Ethan Wampler was one of 47 students of varying academic backgrounds chosen by the University of Michigan International Institute as part of their individual fellowship program. Ethan is studying for his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and is the only engineering student to be awarded one of these fellowships this year. Students who receive this fellowship will be traveling to a variety of locations ranging from Japan and Ethiopia to Germany and Cuba.
Ethan will specifically be in Ulm, Germany, birthplace of Albert Einstein and location of the world’s largest church, the Ulmer Münster. He’ll be working for Takata-Petri AG, one of the largest producers of seat belts and airbags in the world. The company has 46 plants in 17 countries, and Ethan will be working in the Application Engineering branch of the company. Along with the technical experience the internship will provide for him, he’ll be furthering his study of the German language, having studied it for 7 years and currently minoring in it at the University of Michigan. He says he hopes to be fluent in it by the end of summer.
The International Institute is housed within the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, at the University of Michigan. It is meant to stimulate research and teaching in critical areas of the world and on international issues that cut across world regions and disciplines. The institute fosters cooperation among the University’s departments, schools, and colleges.