Professor Polack
Professor Polack, a distinguished computer science professor at the University of Mary Washington, possesses a deep curiosity for global exploration. Driven by a desire to broaden her understanding of different cultures and technological landscapes, she aspires to study abroad in countries across the world. Professor Polack's ambition to study abroad exemplifies her commitment to enriching both his own academic perspectives and the field of computer science as a whole.
View UMW Trip 2024
Iceland, where we spent weeks exploring the stunning landscapes of this Nordic island. One of the highlights of the trip was driving around the famous ring road, a 1,332-kilometer highway that circles the entire country. Along the way, we marveled at cascading waterfalls, rugged coastlines, and towering glaciers. We had the chance to immerse yourself in Icelandic culture, sampling traditional cuisine and learning about the country's history and geology. This unforgettable journey through Iceland's dramatic beauty left a lasting impression all of us.
View UMW Trip 2023
After leading a study abroad trip to Brazil and Argentina, where the students explored the wonders of the Amazon Rainforest, embarked on a captivating river cruise along the Amazon, and marveled at the breathtaking Iguazu Falls from both sides of the border, Professor Polack decided to create a photo book. With meticulous attention to detail, he curated a collection of photographs capturing the vibrant landscapes, fascinating wildlife, and joyous moments of the trip. I aimed to provide a visual narrative that would forever remind the students of their remarkable journey.

Afternoon on the Amazon

This video represents the fun of the Amazon portion of the trip. Being on a cruise ship, the ship had several different opportunities to go out and experience all that the Amazon had to offer. One afternoon, we had the opportunity to go out and fish for piranhas! This was such a unique experience, having only fished at home a couple of times and catching small fish that were harmless, not having any capability of biting off your finger.

This afternoon was during our first full day on the ship, we had gotten to know the guide and it was so fun. Some people weren’t able to catch any but a majority of the people got 1 or 2! It was so fun getting to fish these and learn the technique on how to catch them. One thing that I thought was so interesting was the piranha’s actually prefer loudness and shaking up the water. This is opposite from what we know in fishing here, to be quiet and act completely different from that.

While this was my favorite afternoon on the Amazon portion of the trip, there were definitely other highlights not just from afternoons. One morning we were cruising along and a fish decided to jump into the boat, it was a piranha! Less than 48 hours in the Amazon and a piranha jumped in our boat. We also got to go to a local farm house where we picked fresh star fruit off a tree and ate it, ate a leaf that tasted just like a seasoned steak, and ate a leaf that was a natural anesthetic. All around, this portion of the trip was awesome, this video highlights just one of the special moments!