[:en]On Thursday, March 2 the 2017 TOMODACHI STEM @ Rice University students had the opportunity to visit Dow Chemical in Freeport, Texas. Dow employs people in the state of Texas in areas including research and development, engineering, human resources, technical service, operations and manufacturing. There are manufacturing sites located at Freeport, Deer Park, Texas City, Seadrift, and La Porte. The Freeport site is also a research and development center. Additionally, Dow has a business center located in Houston.

Dow facilities in Texas produce billions of pounds of products each year that enhance the quality of life for people around the globe. Dow products serve virtually every consumer market ranging from food to building and construction and from health and medicine to transportation. These products are used in a variety of end-use products – office supplies, mouthwash, pharmaceuticals, computers, furniture, paints, carpet, garbage bags, cosmetics, chewing gum, lozenges, cleaning products and food.

During our full-day site visit at Dow, students received an introduction to the company from Public Affairs Director David Winder and also had the opportunity to learn more about life at Dow through a panel discussion with Dow employees.  The students received helpful advice from the panelists on choosing your career path, work-life balance, and opportunities in industry for STEM master’s and PhD graduates. Panelists included:

• Kaoru Aou who is a Principal research Scientist, Polyurethanes R&D
• Marcela Buentello who is the I-Park/Work Processes/Management Systems Leader for Texas Operations Reliability and Maintenance organization.   
• Ting Jiang who is an Operations Leader for GMA (Glycidyl Methacrylate).
• Erika Vergara who is currently the Business Quality Leader (BQL) for 2 different business units- Ethylene Oxide/Ethylene Glycol and Polyglycols, Surfactants & Fluids.

Our day at Dow concluded with a visit to Pack Studios were our students learned more about Dow’s testing facility for produce packaging and got a tour of the factory.  Special thanks to Gabriella Cone, Community Relations Manager, for her coordination of our visit.

 

 

But our day was not done yet! After leaving Dow we headed to Downtown Houston for a behind the scenes tour of the Houston Ballet led by Executive Director James Nelson and Development Associate, and former ballerina, Nao Kusuzaki. From watching some student classes and rehearsals to exploring the costume shop and learning more about the construction of tutus and pointe shoes this was a special opportunity for the students to learn about the amazing performance and art scene in Houston.  Some of our students were so inspired by our tour that they used their first free afternoon in Houston to buy tickets to attend the Houston Ballet’s production of Cinderella on Saturday, March 4. 

After our tour of the Ballet, U.S-Japan Council Board Member Donna Cole generously hosted our students for a casual dinner at the Spaghetti Warehouse.  We were treated to a family-style Italian feast and the students saw first-hand that everything truly is bigger in Texas including portion sizes! A few students from the University of St. Thomas’ Kakehashi Program who were preparing to travel to Japan during their spring break week also attended.

Heartfelt thanks to all who made this day possible for our students.  To learn more about the student’s first week in Houston see the 2017 Participant Profiles.

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2017 TOMODACHI STEM @ Rice University for Female Students Now Accepting Applications – Apply by Nov. 2

The 2017 TOMODACHI-STEM @ Rice University for Female Students is a five-week research internship program for 10 female undergraduates from Japan who are majoring in science & engineering (S&E). Held at Rice University in Houston, TX, the program will enable students to gain real world experience with S&E research, provide an introduction to U.S.

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[:en]Japanese Students Return After Participating in a Science and Engineering Internship in Houston and Washington, D.C. on the TOMODACHI-STEM @ Rice University Program
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[:en]2016 TOMODACHI-STEM @ Rice University Program
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[:en]About TOMODACHI-STEM @ Rice
TOMODACHI-STEM @ Rice University is a five-week research internship program for 10 Japanese undergraduate students majoring in science & engineering (S&E). Held at Rice University in Houston, TX, the program will enable students to gain real world experience with S&E research, provide an introduction to U.S. higher education and provide opportunities for cultural engagement and collaboration with U.S. students. The program will serve as a catalyst for Japanese students interested in S&E study and research and engagement with the U.S. through international research collaborations.

The objectives of TOMODACHI-STEM @ Rice University are to:

• Cultivate an interest in science and engineering research and research collaborations between the U.S. and Japan;
• Nurture the next generation of science and engineering students in Japan;
• Contribute to the development of a generation of internationally savvy Japanese students who have a specific interest in and knowledge of the U.S.; and
• Educate students in culture, language, and technology, in order that they may be more effective when addressing global scientific problems.

The planned program dates are from February 21 – March 27, 2016 and will expose these young scientists and engineers to cutting-edge research in a diverse range of science and engineering fields. Japanese participants will be placed in teams of two into a Rice University research lab where they will spend four weeks working on a research project under the advisement of the U.S. professor and their assigned U.S. graduate student mentor. The capstone experience of the research internship will be the development of a research project poster that will be presented at a symposium held at Rice University and that can be presented to the student’s home university upon their return to Japan. In addition to research, students will also participate in weekly English language classes, an Introduction to Science & Engineering Research in the U.S. seminar, and cultural activities and excursions. Following the completion of the four-week internship, students will travel to Washington, DC for a one-week Science & Technology Policy Study Tour.

The program is generously funded by a grant from the TOMODACHI Initiative.

About the TOMODACHI Initiative The TOMODACHI Initiative is a public-private partnership between the U.S.-Japan Council and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. Born out of support for Japan’s recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, TOMODACHI invests in the next generation of Japanese and American leaders through educational and cultural exchanges as well as leadership programs. We seek to foster a “TOMODACHI Generation” of young American and Japanese leaders who are committed to and engaged in strengthening U.S.-Japan relations, appreciate each other’s countries and cultures, and possess the global skills and mindsets needed to contribute to and thrive in a more cooperative, prosperous, and secure world.”

For more information please visit the TOMODACHI Initiative website.[:ja] 

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