Congratulations to Professors Ana Porras and Daniel Suarez Venegas on their recent publication!
Professor Ana Porras of the UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and Biomedical Engineering Department along with her collaborative partner, Professor Daniel Suarez of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Colombia, partnered to create a 6–7‑week international virtual exchange project between biomedical and bioengineering students. Students worked in cross‑national teams and identified pressing health needs in each other’s countries to propose engineering solutions through synchronous and asynchronous collaboration.
Course activities included video summaries, short solution pitches, reflective writing, and pre and post assessments using the IntCRIT and IntCOMM instruments. Survey results showed significant gains in students’ ability to navigate multiple perspectives, think critically about global issues, communicate across cultures, and understand how different societies approach problem solving. Overall, the project demonstrated how virtual exchange can expand access to international learning while strengthening the cross‑cultural and critical thinking skills essential for engineers working on global health problems.