Interns Learn About EM’s Progress, Consider Future Cleanup Careers

EM Technology Development Office Program and Project Manager Jean Pabón, front row, second from left, joins student interns from FIU, UT, and UPRM in front of the Savannah River Site’s P Reactor.

Florida International University DOE Fellows at DOE headquarters in Washington, D.C., left to right, Michael DiBono, Christopher Excellent, Joshua Nunez, and Juan Morales.

DOE Fellows from Florida International University (FIU) interned at sites throughout the complex, including DOE headquarters in Washington, D.C., the Hanford site, and the Savannah River, Pacific Northwest, and Los Alamos national laboratories. The 17 FIU STEM students are part of the EM–FIU Science & Technology Workforce Development Initiative.

The FIU students addressed cleanup challenges and supported technology deployments, including the recent RadPiper robot demonstration at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant.

Florida International University DOE Fellows Joseph Coverston and Clarice Davila interning at EM’s Hanford Site.

“Witnessing the results of our research being applied in a real world environment was a rewarding experience,” intern Tristan Simoes-Ponce said. “Seeing the onsite demonstration firsthand highlighted the operational difficulties of deploying environmental technologies in the field.

Intern Silvina Di Pietro helped Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) scientists with experiments involving contaminated Hanford Site soils.

“Interacting with the professionals in my field was the best part of my internship experience,” Di Pietro said. “Working alongside geochemists at PNNL increased my professional knowledge on the research I am performing. Their invaluable input, suggestions on how to improve my experiments, teaching, and collaboration allowed for my professional growth. This, in turn, allowed me to become a better scientist because I emulate their thinking.”