Name:Swathi Prakash
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: DSFederal
Position Title:Business Development and Human Resources Intern
Major(s)/Minor(s):Media and Communications Studies
Work Term:Summer 2017
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
My internship allowed me to practice my technical writing skills, as well as allowing me to manage social media posts, filing, interviewing co-workers, and attending meetings.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I had connections with people who worked at the company, and after learning what kind of interns they needed for the summer and explaining my skill sets, I got hired! I went to the Career Center to get my resume reviewed and updated by using UMBCWorks
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
I really enjoyed learning how to work in an office environment with co-workers, and acquiring new skills, such as how to file paperwork properly.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I believe that my work at this company has improved their official blog, social media presence, as well as keeping their documents more organized and easily accessible for future use.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
My advice to other students seeking and internship would be to not be afraid to apply to a bunch of places, even if it doesn't directly go with your major! You'd be surprised to see how every job does improve your career experience in one way or another even if you don't directly see it at first. Also, don't get too adamant about working at one specific place.
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]]>Name:Pravin Pande
Internship, Co-op or Research Site:Laureate International Universities
Position Title: ETL Software Engineer
Major(s)/Minor(s):Information Systems
Work Term:Spring 2018
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
I’ve been working at Laureate since June 2017 and it’s an amazing experience. I’ve learned niche technologies and expanded my professional network. The job responsibilities are exactly what I was looking for. We are working in Scaled Agile Framework(SAFe) which makes work more fun. I work closely with my colleagues and it gives me a sense of more responsibility. I've some amazing mentors and teammates who help each other and learn from each other. I've worked on various projects which include loading data from various source systems using SSIS and Informatica ETL tools. ETL (Extract, Transform & Load) is a process of extracting data from source systems, transforming it as per business requirements and loading it into various databases. We use Snowflake, MS SQL Server, Azure, Oracle and MySQL databases. We work in Agile environment so we plan work every two weeks and divide it in stories. Some of my daily responsibilities include:
- Creating mappings in Informatica Cloud to extract data from Oracle and load it into Snowflake DW. This is an ongoing project with interest from top management executives to build a global data warehouse and reporting suite for all the 70 universities owned by Laureate.
- Creating mappings in SSIS to load and transform ticketing system data from MySQL into MS SQL Server and Azure. Then building reporting on this data using Tableau. The aim is to keep all the teams informed about current ticket queue and track performance of various systems.
- Automating Cognos and Tableau access request process using MS Flow, Azure and MS Form cloud applications.
- Optimizing Informatica mappings using various optimization techniques such as Pushdown Optimization(PDO), buffer block size changes etc.
- Loading data from Banner to ODS using Oracle PL/SQL procedures. Modify and fix issues as and when needed.
- Working on tickets to fix issues in reports, data or jobs developed.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
Career fair in February 2017 was my starting point where I got in touch with Laureate recruiters. Then I applied online and was called for three interviews. I was consistently in touch with Beth Rudoy from Career Center to get my resume reviewed and learn some tips for interview. It's important to know what industry needs and plan to build your skills. I attended various workshops and seminars organized by Career Center to learn industry requirements for my profile. UMBC Connects is an amazing networking event and I strongly recommend everyone to attend it and talk to professionals.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
I enjoy work environment, freedom to think and act, people and technologies used at Laureate. It's fun to explore new technologies when you have enough time to think critically and build new and innovative solutions by your own. We are always appreciated and inspired to develop efficient & innovative solutions. This helped me in developing automated access approval process solution which will be implemented at global level. Agile approach is fun to work in.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I seek for feedback from my boss and colleagues which helps me in understanding about my work and progress. It also helps me in setting up priorities. I use Trello.com to keep track of my daily tasks. I engage with folks from different teams to learn and understand how we are helping each other. We work very closely as Agile methodology suggests doing so. We test each other’s work and appreciate if someone is doing something out of the box. Certificate of achievement which I received in August 2017, appreciation from my team and boss makes me believe that I’ve made an impact.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
I would suggest working on technologies/skills you love and build resume before applying. Learning a technology just because there are many job opportunities in the market won't help you. You should think about what you like doing and what not. Finding a right internship starts with knowing what you really want to do. Networking is extremely important and keeping in touch with people helps you a ton. Attending various events organized by Career Center should be the starting point for networking. Then start using LinkedIn and make sure your profile is updated.
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]]>Name:Olivia Soudry
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Lieber Institute for Brain Development
Position Title: Research Intern
Major(s)/Minor(s):Biology
Work Term:Summer 2017 to Spring 2018
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
I work at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, and I am researching psychiatric diseases including Schizophrenia and Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome through stem cell research with induced pluripotent stem cells. I reprogram human fibroblast into induced pluripotent stem cells and then differentiate them into neurons. I am specifically interested in the development of neural progenitor cells. I also grow mouse embryonic fibroblasts to use for cell culture plates. On a day to day basis, I assess my cell cultures and decide whether to passage them, expand them, conduct molecular analysis, or to freeze them. The goal of my research is to understand how stem cells from patients with psychiatric disorders develop in comparison to stem cells from patients without these disorders.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
Two summers ago, I shadowed a psychiatrist at Hopkins. The experience went very well and he became a mentor for me. I mentioned that I was interested in research and he suggested I apply to work at Lieber. With his recommendation, I was able to submit an application and the stem cell group decided to take me on as an intern. The UMBC career center was also pivotal to my success by helping me tremendously improve my resume.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
The part that I have enjoyed the most about Lieber is the welcoming environment and the encouraging members of the lab. When I first started my internship, I knew almost nothing about cell culture. The scientists I work with were patient and supportive through my entire learning process. They continue to challenge me every day, and support me through my successes and my failures. This is the reason that I have learned so much in my time at the lab. I have loved working with a group of people who are always happy to teach, guide, and support me and everyone else in the lab. I have loved being a part of such an amazing team of scientists.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I believe I have made an impact in my work by joining a team and helping our team be successful. More importantly, I feel that I have found my niche in the lab. For example, I quickly grasped the skill of culturing mouse embryonic fibroblasts, which are essential for growing stem cells. By growing these cells for the lab, I have saved the lab money that can now be spent in new ways to improve our research.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
I would urge students seeking internships to seek environments with great people who are willing to teach. The best advice I got when looking for an internship was to ask "Who is the most fun mentor?" Thanks to this advice, I was paired with the most enthusiastic scientist in the lab. He is always happy to explain concepts and experiments to me, no matter how simple or complicated.
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]]>Name: Arnold Epanda
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Lockheed Martin
Position Title: Software Engineer Intern
Major(s)/Minor(s):Computer Science
Work Term:Summer 2017
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
As the fall semester was coming to an end, I received a phone call from Sikorsky Aircraft, before a United Technology company and now a Lockheed Martin company to help in building their perception and autonomy work. I passed the interview, was given an offer and stipend for travel relocation since the workplace was in Stratford CT, miles away from my hometown Maryland.
I was super excited to intern with this company for two reasons: First, I felt a sense of connection with my interviewers (three at the time) because it seemed like they heard about UMBC already, for they asked quite a few questions about the school and after I gave them my feedback about the school I am attending, they acknowledged at the end of the interview that it was a great college to go to. Their view of UMBC enhanced my confidence about the school and was a reason to further accept their offer. Second, it was my first time interning away from home, receiving travel stipends, and preparing to live in Connecticut sate. Therefore, it was the perfect opportunity to have a fun summer, working on fun projects, meeting new people and knowing that I would have to build software that could impact on millions of lives.
When it came to saying YES/NO for my offer, I went for a YES and my role was to write algorithms with a lot of performance emphasis that will be integrated into their perception system.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
Of course, there are a lot of organizations out there willing to help students succeed.
I have never really thought of using these organizations in order to apply for internships until one of my friends, now a software engineer in Texas, recommended INROADS to me, a non-profit organization that aims to place minorities student in tech and big corporations.
I received coaching interviews throughout that program, resume reviews and was then called for an interview. Plus, INROADS send your resume to companies. Therefore, you do not need to worry about looking for these big corporations, for they come to you.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
Curiosity. Not being afraid to ask questions and having great team partners that are willing to see you succeed.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
By being my best-self, being genuine, and having fun with everyone.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Search for non-profit organizations that are willing to help - plenty of them exist. Have friends in your area of study, which I consider to be very important. Go out and meet people, do not wait for them to come to you. Make friends everywhere. Prep for interviews, get resume reviews, go to careers fairs, pray, and be patient.
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]]>Name: Zain Abidin
Internship, Co-op or Research Site:Helping Hand for Relief and Development
Position Title: Management Intern
Major(s)/Minor(s):Biological Sciences
Work Term:Fall 2017
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
Helping Hand for Relief and Development is a global humanitarian relief and development organization responding to human sufferings in emergency and disaster situations around the world. In addition to their emergency relief efforts in natural or man-made disasters, they also work on long term relief and development programs. My internship was focused around the management aspect of the branch in Baltimore. My day-to-day responsibilities included coordinating volunteer sessions on a biweekly basis, managing incoming and outgoing shipment, maintaining an organized warehouse for the in-kind work and sending packaged material in containers to many countries including Pakistan, Syria and Rohingya. I also spoke at different events regarding the initiatives that this organization was taking.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I heard about this position through an alumni network last Summer. A few of my friends had also interned at this organization and I had also volunteered here as well. When I found out that there was an opening I applied for the position in September.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
I enjoyed packing gifts for children in areas that have been affected by disasters. The idea that my work was able to bring some joy in the lives of children who have suffered through so much was very fulfilling. Furthermore, some of my colleagues went to some countries and distributed our gifts themselves. Knowing that gifts that were packed and organized by me actually got to the kids and seeing their videos just softened my heart so much and made me love my work even more.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I believe my work positively affected the lives thousands of people who have been affected by many disasters. As humans it is our responsibility to take care of other people, and I believe I was able to do that through my work.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Start looking for internships as soon as you can, and don't be shy. Most of the internships that I have had required me to step out of my comfort zone. Be brave and apply for anything that interests you. If you get rejected, it's okay. Try again. Rejection is not the same as failure, and you should never let it discourage you.
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The UMBC Office of Administration and Finance is offering a year long
(Fall 2018 through Spring 2019) internship program for undergraduates. These paid
internships ($15 per hour) will integrate the student intern in a
cross-departmental experience in business functions that support the
mission of a higher education institution. Over the course of the
academic year, interns will work in 3-4 different functions, in their
chosen higher education business area, gaining a broad perspective on
the critical administrative functions that support the academic mission
in higher education and the positive aspects of a career in the business
of higher education.
TO APPLY, Submit a RESUME and COVER LETTER via UMBCworks answering the following questions for each position that interests you:
-What attracted you to this program?
-Is there any additional information you would like to provide in support of your consideration for this internship opportunity?
The Human Resources Internship will provide direct experience
in support and professional services available to current and
prospective employees, and management in the areas of employment,
benefits, compensation and classification, training and development,
payroll, labor relations, policy, administration, and human resources
data management and reporting. This could include participation in
projects designed to enhance HR services, promote employee engagement,
and develop strategies that attract and retain a valuable workforce.
The Facilities Management Internship will introduce the intern to
the various aspects employed to plan, design, construct, operate, and
maintain campus buildings, grounds, and utility systems. The intern
will be exposed to the business practices and tools used to resolve
trouble calls, contract for professional services, manage construction
projects, and deploy the talented and skilled workforce required for
stewardship of the campus’s physical resources. Special projects may
include development of GIS applications, assisting with sustainability
measures, and analyzing space utilization.
The Finance Internship will involve the intern in the various
aspects of the financial management that support UMBC. This will
include financial accounting and reporting, student billing, the
university budget, and the analysis and communications skills necessary
for success in these endeavors. The intern will gain an understanding of
the interdependent relationship of these areas essential to support
effective and efficient financial operations.
The Safety and Security Internship will provide opportunities
for the intern to assist in crime scene investigations and search
warrant operations, analysis of evidence, property collection and
documentation, ComStat analysis of criminal activity and plan response,
participate in emergency response exercises and critical incident risk
assessments, and other day-to-day police and risk management operations.
The Business Operations Internship will give the intern a variety
of experiences in the areas of contract negotiations and management,
buying goods and services, tracking revenue generation, audit and
customer service. This could involve campus dining services, the
bookstore, campus card, audit review, leases and other general business
operations.
Name:Noel Getachew
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: HHMI Dr. Summer’s Lab
Position Title: Researcher
Major(s)/Minor(s):Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Work Term:Summer 2017
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
I work in a structural biology lab that studies HIV. I work under my PI Dr. Michael Summers and my grad student, Christy Gaines. My group focuses on tRNA and Matrix (a domain of an important HIV protein) interactions. I often work with trying to purify proteins and isolating certain tRNAs so that they can be used for experiments. Synthesizing these molecules take many days
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I have many friends who are in Dr. Summers lab and they spoke highly of their experience working here. After hearing about how much they enjoyed Summers lab, I eagerly applied to be a researcher there. I was interviewed by Dr. Summers and even though his lab was pretty much full for the summer, he was kind enough to offer me a spot.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
I love feeling like I am part of a machine that works towards understanding and curing HIV. As I work more in the lab I begin to realize that I really am on the "front lines" of HIV research and knowing that makes me feel honor to work in research. I also love working with my peers in my lab. Some of my closest friends are my co-workers in Dr. Summers lab and they have been a great support both in and out of lab.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I have helped my group characterize tRNA-matrix interactions. Understanding this complex is a step towards us figuring out the structure of this interaction which will provide information for drug companies. Once drug companies obtain this information they can potentially design some sort of molecule to structurally prevent the interaction or come up with some other treatment method.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Don't get worried if things don't go right the first time! HIV research is complicated and errors are be expected but even from mistakes knowledge is gained so just keep persevering! I remember during the summer I struggled for a period of time with getting a certain experiment to go right. At the time I felt sad because I was not able to help my group progress through our project and guilty because I was holding the group back. But thanks to my perseverance at the experiment and the continuous positive support of my group, I was able to succeed and get the data we need and that achievement was worth the struggle to get there.
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]]>Name:Luke Kessler
Internship, Co-op or Research Site: W.R. Grace
Position Title: R&D Engineering Intern
Major(s)/Minor(s):Chemical Engineering
Work Term:Summer 2017
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
I performed rheological testing and data analysis on a wide variety of polypropylene products that are produced through Grace's UNIPOL PP process. The equipment I operated on a daily basis included a rheometer, differential scanning calorimeter, and industrial compression molding machine. I constructed a database in Microsoft Sharepoint to house all of my results and analysis. This database is now accessible to Grace and its clients who need the data to design the extruder-pelletizing units used in their production process.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I applied for an on-campus interview through UMBCworks and met with the career center to fine tune my resume. Then a human resources representative at Grace reached out to me about two weeks later to arrange a phone interview with the hiring manager.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
Experiencing science outside the classroom was an exciting and valuable experience. I am the kind of person who understands a concept better when there is a direct application of it sitting in front of me. This experience was full of hands on learning. Additionally, all of the employees I interacted with loved talking about what they did and always encouraged me to ask them questions about their work or my own.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I performed work for Grace that they said was high on their priority list due to recent increases in the capabilities of their technology. Engineers at Grace are currently using the rheological database I constructed to help Grace’s licensees get the best possible performance out of their plant equipment. I also made an impact on myself by building my soft skills in the workplace. At the conclusion of my internship I had to present my work in front of the CEO and all of the managers. Preparing for that really helped me refine my presentation skills.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Start applying in September and don’t give up! I applied to over 30 positions until I got a call back offering me the job. Do anything the gain experience, whether its TAing, working in a professors lab, or some form of unpaid shadowing. These experiences can help you grow your network and potentially lead to things like internships.
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]]>Name:Richard DeShay Elliot
Internship, Co-op or Research Site:University of California-Irvine
Position Title: Research Fellow
Major(s)/Minor(s):American Studies
Work Term: Summer 2017
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
During the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program, I expanded research on Republican speeches that I originally started at UMBC. I worked with Dr. Simone Chambers of the Political Science department at UCI and I thought she would be a good research mentor because our research is very similar. I also studied for the GRE.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I found out about this position when Daniel Fabrega, the Manager of Graduate Preparation and Recruitment, visited UMBC last year. I submitted my application in the beginning of the spring semester and was accepted near the end of the spring semester.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
I enjoyed the attitude of the UCI staff towards myself and the other researchers. They understand our skills and want to let us work at our own pace, and that's quite refreshing. I was also able to work with several professors who were quite insightful in the field of Political Science.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I continued my work in showcasing how Republican rhetoric by presidential nominees has shifted in the wake of the Tea Party's birth and the rise of Donald Trump. I hope to focus on political rhetoric as a field of study, particularly as America goes through the current political phase.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
I would highly recommend it! UCI is similar to UMBC in things like diversity, research opportunities, and age of the campus, but UCI has great weather and niceties such as the only Social Ecology department at any American university. Research is a great opportunity to delve into deep parts of your field that you might not know you were even interested in.
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Name:Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman
Internship, Co-op or Research Site:Summer Research Initiative (SRI) at the University of Maryland, College Park
Position Title:Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Department of Economics
Major(s)/Minor(s):Mathematics and Economics
Work Term:Summer 2017
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
I worked on an independent project under the supervision of Dr. Judith Hellerstein and Sai Luo in the Department of Economics at the University of Maryland, College Park's School of Behavioral and Social Sciences. My project focused on labor force non-participation rates among prime-age men (ages 25-44) in the United States. On a daily basis, I used the statistical software, STATA, to clean up the raw data from non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks, and Hispanics. I eventually conducted statistical tests on the overall declining trend in labor force participation rate (LFPR) and the racial/ethnic gaps in that exist in LFPR. Other components of the program included attending graduate school preparation workshops and meeting with leaders in the field.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I found out about this position through Dr. Tim Gindling of the Department of Economics and a friend, Brandon Enriquez. Dr. Gindling informed me of Dr. Jessica Goldberg, a development economics professor at the University of Maryland-College Park. She and I spoke over the phone for short time about her research. Eventually, she passed me to her colleague, Dr. Hellerstein, because she didn’t have work for me to do. Brandon also informed me to apply to research positions through the Big 10 Network. Both situations worked together for my good, and I obtained the position right before Spring Break. Before I submitted my application, I reached out to my go-to Career Center advisor, Ms. Susan Hindle. She is a reliable resource and assisted me in countless drafts of my essays and resumes.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
Perhaps what I enjoyed most about my position was the research, mentoring, and networking. Before this summer, I had not taken a statistics course in over five years and I was unaware of how to code in STATA. I appreciated learning about the statistical software and was excited to eventually use the software to answer the questions I had about the data. Secondly, I had a fantastic mentor: Dr. Judith Hellerstein. Her and I met on a weekly to bi-weekly basis to discuss my progress on the project and career goals. She and I still talk regularly to this day, and I can say that she has fundamentally changed the course of my career. Lastly, I loved how the SRI program required us to go out of our comfort zone and reach out to leaders in the field. At first it was daunting, many of these folks are in high positions at important organizations. However, I am glad I participated in this aspect of program. I was able to visit the World Bank for the first time and speak with an economist that worked closely with President Obama during the financial crisis.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
The steady decline in LFPR for all prime-age males is concerning since we expect these men to be working and contributing to society in a productive way. Understanding why American prime-age men are leaving the labor force helps us better understand the flaws that exist in our current labor market. For example, the United States does not have many programs that help people find jobs or improve their skills. Sometimes when we hear that the unemployment rate is low, we associate that with job growth or economic stability. However, the labor force participation rate (LFPR) is a much more telling statistic that shows us who is actively looking for work or who is employed. In regards to the racial gap in LFPR, I found that educational attainment contributes to some of the gap between Blacks and Whites. This finding could be used by policymakers to advocate for educational initiatives for black males who have obtained a high school degree or less.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
My advice is to not be afraid to call someone and strike up a conversation. I doubt that I would have been accepted if I had not spoken with Dr. Goldberg. Our conversation was 12 minutes, but it launched into an 8-week internship (of course, I had to be qualified too!). I believe that the power of networking can change your circumstances. I also advise that when you obtain an internship, do the best that you can and do not be afraid to ask questions. How you perform in the internship can open doors for you in the future and take you to the next level professionally.
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