VALPARAISO – The Valparaiso University International Engineering Program (VIEP) gives students in a demanding major the opportunity to experience life in another country. For Peter Krenzke ’08, Ph.D., associate professor of mechanical engineering and bioengineering and environmental engineering major Morgan Purser ’26, the program let them spend a year studying, working and exploring Europe while living in Reutlingen, Germany.

The VIEP experience is a full year abroad in Reutlingen, Zaragoza, Spain, or Compiégne, France. During the first semester, students continue to take their Valpo classes, as well as at least one engineering course with native students in their language. During the second semester and following summer, VIEP students work at an internship with a company in a relevant industry.

For Purser, a three-year member of the Valpo swim team that also pursued study abroad in Reutlingen, finding a program that let her pursue her athletic career and study abroad goals were a major factor in deciding which schools she would attend to begin with.

“I would always ask the colleges I visited about their study abroad programs,” Purser said. “Valpo told me about VIEP, and I thought it sounded interesting. Being able to study abroad and swim was really important to me.”

Learning the Classroom and Beyond
Professor Krenzke was among the first students in VIEP to study and work in Ruetlingen. In his first semester, he took several cultural courses, including language and art history, which culminated in giving a presentation on a piece of artwork at the Louvre in Paris.

The German class, however, stood out for how it differed from the American experience. For both Professor Krenzke and Purser, the idea of an entire grade being decided based on a single, final exam took some adjusting.

“You were expected to show up to one class, you got a 200-page stack of problems to work through to prepare for the exam, and then you took the exam,” Professor Krenzke recalled.

“I found it super stressful,” Purser said. “I’m a fine test taker, but it’s nice to have other homework and projects to rely on.”

Final exam aside, the study semester of the VIEP program is scheduled to give participants plenty of free time to travel Europe, an opportunity that both participants took to with enthusiasm.

“I went to Italy multiple times, and London twice. I went to Croatia, and was in Greece for my last two weeks of study abroad with my mom and my sister,” Purser said. “Traveling to Europe is expensive, but once you’re there, getting around is pretty cheap.”

On the Job
During his second semester in the program, Professor Krenzke worked in the combustion group of the German Aerospace Center, conducting shock tube experiments to determine the impact of adding hydrogen to fuels on the ignition delay time. In addition to learning technical German terms like Zündverzugszeit (ignition delay time), Professor Krenzke learned to engage professionally with those outside of the U.S. – a skill that has helped him in his professional life after graduation.

“Understanding cultural differences was the biggest thing I learned, professionally,” Professor Krenzke said. “The amount of time someone else thinks is reasonable for something to happen ‘quickly’ versus what an American thinks can be two very different things.”

Purser primarily worked in water testing for medical analysis company PMA in Sindelfingen. Despite the job being two hours from Reutlingen, the skills and experiences she had will go a long way in helping her career.

“It improved my confidence a lot. I really didn’t like speaking in front of the class, but I tell myself ‘you did this in German before. You can do it,’” she said. “It also helped my adaptability. I mostly did the same thing every day, but if someone else needed help, I had to be able to go help them and switch between them and the water department.”

Now, Purser has a job lined up as a stormwater engineer in Indianapolis. Her goal is to spend a number of years working there before seeking more opportunities abroad.

Life In Another Country
More than academic and professional experience, the year abroad is about experiencing a new kind of day-to-day living.

“It’s a lot different experience to live in another culture rather than just to visit,” Peter Krenzke ’08, Ph.D., associate professor of mechanical engineering. “When you’re there for a full year, you get to know your way around your town, and you see more of how people live normal lives.”
For Purser, those adjustments included having to rely on public transport, and navigating grocery shopping in a country where all the stores are closed on Sundays.

“Sunday morning I’d have cereal and rice, and that’s what I’d eat that day,” Purser said. “It helped my time management, always checking the train and bus schedules and planning around strikes.”

“It’s a time in your life when you have very few responsibilities, and it’s easy to go and see a lot of these historic places,” Professor Krenzke said. “Germany is a great location to do that from. You learn to travel by train.”

“I was so scared, I went into it wondering what I was doing,” Purser said. “But I definitely learned how to be comfortable with being anxious, and ways to manage it way better. And when are you ever going to get the chance again? You’re going to graduate, get a job, and have two weeks of vacation at a time.”

VIEP is not the only opportunity for Valpo engineering students looking to study abroad. For those who do not wish to commit an entire year to the experience, the College offers the chance to plan single semesters as part of a student’s normal curriculum in the program. Most engineering majors can complete their degrees in four years with a semester abroad in Reutlingen by taking classes from the Valpo CoE remotely. Summer international programs and annual mission trips are also available. For more information on studying abroad with the College of Engineering, click here. To learn more German language opportunities at Valpo, click here.

About Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University is an independent, Doctoral/Professional University with a comprehensive liberal arts curriculum in Valparaiso, Indiana. Nearly 2,500 students and 191 full-time faculty comprise a community of learning dedicated to excellence and grounded in the Lutheran tradition of scholarship, freedom and faith. Valpo is nationally recognized for the quality and innovative character of its academic programs. Valparaiso University offers more than 100 majors and minors through the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, Nursing and Health Professions and Christ College — The Honors College.