Dialogue of Civilizations to Chile
Written by Carl Verch who is a 4th year student studying Bioengineering.
This past summer, Carl had the incredible opportunity to take part in a Dialogue of Civilizations program to Chile to study photography and microbiology. “This is trip has definitely been a stand-out experience in my time here at Northeastern,” Carl remarks.
The unexpected pairing of classes provided a great opportunity for Carl and his peers to explore the world’s driest non-polar desert in the world, the Atacama, through both the micro and the macro lens. The group took daily expeditions including hiking through canyons, exploring salt lagoons, boarding down sand dunes, and meeting people in remote villages. During these activities, they were able to practice techniques and composition with their cameras while also being the first group to do such a large and diverse bacterial sampling in the Atacama with hopes to discover novel antibiotics.
“I loved the multidisciplinary nature of the program that allowed me to expand upon my lab and bacterial culture skills while pushing myself to learn a new artistic medium as well. On our last night, we each presented our final photography projects. I was astounded by the creativity, vulnerability, and unique beauty a group of mostly science and engineering students produced in their artistic projects. Watching those presentations of one of the highlights of the trip for me, both because of the amazing quality of the work and the reminders of many of the great memories made on the trip. This all, combined with the breath-taking landscapes we explored every day, made for a truly incredible experience,” Carl says.