International Studies

Resume

Multidisciplinary Perspectives on the Bay of Naples

Professor Rodriguez, a University of Florida professor and our abroad director, taught this course on all things revolving the area that we are studying in. We had guests lecturers and the topics we were educated on ranged from religion in Sorrento, to Italy's/ Sorrento's support of the LGBTQ+ movement, to the issue of deaths from immigration out of Africa to Europe, to marine life and ecosystems in Sorrento.

At the end of every week we went to a ruin or site of significance in an Italian town. For example, our first field trip was to the city of Napoli, where we experienced the town's churches, underground aqueducts/ world war 2 bunkers, and daily life. Next, we went to Amalfi and Ravello, and saw Amalfi's historic paper making facility; as well as beautiful views and gardens in Ravello. The following weekend we visited Herculaneum and Portici, where we saw Roman ruins post the explosion of mount Vesuvius; at Portici we toured a historic castle with beautiful sites of artwork. The last field trip we went on was to Paestum, an archaeological site that had ruins from the Greeks, Romans, and from World War 2. From Paestum we went to a buffalo farm and had fresh buffalo, then continued onto Castellabate and Santa Maria where we toured the city. Check out some pictures from these sites in my Gallery page!

My final project in this class is about Sorrento's agriculture. I did extensive research about what crops are grown here, the history behind them, and how they come into play in present life. You can learn more about my findings on my project page.

Introduction to Marine Biology

Professor Domenico educated us on marine ecosystems around the world, and in Italy. Italy is known for being a greener country with more sustainability efforts. In this class we learned what the sea looks like, it's elements, like levels of salinity, marine life and classification, and local sustainability efforts.

I did a 10 minute presentation on the importance of sea level rise. My presentation highlighted the issues that come with human's pollution, and how we are changing our Earth forever with our actions.

In this class we went on two field trips. The first one was to Ieranto Bay, where we had to be dropped off at a nearby town called Nerano. The only way to make it to the Bay is via a 45 minute hike up a mountain. In Ieranto we kayaked and were shown a historic lookout point, as well as a cave that held religious importance. We also snorkeled and saw different types of sea sponges, algae, starfish, urchins, sea cucumbers, corals, and fish. We were also given a presentation regarding the importance of preserving Ieranto. There are rules and regulations that come with this Bay, for example, there are no motorized boats allowed in order to protect marine life, and the only way to get to this beautiful spot is via hike so it makes it all the more special and secluded. Next, we went to a turtle rescue center and aquarium in Naples. Here, we learned about sea turtles, and how humans have harmed sea turtles by pollution and boating. In the aquarium we saw many different kinds of native species and what depth they live in, and we also saw invasive species.

Check out some pictures from these sites in my Gallery page!