Pitt HomeFind PeopleContact Us
School of Engineering

News Kristine Lalley

International Programs Build Swanson School’s Reputation for Preparing Well-Rounded Engineers

Thanks to the profound impact of globalization, today’s engineers can expect that they either will work in a foreign country themselves or collaborate with colleagues on the other side of the world.

That’s why students attending the Swanson School of Engineering learn from their first days on campus about the opportunities that exist for studying abroad and how to choose programs that will prepare them for careers shaped by forces around the world. So important does the school consider study abroad to be, in fact, that the Department of Industrial Engineering now requires undergraduates to have international experience. If it is successful, the requirement may be expanded to apply to all engineering undergraduates.

That’s okay with Kristine Lalley, director of international engineering initiatives, who serves an extensive role in the development of such programs. Lalley also manages the various international programs. Lalley is well-versed in international travel. She received a bachelor of art degree from New York University and a master’s degree in french from the Univeristy of Pittsburgh before continuing on to receive a doctorate degree in Adult and Workforce Education at Penn State, with a focus on international education and professional development.

Lalley’s passion for international travel as it relates to student experience extends to all countries. One such program is a partnership between the Pitt industrial engineering program and a similar program at the R.V. College of Engineering in Bangalore, India, and sends students there to learn about supply chain and value chain management. “Students complete assigned project work in the United States after returning from their trip,” explains Lalley.

“When they go to India, that will give them some context to develop and execute whatever project they end up undertaking,” Lalley says. “The time in India is spent visiting with different companies. They’ll be talking with some very high-level managers, even CEOs.”

The program, which is beginning with nine students in its inaugural year but is projected to grow substantially, is an example of the school’s vision for a signature international program in each discipline.

“This is one way we can bring in the best and brightest students, because they are really looking for that international experience,” says Lalley. “It tends to offer them an intensive and focused opportunity to learn about their discipline in the context of an international setting.”

Benedum Hall

Dedicated in 1971, Benedum Hall is home to exploration and discovery.

You are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Although this site is viewable in all browsers, it will look much better in a browser that supports web standards.