperial College Exchange

Across the pond and swimming with the current (Reprinted from the UHP Report, Oct. 1997)

by Marianne Selkirk

By the time six Honors students fled the sweltering snug cocoon that is summer in Newark, to conduct research abroad for nine weeks, most were already aware that the London underground is not a political movement. However, epiphanies inevitably transpired in an environment which facilitated both writing a journal article and the involuntary exploration of Amsterdam at 2 a.m.

Envisioned in February 1986, the Imperial College/University of Delaware Undergraduate Research Exchange Program is the result of a partnership spearheaded by Dr. Joan Bennett, director of the pacesetting UD undergraduate research program, and Dr. Sinclair Goodlad, an engineering faculty member at Imperial College, a renowned British university of science, technology, and medicine. Its creation was a direct response to an honors student wanting to conduct research abroad who could not allot a semester for that purpose. In 1997, the program selected seniors Brian Hutchison, Jay Lesley, Ginny Thompson, Jill Trafton, and this author, and recent graduate Andrew Charnik to work at Imperial College, as well as five Imperial College students to conduct research at UD. Applicants to the program had conducted research for at least two years.

The basic appeal of the fellowship was encapsulated in Trafton's words: "I thought the program was interesting because it was a chance to see London and to gain research experience." Lesley also appreciated the opportunity to conduct experiments in microbiology, the area in which his senior thesis centers. The wonder of getting paid to go to London and do something out of the ordinary also did not escape notice. Upon arrival, differences in the character of English academic research were immediately conspicuous. Lesley and Thompson observed that the sizes of the research groups were larger than ones in which they, or generally anyone they knew, had worked in at UD. Also, "Everyone starts later in the day," said Lesley, "it was nice to be able to sleep in." How suitable the British work style is to research within certain disciplines, may be evident from two participants' disparate perceptions: "I was pleased that I was given my own project and a chance to be really independent," stated Trafton, who worked in biotechnology. Hutchison, an engineer, would have preferred "more goals and more direction. [But] I had an introduction to a different type of engineering [mining] that I may wish to pursue."

Program participation has traditionally spawned foreseeable repercussions, from publication in professional journals, to the awarding of advanced degrees, beginning after the first summer with Cathy Myers who received a National Science Foundation grant to work with Igor Alexander, an original faculty sponsor, on her doctoral degree. Lesley cites Imperial College as his first choice for graduate school though expresses dismay at the difficulty of securing funding. "But all the grad schools I'm looking at now are in big cities, so it definitely influenced me." Thompson, who will soon be published in the Annals of Cardiothoracic Surgery as a result of her work "definitely" will be back. "Not for grad school, though. I would live in Scotland if a company I was working for transferred me." Charnik became the first student to extend his contract with his advisor and defer graduate school admission as a result of his experience. In addition, for some, future study became clearer. Trafton, who would consider an exchange in graduate school, found that the experience helped confirm her desire to pursue a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry. Lesley appreciated learning many lab techniques which he hopes to apply to his thesis. The academic benefits of the exchange proved innumerable.

Access to the social and cultural opportunities provided by living in London--a large, diverse city of international character--was amplified by the program design, which allowed free periods. "Like most independent research, I set my own schedule and gauged it to spend sufficient time getting the results I wanted," asserted Lesley. "I met people from all over the world in my dorm, pubs, and clubs, and saw the sights of London." Each of the other students concurred, independently attesting to "plenty of free time," which was used to explore the London area, the northern Lakes district, Oxford, York, Brighton, Scotland, Ireland, Paris, Spain, and Amsterdam. They also spent time in pubs with lab colleagues, shopping, and at dance clubs. Thompson even regularly attended aerobics classes. Hutchison's favorite trip was to the Wimbledon tennis tournament. When asked about the three hours-plus wait in line, he contended, "It was worth it," having seen Martina Hingis and other famous players. Thompson preferred Paris where another UD student living in France showed her and others the better parts of the city, uncluttered by tourists. Lesley effused about Ireland's "friendly people and beautiful countryside", where Galway City hosted festivals every weekend and "the 80,000 residents were all between 18 and 25." Trafton derived the most pleasure from Paris where, "Even though I didn't speak any French, it was really fun. Part of that came from trying to guess what they were saying." Students' main regret was not seeing enough of London itself as the attractions of larger Europe beckoned.

Interactions with London residents occasionally provoked contemplation and amusement. "I usually met people through our residence or lab. Though we spoke the same language, they constantly chose words for different situations that I wouldn't have chose," remarked Trafton. "I picked up a few in my own vocabulary." Thompson remarked, "The little expressions that were different were overcome by explaining yourself better." Lesley related a story about trying to find a restroom: "It was the first day in my lab and I asked someone where the bathroom was. He couldn't understand why I wanted to take a shower. That night, I looked it up in the dictionary and found the word 'loo' which I thought was very British and I tried it the next day. The problem was that the next person I had chosen to ask had recently come to London from Iran and didn't understand until I tried 'water closet.'"

When students assumed trains ran on schedules similar to those in the U.S., they became stranded in Reading en route from Oxford to London and napped on the curb until daylight. Unfortunately, daylight wasn't always what it seems. The ferry to Amsterdam arrived about 2 a.m. "I thought things would open around 6 or 7 a.m. the way they do at home," stated Thompson. "But nobody started moving before 9. So we wandered around awhile."

More introspective observations about Europeans, and English people specifically, shattered currently accepted public perceptions. Hutchison was quick to note that his colleagues "were more personable than the stereotyped image of English people" while Thompson declared them actually "more accepting of different cultures and more liberal" than Americans. She attributed this to "the entwining of the European community." At the Notting Hill carnival, a traditional Caribbean/African festival, "White people were the minority but it didn't seem to matter. DJs were set up in the streets everywhere with people dancing behind the steel drum bands in the parades." She is convinced that "it is impossible not to become open-minded after having lived there awhile." Thompson also found the English more accommodating to health- and environmentally-conscious tastes. "Any pub had vegetarian items on the menu." Lesley stated that one of the best benefits of the trip was "making lots of new friends that I hope to keep in contact with for a long time. I miss [their] openness. I found them generally more free-spirited and less conservative [than Americans]."

Incidental concerns focused on the cost of living, pollution--"people smoke a lot more," and accommodations. "I wished the dorms were in slightly better condition," confessed Lesley, "but they weren't really that bad considering how close we were to the center of London." Also, as a previous student insisted, "London is more expensive than you can imagine." Thompson and Trafton spoke about how ₤20 will buy only about $20 worth of products. In a country where the exchange rate is only ₤1 to $1.60, American dollars are very weak. However, the disadvantages shrink in the face of affirmations such as Bennett's: "It is an experience that any student who is going to operate in our international community should have." Also, the undergraduate research program fulfills a strong commitment to prepare and more than adequately fund each accepted student. Each year, a comprehensive handbook is updated "by previous students loyal enough to remember they promised," says Bennett with a hint of a smile. Sponsors range from Zeneca Pharmaceuticals to the undergraduate research program itself as a result of recent grants for expenses including airfare and an ancillary stipend to supplement that paid by the individual research groups at Imperial College.

When viewing their adventure in retrospect, the participants of the 1997 Imperial College/UD undergraduate research exchange program are unanimous in their overall assessment. "I feel like I did accomplish something meaningful," states Trafton. "My research started to work really well the last week and part of me wanted to stay on another couple of weeks so I could finish my results. I miss the chance to go out and do so many different things--the theater, museums, and exploring different towns and cities." Thompson also misses the convenience: "Whatever you're in the mood for, it's there." Lesley especially enjoyed the diversity of his surroundings. "I got used to seeing so many people from different countries. In my lab, there were people from Iran, France, Belgium, and Germany." Hutchison echoed the sentiment with the realization: "I was exposed to a number of different cultures that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to see. It was nice to be able to compare them." At least Lesley and Trafton were influenced to travel more extensively after this experience, believing that a large amount of time spent in one place is very revealing. The possibilities for the future have been expanded for at least six students by a well-designed multi-faceted research exchange program.