March 24, 2015

Italian Automotive Engineering Program Attracts SEC Students

Members of Politecnico di Torino team H2politO explain the design and operation of their award winning XAM vehicle to Auburn faculty during a January 2015 visit

By: Bryant Welbourne
SECU (Twitter: @TheSECU)

Eleven Southeastern Conference (SEC) engineering students are studying abroad at the Politecnico di Torino (PdT) this semester as part of a renewable agreement between the SEC and the Italian university.

“Studying abroad is something I’ve always wanted to do as part of my college experience,” said Alec Myszka, an engineering student at Vanderbilt University. “I’m interested in automobile engineering and heard nothing but great things about the university’s automotive program.”

Automotive engineering is one of the most popular programs at the PdT. The degree is part of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and courses are taught entirely in English. Students attend classes their first year in the program and get experience through internships, at the university or with an automotive company, in their second year.

The PdT is home to H2politO, a team of students who design and build energy-efficient cars. The group has won numerous awards in the Shell Eco Marathon, a European competition involving more than 200 teams. Current and former PdT students also work at the Torino General Motors Engineering Center to develop fuel efficient diesel engines.

The exchange program also gives Italian engineering students the opportunity to enroll at SEC universities each fall, which 13 did in 2014.

“I always dreamed about coming to the United States because I was fascinated by the different culture and the different style of life,” said Francesco Mazzotta, an exchange student from Trepuzzi (Lecce) who studied at the University of Alabama. “The best part of university life in America is living on campus where only students live. It’s easier to make new friends and have relationships with people of the same age.”

Various international programs are supported by SECU, the academic initiative of the Southeastern Conference as the SEC seeks to increase the amount and type of education abroad opportunities available for its students.

Below is the list of SEC students attending the Politecnico di Torino this semester and their SEC universities.

Benjamin Guerra, University of Alabama
Abe Gambert, University of Arkansas
Tyler Kilambi, University of Arkansas
Christopher Taylor, University of Arkansas
Samir Alem, Louisiana State University
Jeremy Landis, Mississippi State University
Shawn Newlan, University of Tennessee
Jake Clifton, University of Tennessee
Thomas Crabtree, University of Tennessee
Christopher Harder, University of Tennessee
Alec Myszka, Vanderbilt University