From May 13th to May 25th 2024, 19 students from the University of Texas at Dallas spent two weeks in Florence to attend the course Professional & Technical Communication taught by Professor Chris Ryan at ISI Florence. During their time here, they had class in Palazzo Bargagli, one of the two ISI Florence facilities, a beautiful former residence from the fourteenth century. They also had the opportunity to enjoy a guided tour at Palazzo Vecchio and Museo Galileo, two of the many must-see destinations in Florence.
Professor Chris Ryan told us about their experience at ISI Florence:
“For the second consecutive year, I have had the great pleasure of teaching a Maymester course on Professional & Technical Communication to The University of Texas at Dallas engineering and computer science students in Firenze, Italy. It is difficult to highlight aspects of the experience my students and I have had when so much of what we have done has been highly educational and enjoyable. Nevertheless, I will note that three events in our experience, arranged by our partners at ISI Florence, have been most noteworthy.
The first of these was a fascinating guest lecture on the topic of Roman Engineering. Erika Bianchi (professor of Ancient Rome: Civilization and Legacy and Sport History and Culture at ISI Florence) provided not only details of several Roman engineering and architectural feats but also a colorful glimpse into Roman life at the height of the empire. Next, came a guided tour of Palazzo Vecchio in which Rita Comanducci (professor of The Art of Florence: Exploring Visual Culture at ISI Florence) who gave the tour shared much insight into the history and culture of Firenze and the Medici family and capped it with an extensive view of ancient maps. Our final guided tour was of Museo Galileo. On this tour, our students were introduced to several scientific inventions and discoveries by Galileo and many other scientists and astronomers of the Renaissance.
Exploring the Rich Offerings of Florence and Beyond
Apart from these outstanding events, our students have enjoyed the opportunity to taste the delicious cuisines in the many trattorias all around this easily walkable town. I believe that my students recognize and appreciate the rare opportunity that living in Firenze offers them and that their classmates back home are not experiencing. They have visited museums and galleries in the city that are not part of our course plan. They have also taken advantage of visiting other historic cities and villages that are easily accessible via the train system. Earlier this week, I began my Monday class by asking my students what they had done this past weekend. They all took advantage of the time to see more of the country. Their destinations included Rome, Venice, Bologna, Pisa, Cinque Terre, and more. My students last year visited some of these same locations but also visited the likes of Lucca, Siena, and Pompeii. I managed to squeeze in a trip to Bolzano and captured a feel for the beauty of the iconic, jagged Dolomites.
A Student-to-Student Guide to Weekend Trips!
Immersive Learning in Historic Surroundings
Of course, in addition to all of these experiences that are unique from what I can offer when I teach this course at our home campus, we still cover the core requirements of our course. Even that, however, feels a bit different from the usual in that our Maymester classroom is in ISI’s Palazzo Bargagli. Having a classroom in a fourteenth-century building where we can open the windows and hear the bells of the nearby, beautiful, and historic Basilica of Santa Croce is not something I take for granted, as we cannot get this anywhere else.”