A group of mechanical engineering students recently took advantage of an opportunity to explore metrology in Germany through national laboratories, educational and research institutions, and an instrument manufacturer as part of Charlotte’s study abroad program.
The trip, sponsored by the UNC Charlotte Office of Education Abroad, the department of Mechanical Engineering and the Center for Precision Metrology at the William States Lee College of Engineering, was led by Dr. Edward Morse, Norvin Kennedy Dickerson Jr. Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Precision Metrology, and Janet Morse, Director of Graduate Academic Services for the Graduate School.
Photo: Students learn about the Hemi-Anechoic room at Physikalisch-Tecknische Bundesanstalt in Braunschweig, Germany. From left: Dr. Ing. Volker Wittstock, Head of the Applied Acoustics Working Group, James Evans, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Edward Morse, Jesse Chen, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Sam Parsons, B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Seth Hunt, B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Jesse Redford, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Trenton Desear, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, and Ashley Spicer, M.S. in Mechanical Engineering.
The student group toured Aachen University and its Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology, one of the premier institutions for metrology and advanced manufacturing research in Germany. They also visited the National Metrology Institute of Germany to learn about research being performed in mechanics and acoustics and precision engineering.
The trip included stops at Zeiss, a precision engineering equipment manufacturer in Braunschweig, and the Volkswagen manufacturing plant in Wolfsburg to experience precision engineering equipment in operation.
“I enjoy being able to share the breadth of the field of metrology through visits to academic research laboratories, the German national metrology institute, and an industrial manufacturer of measuring equipment,” Dr. Morse said. “This gives them context for deciding whether a career in metrology would be of interest, or if pursuing graduate research in metrology could be the next step for them.”
While in Germany, the group had the opportunity to experience the local culture, exploring the cities of Aachen and Braunschweig, Germany, and Maastricht, Netherlands.
“I really enjoy seeing the students encounter different aspects of German culture and living as we travel around the country,” Morse added. “It is often the mundane aspects of daily living that stand out vividly as they experience a foreign culture firsthand – many of them for the first time.”