Hi everyone!! My name is Alli Hastings (she/her), and I am currently a sophomore Engineering Science major on the Physics track here at Pitt! I am also pursuing a minor in Physics and (tentatively) Electrical Engineering, as well as a certificate in Quantum Computing and Quantum Information. I am originally from Montgomery County, PA, and so, naturally, I am a really big Philly sports fan (go birds!). At Pitt, I am involved in Society of Women Engineers, Society of Physics Students, Pittsburgh Electric Propulsion, and I am on the club swim team! In my free time I love to stay active and spend plenty of time outside. You can usually catch me hammocking or walking through Schenley on a warm day in Pittsburgh.

I knew coming into college that study abroad was definitely something that I wanted to take advantage of, and SSOE has so many opportunities that students can participate in to match their interests and schedules. I originally wanted to take part in this global experience because I transferred from Dietrich into Swanson this year, and so I never got to take part in a Plus3 my freshman year. Prague is such a historically rich city and is somewhere that I have always wanted to visit, so this program was perfect for me. The timing also gives me the opportunity to come back to Pittsburgh and do research for the rest of the summer.

I am very interested in the engineering and society focus of this course, and I really want to learn more about how societal and political changes are connected to engineering. I also want to learn about the history of the city, since I have a packed schedule and don’t necessarily have time to take extensive history classes in my class curriculum at Pitt. I am excited to be exposed to other cultures, because I have never been to Europe before and I believe that this could help me become more culturally aware and develop into a better engineer, researcher, and person. I am also interested in learning a little bit about the history of physical discoveries while I am there, because Physics is a large part of my academic career (I’m a nerd, I know), and it is something that I am interested in learning more about. All in all, I believe that having a global background will significantly benefit me professionally, academically, and personally.

I am beyond excited to travel abroad this upcoming May, and can’t wait to track my experiences here!