Where did you intern?
I interned at Savannah River National Laboratory which is located in Aiken, South Carolina.
- How did you get your internship?
I got my internship thru the DOE Fellows Program at the Applied Research Center at FIU.
- What did you do there? What projects did you work on?
I did mechanical testing on the polyurethane foams that SRNL is interested in deploying in radioactive environments such as a hot cell. I did dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), tensile testing, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) testing and analysis.
- What was the coolest thing about your internship or that happened during your internship?
The coolest thing was working at a national lab and being exposed to work being performed by Ph.D.’s and seasoned professionals.
- What advice do you have for those beginning the internship process?
To always ask for work and be as helpful as possible and to go the extra mile.
- What did you like most about your experience?
The coworkers and mentors I was assigned to were really helpful and nice to me.
- What did you learn about yourself?
I learned that I am independent since I had to reach out to a variety of people and conducted most of the research and lab work by myself.
- How did the position increase your professional confidence?
I feel like I have a better understanding of how to operate in a professional workplace environment and what is expected from me.
Tags: 2018, Internships