Hello everyone! I am Alec Fialkov, an electrical engineering undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering (SSOE) and Frederick Honors College (FHC). I am from Des Moines, Iowa, but I am very glad to call Pittsburgh home–at least for the next couple of years. Aside from majoring in electrical engineering, I am pursuing a minor in music; I fell in love with the world of percussion at a young age, and I am continuing that journey as a member of the drumline and as a percussionist with Pitt’s marching and symphonic bands. Additionally, I have spent some time during the past semester aiding our Formula SAE team, Panther Racing, in the construction of their carbon fiber composite aerodynamic parts. Next year, I am planning to get involved in research as well as the SSOE’s co-op program; I would love to get hands-on experience with a major player in the energy industry, such as Eaton or Westinghouse.

As an electrical engineering student, I am extremely interested in control systems and their application in power production–particularly in renewable energy sources such as hydro-power and emerging technologies such as nuclear fusion. This past semester, I took my first departmental electrical engineering course, ECE 0401, which is an introduction to analyzing signals and systems using tools such as linear algebra, differential equations, Laplace transforms, and more. I was fascinated by the course material, and I cannot wait to transfer it from a theoretical setting to a practical one. I am very eager to see how all these tools are applied to manage large-scale power production, and how current experts are utilizing them to implement renewable energy sources. This is why I am particularly excited to be a part of a Plus3 program focused on sustainability!

As you probably have been able to tell from the title of my post, as well as all the tags and categories I’ve attached to it, the destination for my Plus3 program is the Netherlands. This is a joint program between the SSOE and FHC, focusing on sustainability in all aspects of life in the Netherlands. We will be based first in the city of Amsterdam for approximately one week, and then we will spend a week in Rotterdam–making excursions within and outside of these two cities to explore Dutch culture, sustainable industry, water management, new innovations in sustainability, and much more. As this was my first choice of Plus3 destination, I am extremely excited to be coming along on this trip! This is not my first time traveling to Europe, but it will be my first time traveling to the Netherlands and my first time traveling abroad without my family.

Personally, I am extremely excited to visit Amsterdam and Rotterdam; they are genuine world cities–hubs of culture and innovation. I cannot wait to see the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, as well as the Zuiderzee Museum, Watersnoodmuseum, and Anne Frank House during our trip. I also cannot wait to try the cuisine in Amsterdam, especially the fresh seafood, cheese, and baked goods. Beyond the tourist sort of attractions, I am very excited to visit the Deltaworks and understand how the Netherlands manages to prevent flooding while having a great deal of land below sea level. I am also looking forward to visiting Nouryon and seeing how a major player in the global supply chain is working toward a sustainable future. Additionally, I think that the alumni dinner will be a very rewarding experience, as I am interested in hearing about the paths Pitt students took to end up working and living outside of the United States. Ultimately, I think this program will be extremely beneficial, allowing me to expand my perspective as an engineer and as a citizen while also allowing me to establish a basis for my future career.