After spending three weeks in Italy this summer, students from West Virginia Universitys Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences are ready to share their study abroad experiences.

Students from three different majorsinterior design, landscape architecture and textiles, apparel and merchandisingwill present Design in Italy 2006 from 5-6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18, in room 1021 of the South Agricultural Sciences building.

As part of a relationship between WVU and Nuova Accademia Di Belle Arti Milano (NABA) and Domus Academyworld-renowned design schools in Milanstudents have been able to gain a new perspective on graphic design, photography, spatial design, fashion design, theater and architecture.

Spearheaded by the Office of International Programs, the interdisciplinary program has been offered for three summers and has seen increased enrollment since it was first offered.

Although the program has only been offered in the summer, our goal is to have studying design in Italy as an option every semester,said Dan Weiner, director of international programs at WVU .

Now, and in the future, design students will have the opportunity to learn about Italian culture, learn different types of design and improve their design skills.

Traveling to different places opens your mind and allows you to think about design in a more complex manner,Claudia Bernasconi, assistant professor of landscape architecture and director of the Summer Design in Italy Program, said.This program certainly has a positive impact on the students and their design skills.

This presentation will allow the students to communicate what they experienced and learn by studying in a different culture, Bernasconi said.

Junior landscape majors Laura Palimeno of Woodbury, N.J., and Tyler Kohler of Baltimore, Md., jumped at the chance to study in Italy. The experience gave both of them perspective on another culture and different styles and types of design.

Studying in Italy opened my eyes to a world of modern design and unison among all types of designers including fashion and interior,Palimeno said.The course we took was hands on, meaning we spent time outside the studio to visit local galleries and exhibits. During these tours we were able to expand our knowledge and be influenced by studying the Italian culture through means of design.

For Kohler, experiencing Italys culture was just as important as the courses he took.

I had the chance to experience how the world works in several different cultures and this opportunity allowed me to mature as a person by learning how to travel on my own within major metropolitan cities,he said.Also, NABA gave me a broad spectrum of design. I now have a better understanding of what I can move toward in my future as a designer.