Eighty Brazilian students are joining Cal State Fullerton students and faculty in summer research projects ranging from reducing the impact of earthquake ground shaking on buildings to measuring the effect of rainfall on landslides to improving hearing aid performance.
The Student International Research Institute (SIRI), a new program that invites undergraduate international students to CSUF during the summer to participate in research related to engineering, computer science, kinesiology and other fields, is co-hosted by the Office of International Programs and Global Engagement and the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS).
Binod Tiwari, professor of civil and environmental engineering, is the SIRI program director and one of 13 faculty advisers who are supervising 18 research projects that will be showcased at the 3 p.m. July 28 SIRI Poster Presentation in the ECS quad.
“Especially for future engineers, who may be deployed to other countries to work on complex projects, getting international exposure is very important,” said Tiwari. “It makes our students have a better understanding of other cultures, think in a different way and absolutely more employable.”
This year’s SIRI program was funded in part by the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund, a public-private collaboration of the White House, U.S. Department of State, Partners of the Americas and NAFSA: Association of International Educators. CSUF received an innovation grant in partnership with Universidade Estadual Paulista, Câmpus de Sorocaba in Brazil. Grant co-principle investigators include Kari Knutson Miller, associate vice president of international programs and global engagement, and Joao Barros, associate professor of kinesiology.
“This summer, our students and the Brazilian students are so cohesive. They work together, they’re friends, and they’re learning from each other very nicely,” said Tiwari. “We hope these students will go back to Brazil and share what they learned at CSUF.”