Hello everyone! My name is Nicky Starace and I am finishing up my first year in the Swanson School of Engineering. I plan to major in engineering science with an emphasis on nanotechnology due to my interests in photonics, lasers, and anything pertaining to light. Outside of school, I love the outdoors and spend a lot of my free time hiking and biking. When I’m not hanging with friends or doing work, I spend most of my time listening to music. My favorite genres are hip-hop and R&B. I chose engineering due to my innate curiosity for an understanding of how things work, and I always am looking for projects to build my own tools and gadgets.

At the beginning of May, I will be traveling to the Mediterranean to participate in Pitt’s Plus3 Cyprus program where I will gain exposure to Cyprian culture and learn about supply chain management and globalization. I chose the Plus3 program because I do not see many opportunities for engineering majors like me to gain global exposure in areas such as supply chain management that are usually associated with business education. Being able to work with peers pursuing business also offers me a chance to build a network with those not in the same field as myself. Aside from the professional side of the program, an opportunity to visit the beautiful island of Cyprus caught the attention of the outdoorsman in me. Between the cross-disciplinary nature of the program and a chance to immerse myself in foreign culture is the reason Plus3 Cyprus was perfect for me.

I also hope Plus3 Cyprus will give me some insight to my ideal job future. I plan to be working with others and hopefully managing a team someday, and this program will give me a chance to explore teamwork. Since I most likely will not have the opportunity to take classes in supply chain, I think Plus3 can provide me with a baseline understanding that is necessary to understand a company as a whole. With less than a month to go, I am eagerly waiting for leave for Cyprus!

Nicky Starace