A unique opportunity to study architectural history in a city considered one of the world’s best examples of Baroque and other architectural styles – Rome, Italy – will be offered to students next summer through the construction technology program in East Tennessee State University’s College of Business and Technology.
Scheduled May 17-June 6, 2009, the class will be taught by Jeremy Ross, an assistant professor in the Department of Technology and Geomatics, who created the special “Summer in Rome” course with the support of departmental chair Dr. Keith Johnson.
Applications are currently being accepted, and space in the class is limited. The three-credit-hour course will allow students to examine Rome through its art, architecture and construction with “careful attention” to historical contexts, while immersing themselves in the country as they explore Italian monuments, churches, museums and galleries.
The “Eternal City” will serve as a laboratory for students as they gather research on Rome’s complex urban development over the past 2,000 years. Along with providing an introduction to Roman culture, the class will include travel to other areas within the region, such as Pompeii and Tivoli.
Ross has a bachelor of architecture degree from the University of Tennessee and an M.S. in engineering technology from ETSU; he also studied architecture and art history while living in Rome and attending Temple University. An associate vice president at ETSU, he previously served as a principal with Ken Ross Architects Inc. and now consults with the firm which has worked with projects in over 18 states.
All qualified students may apply for an ETSU International Education Scholarship that could provide up to $1,500. In addition, a limited number of $500-$1,000 scholarships are available through the generosity of co-founding members of the program: Skip and Betsy Burleson, Ken Ross Architects, Blaine Construction, ETSU President Dr. Paul E. Stanton Jr., PBG Builders, ETSU golf coach Fred Warren, and Bill Breeding.
For more information on the class or the opportunity to contribute to the student scholarship fund, contact Jeremy Ross at (423) 439-4242 or rossjb@etsu.edu.

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