1. Tell us about your study abroad program (theme) and your country. And why you feel it was significant to come to Peru to learn about these practices.

The Engineering of the Americas program provided students with the opportunity to learn about the engineering of the Inca culture firsthand. The students spent two weeks in Peru visiting different sites that showcase examples of Incan architecture. We stayed in Cusco for the majority of the trip, living with different host families. From the ISA office where the program was organized we would travel to different locations outside of the city. Our tour guide Ricardo was an architect who could give us in-depth analysis of the different Incan structures that we studied. We had the chance to see the remnants of temples, small communities, straw bridges, and of course Machu Pichu. As a civil engineering student, I felt that this program would be a great experience for me. Incan structural engineering is extraordinary, and a civil engineer can learn valuable lessons from structures that have managed to last for hundreds of years despite the Incan Empire ending in 1533.