The search is on for participants in an all-expenses-paid summer abroad program for two months in India.
The program is made possible through Laboratory for Innovative Technology and Engineering Education, a research group at Auburn, and funding from the National Science Foundation's International Research Experience for Students.
"They go to India and work with some of our contacts in India on a research project for the two months that they are there," said Ashley Clayson, executive assistant for LITEE.
The program has a three-semester requirement.
Spring semester is devoted to a one-hour credit preparing for India; summer semester is spent working on case studies in India; and fall semester is dedicated to putting the case studies online.
"It's essentially a yearlong program," Clayson said.
While most of the students who participate in the program are in majors related to math, science or engineering, LITEE doesn't discriminate based on major.
The program, which has an average of five to six students each semester, seeks graduate and undergraduate students interested in creating case studies, ranging from thermal conditions in dorms to solar power to designing handbags for a rural rehabilitation center.
"They work with the professionals and researchers there to gather data, and then they create a case study, which is basically an instructional tool and website," Clayson said.
While the program is a good resume builder, it also gives students the ability to work on real issues and help other students learn through the case studies.
"The cool thing about the project is that it is not like any other abroad program," said Pramod Rajan, physics GTA and project leader in the program. "It's real research."
The students, who stay on campus at the Indian Institute of Technology, will see much more than other students and teachers walking around campus.
"They are really surprised to see monkeys on campus," Rajan said. "They won't hurt you or anything though."
Michael Marsocci, civil engineering major and 2009 participant, worked with a university on the conditions of the dorms.
With an effort to maintain the land regulations to save the forest, the university struggled between making a few unappealing, high-rise dorms that take up little room or many low-rise dorms, which the students found more comfortable.
For Marsocci, it was the global experience in India which he said made an impact.
"I think the great thing about India is actually staying in another country and living like normal people there," Marsocci said. "It is a lot easier than you think to work with people on the other side of the world."
For more information on the summer abroad program in India, attend an informational meeting Sept. 29 at 4 p.m. in Ross Hall, Room 278.
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