Chitoshi Tamaoki

My name is Chitoshi Tamaoki. I was a master’s student in Aerospace Engineering when I traveled to the US for my thesis research. During that time, I joined the PSU UAV Research Laboratory (PURL) to conduct my research. Living in State College, Pennsylvania, was a continuous series of excitement and surprises.

I am currently working at an aircraft company that specializes in building ultra-light and CS-23 class aircraft. I had been with the company even before my stay in the US, which gave me exposure to the general aviation industry in Germany. However, the aviation culture in the US was completely different from what I had experienced in Germany. The lab facilities were located right next to the city airport, and I witnessed the airport’s daily activities firsthand. During major events, a large number of private aircraft flew in, completely filling the airport with small planes. On college football game days, the airport reached its highest aircraft density, which was a truly spectacular sight.

As mentioned, the lab was located at the airport, not on the university campus, which limited my visits to the campus itself. However, I still got a glimpse of college life at an American university. The buildings and facilities were top-notch, which helped me understand why the university is renowned for its technological programs. Since the city revolves around the university, the public transportation system was well-developed, making it easy for me to get around. There was at least one event every month, such as local community festivals, which were always enjoyable. Of course, the biggest events were organized by the university.

During holidays, I had the chance to travel. I visited Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., New York, and Vermont. Traveling took a long time due to the vast size of the country, but each city had a distinct history, culture, and atmosphere. My favorite city was Philadelphia. The historical buildings related to the US independence were very impressive. I joined a local guided tour, and the guide was humorous, sharing many funny stories behind the famous Declaration of Independence. One of my favorite souvenirs is a T-shirt I bought there that reads, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy,” a quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin. Alcohol is strictly regulated in the US now, but it was very different back then—fascinating, isn’t it?

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Reissner Stiftung for their financial support. The experiences I gained broadened my worldview and will undoubtedly be a valuable asset throughout my life. If anyone is considering a stay in a foreign country, I highly recommend it.

Chitoshi Tamaoki

Master thesis at the Penn State University — Gregor Müller

My semester abroad at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) in the United States was a
valuable and memorable experience. I stayed at Penn State for six months, from June to No-
vember 2022, to write my master’s thesis, the final part of my aerospace engineering studies at
the University of Stuttgart. The PSU is a public research university in State College, Pennsyl-
vania, USA. It was founded in 1855 and is the largest university in the state. The university has
24 campuses and offers more than 160 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. It is also
known for its strong engineering, business, and communications programs.

The most important preparation for my stay was getting all the documents for the J-1 visa,
booking a flight, and finding housing. The latter was particularly challenging, as most rental
contracts are for the entire academic year from August to July. As I was arriving in June, finding
housing for my stay took a lot of work. I had a sublet room for the first two months and then
moved to another house for the rest of my visit from August to November. The preparation also
included research on the university, my research group, and the American culture.

At Penn State, I was at the main campus in State College, which is home to over 45,000 students
and offers a wide range of activities and organizations for students to get involved. Addition-
ally, the university has a strong sports tradition, particularly in football. For my thesis, I was a
visiting student at the Air Vehicle Intelligence Lab (AVIA) of Professor Laangelan. The lab has
a mix of Ph.D. and master’s students, and its research mainly focuses on autonomy for un-
manned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The contact to Prof. Langelaan was provided by one of my
professors at the University of Stuttgart, who works on similar research topics. The research
area of my thesis was “Data-driven power minimization for coaxial multirotor aircraft”. My
supervisor and colleagues were very helpful throughout the entire time there. My research with
a UAV had a strong experimental focus and was different from my previous work, in which I
was mainly working with simulations. I did a lot of flight testing with my colleagues in the
field, which was a unique and exciting experience.

The structure of the aerospace engineering faculty at Penn State University is quite similar to
the University of Stuttgart, as its research groups work on similar topics. The main differences
are that the faculty has fewer students and, generally, smaller classes. Unfortunately, I could
not attend a class, as I was working full-time on my research project. Nevertheless, I realized
that the graduate students were working more practically and project-focused than those in
Stuttgart, who got a more theory-based education. The university felt more like a school, as the students worked in smaller classes and had a more personal connection to their professors. This
setting was very different from what I was used to.

The university itself was also different from the University of Stuttgart. The campus is very
beautiful and has many old but renovated brick buildings. Penn State also has a broader range
of degree programs, which do not only focus on engineering, and there are many international
students. I had the opportunity to interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds,
and it was easy to get in contact with international, non-engineering students. For example, I
met a musical student who invited me to a performance of the musical Cabaret, which was
performed by a musical class at the university. Cabaret is a musical set in the early 1930s in
Berlin, Germany, during the rise of the Nazi Party, and explores themes of love, loss, and the
dangers of political extremism. The performance took place in the university’s theater and was
a fantastic experience. I was able to enjoy the music, the acting, and the costumes of the musical.
Still, due to the serious topic, which was addressing the history of my home country, it was also
a thrilling experience. Another memorable experience was attending a college football of Penn
State’s Nittany Lions team with more than 100.000 spectators. Together with some friends, I
was in the student section, and the atmosphere was terrific. Visiting the musical and the football
game were two of the most exciting moments during my time at Penn State’s campus.
In July, I traveled to New York for five days with my girlfriend, who visited me for two weeks.
Although it was very hot there during the summer, with a temperature close to 40 degrees Cel-
sius, we had a great time. We visited several prominent attractions like the Metropolitan Mu-
seum, the 9/11 memorial, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the observation deck on top of the Rocke-
feller Center.

One of the biggest challenges I faced during my semester abroad was not having access to a car
which made it difficult for me to get around. The bus service in State College mainly focuses
on connecting residential areas with the campus downtown, but there are no connections be-
tween different residential areas or to neighboring cities. Thus, I was always happy if someone
had a car to get around. Additionally, it was hard to meet people initially, as I arrived during
the summer when very few students were there. Fortunately, my roommates stayed for the sum-
mer and were very nice. However, I recommend other students begin their stay at Penn State
either in August or January when the fall and spring terms start, as there are more students on
the campus, and the housing search is much easier. Getting a car might also make sense if one
stays for a full academic year.

Overall, my semester abroad was a valuable experience that allowed me to conduct research in
an exciting field I am passionate about while also allowing me to live and study in a new envi-
ronment. I enjoyed being in a different country and finding my way in daily life there. I recom-
mend this experience to anyone interested in studying abroad.

Geschützt: 20. April 2023 – Save The Date