Molly Landers ’25 and Sarah Nebbia ’24 may not have found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (yet), but they certainly found a new appreciation for stepping outside their comfort zones – and out of the country. Their summer research experiences took them abroad, for the very first time, to the National University of Galway in Ireland (NUIG). Nebbia strengthened her fluid mechanics and Python coding skillset under Professor Mingming Tong to identify points of experimental error, while Landers worked under Professor Stephen Nash modeling shoreline change of a local bay on the southwest coast with various validation parameters.
The Galway campus is in the heart of center city, with amenities in walking distance, and a prestigious history spanning almost two centuries. It is a vibrant, bustling place, with a year-long program of cultural and sporting festivals. Both students quickly found themselves diving deeper into the land’s culture through the NUIG courses: Irish Studies, and Representing Ireland – Literature and Film, which took them on module trips to visit Coole Park, Thoor Ballylee, and Kilmacduagh, as part of the class. At each day’s end, personal explorations began. “It's a beautiful city and I loved being able to explore it. We also got to travel to other places around Ireland, which I absolutely loved” says Landers. Galway is also near many amazing natural sites, from the scenery of the seaside to the mountains. In the words of Galway – it’s the place to realise your ambitions. Six weeks later, it was a bittersweet return home to the states and time for self-reflection. “Being able to meet new people helped expand my worldlview, see my own potential, and feel more confident about my future career as a chemical engineer” says Nebbia. “Take a leap of faith” and the luck of Ireland could be yours.
This, and other study abroad opportunities, are made possible through the partnerships established by the Lehigh Global Affairs Office – adventure awaits!
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