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Cadet spends STEM Semester Exchange ‘Down Under’

Cadet 1st Class Zachary Curd returns to the U.S. Air Force Academy for his final semester after spending his fall on a STEM Cadet Semester Exchange Abroad with the Australian Defence Force Academy at the University of New South Wales, Canberra in Australia.Cadet 1st Class Zachary Curd returns to the U.S. Air Force Academy for his final semester after spending his fall on a STEM Cadet Semester Exchange Abroad Program with the Australian Defence Force Academy at the University of New South Wales, Canberra in Australia. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Rayna Grace)

By Randy Roughton
U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – During U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Zachary Curd’s semester in Australia last fall, he enjoyed experiences ranging from formal dining-ins to attending a Women’s World Cup game and scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef.

He learned a lesson about globalization in his politics course during his STEM Cadet Semester Exchange Abroad Program with the Australian Defence Force Academy. But Curd also experienced the impact of building relationships and experiencing other cultures during his visit, facilitated by the Office of International Programs.

“One of the major themes was the idea of how increasingly connected we are becoming,” said Curd, a major in Aeronautical Engineering and Applied Mathematics. “The further into the future we progress, the more interconnected we become. I see this as an opportunity to work with our friends, partners, and allies better than ever before, which is something I tried to capitalize on by building relationships as an undergraduate on this exchange. It was certainly one of the best experiences I have had as a cadet.”

Cadets studying abroad

The exchange to the Australian Defence Force Academy at the University of New South Wales in Canberra allows STEM cadets to participate in the Cadet Semester Exchange Abroad Program, said DFIP Director Lt. Col. Meridee Trimble. Due to schedule constraints, some STEM majors cannot pursue a language minor. The Australian academy is an ideal location for cadets without a language minor to participate in exchanges. The US and Australian militaries also collaborate on emerging technologies such as hypersonics.

Last fall, 41 cadets studied abroad, including three through the Study Abroad Program in Latvia and 38 through the Semester Exchange Program at foreign air force academies, defense academies and one civilian university. Locations included Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Spain, Trimble said.

Pictured is a flight suit that U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Zachary Curd’s friend from No. 3 Royal Australian Air Force F-18 squadron gave him after he earned his Pilot Trainee Air Force Specialty Code.Pictured is a flight suit that U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Zachary Curd’s friend from No. 3 Royal Australian Air Force F-18 squadron gave him after he earned his Pilot Trainee Air Force Specialty Code. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Rayna Grace)

Selection criteria for semester abroad programs

While growing up, Curd said his family was extremely blessed to travel extensively around the globe igniting his passion for experiencing other cultures. During his second year at the Academy, Curd became actively interested in pursuing a study-abroad opportunity. His double major in Aeronautical Engineering and Applied Mathematics made him a candidate for the STEM exchange to Australia, said Maj. Marie Gaudreault, the program’s manager.

“When selecting students for the exchange, the International Education Programs Office seeks high-achieving cadets with the maturity to represent the U.S. Air Force Academy abroad,” Gaudreault said. “As a double major, Cadet Curd was an ideal candidate. Cadet Curd took classes both in-person at [the Australian Defence Force Academy] and remotely through the Academy. This kept him on track for an on-time graduation.”

Continuing to strengthen relationships

Now back at the Academy for his final semester before graduation, Curd said he hopes to attend Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. He also hopes to further develop some of the relationships he built during his STEM exchange in Australia in his post-graduate work and U.S. Air Force career.

“I formed a wide array of relationships during the exchange, from the friends I lived with to the Chief of the Australian Navy. It would be an honor to continue to develop these kinds of connections throughout my time in the Air Force” Curd said.

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Zachary Curd explores the Great Barrier Reef during his STEM Cadet Semester Exchange Abroad at the Australian Defence Force Academy at the University of New South Wales, Canberra in Australia during the fall semester. (Courtesy photo provided by Cadet 1st Class Zachary Curd)U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Zachary Curd explores the Great Barrier Reef during his STEM Cadet Semester Exchange Abroad Program at the Australian Defence Force Academy at the University of New South Wales, Canberra in Australia during the fall semester. (Courtesy photo provided by Cadet 1st Class Zachary Curd)