June 2007

International Engineering: Collaboration on Hydrologic Modeling Applications in Central Mexico

For the third year a group of BYU Civil and Environmental Engineering students spent a semester working on water resources projects with similar groups of students and faculty from the Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas (UAZ) and ITESO of Guadalajara. The projects are developed as part of a study abroad class conducted each winter semester. Students are divided into small teams and paired with a similar team of students from Mexico. The project objectives are developed by faculty and students from UAZ and ITESO in order to address critical research problems and then together with the BYU teams a scope of work and plan is developed. The first two months of the semester communications are electronic as the teams share information, ideas, and insights relative to the ongoing project work.

In March the BYU students traveled to Mexico where teams were able to conduct field visits, spend time working face to face and present preliminary findings to interested university and government sponsors. Upon returning to BYU the students finalized their projects based on what was learned during the visits. This year’s projects included watershed and lake water quality management studies for a major new reservoir, flood studies for a small community, and implications to water resources management for areas of urban expansion.

The study abroad program is providing students with greater opportunities to develop qualities such as technical excellence, character, leadership, innovation, and global awareness as identified by the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology as key for successful engineers in the 21^st Century. Without exception the students that have participated comment that it is one of if not the most significant experiences of their BYU education. You can read more about the objectives and outcomes of this unique study abroad experience at http://www.et.byu.edu/groups/cemexico/.