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.

Parque Das Aves

My favorite part of the trip was the bird park in Foz do Iguacu. While on the way to the falls, we stopped at a bird park. At first I didn’t expect much, I just thought it was a regular zoo-like place, but that was not the case.

There was so much to see at the park I have a hard time knowing where to start. We saw so many things in so little time. One of the amazing things about this park is that in many spot you can walk into the enclosures and see the birds and feed them. Its amazing how close they get to you.

There were so many macaws and other parrots that had such beautiful colors. It was so amazing to see them up close you could almost touch them. I couldn’t help but keep looking up at all the beautiful plumage as I walked around. It was so amazing just being able to be in the same place as them and hear their chirping and squawking. It seemed like they had every bird species alive in there and they also had other species of animals there like snakes and caimans!

One of the most interesting part of the tour was the flamingo enclosure. In the enclosure they had mirrors all around. The reason for that was to make the flamingos feel like there are more flamingos than there actually are, or else they won’t mate. They did have more flamingos, but during a big storm a few years ago a jaguar got into the park and killed many flamingos, so they need to get the population back up for the flamingos

Overall, I had an amazing time at the bird park. It was such a great experience to see all the different birds in a place where you might not be able to see in the wild. I think its so great that this park protects endangered bird species. I loved this park so much and it was really the best part of the trip and I will never forget it.