Name: Ruthann Dolinka

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site: Collins Aerospace

Position Title: Embedded Software Engineer Intern

Major or Program: Computer Science  /

Current Class Level: Senior

Work Term: Summer 2022

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

During my internship I was responsible for setting up a Jenkins Server. I installed the Jenkins software on a desktop computer, connected the desktop to three NI-test stations, and then configured Jenkins to test project code. 

Jenkins is software that performs continuous Integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD). This means that Jenkins is able to autonomously test code and send out a notification of the results of those tests. This is useful because it allows code to be tested much more quickly and can catch errors that may not be caught for a long time with manual tests. Projects being worked on by multiple people often benefit from the use of Jenkins, as it is easy for a change to one person’s code to conflict with another person’s code. Jenkins solves this problem by continuously integrating and testing code when a change is made so that errors can be caught early.

My daily responsibilities consisted of working on setting up the Jenkins server, talking with my team or other onsite employees to discuss solutions, and attending meetings. I would often work on researching a problem or writing scripts at my desk. I would also work in the lab on the desktop and test station hardware. I would have a meeting every other week with my team to discuss my project progress as well as listen to the status of my teams other projects.

By the end of my internship I had completed all the goals set for my project. The Jenkins software would clone the SVN repository for the project, copy to the code to the test station, execute the test, copy the test results to the Jenkins server, and then email out a notification with the status of the test as well as the test results and build log attached as artifacts.

I really enjoyed my experience during this internship and I learned a lot about both the professional development process and code development. I improved my python, batch, and scripting skills and got the chance to work on my networking skills and meet many new people. I hope to be able to secure a full time position with Collins Aerospace in the future. 

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application? 

The process I went through to obtain this position was different then the majority of the internship positions I applied to. Most positions I applied to through a company website, usually hearing about the position through UMBCworks or LinkedIn.

I heard about this position when I attended the online 2021 SWE conference. The UMBC Center for Women in Technology (CWIT) organization made it possible for me to attend this conference. They sponsored me and several other CWIT students to attend the conference. I submitted my resume when registering for the conference, and I was later contacted by a Collins Aerospace recruiter who expressed interest in setting up an interview after the conference.

After the conference I got the chance to do two interviews with two different recruiters from Collins. After the interview they informed me that they would meet with other Collins recruiters to discuss the candidates they interviewed and try to determine which where the best fit for the positions they were trying to fill. Sometime after the interviews I was presented with an offer. I later did another interview with the manager I would be working under during my internship.

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience?

Career Fairs, Student Organizations/Scholar Groups, SWE Conference, CWIT 

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?  

What I enjoyed most about working for Collins has been the working environment, my team, the work, and the resources and events available to me. The working environment at Collins was very supportive and I felt welcome and that I had everything I needed to do my job. For example, towards the end of my internship I started to feel a lot of pain in my wrist from using the mouse. I visited the nurse on site and she did a physical assessment and supplied me with two ergonomic mice to try and an ice pack. I always felt that I could reach out to anyone on the site or in my team for assistance, whether it was the IT department, my manager, or the nurse.

My team was very supportive and we had biweekly meetings to check the progress of the projects we were working on. I was assigned a mentor and I felt I could reach out to her at any time.

The work was challenging but also enjoyable. I felt like I was learning and improving my skills while working on my project, but still had fun working on it. The project felt relevant to my major and like I was working on something meaningful that would be used after I left.

Collins had many resources and events available to me. I often attended workshops and met with other interns and full time staff for activities. There were also paid opportunities to have fun such as wellness day.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I believe my work made an impact at the company. My work was used on an actual project for a client and was able to catch an error in the code. My project is also being used now even after the end of my internship. The documentation I wrote will be used in the future by whoever takes over my project.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

My internship with Collins Aerospace was a great experience and I learned a lot from it. I had a great time and met some great people while improving my coding and networking skills. I got the chance to see what it is like working in the industry and work on a project that would have an impact.

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Dear UMBC Community,

As you know, teams are actively repairing damage to buildings across campus from water line breaks, caused by a power outage coupled with record low temperatures, over the winter break. We are writing to update the community on the measures we are taking to ensure that buildings are safe for community members as they reopen. 

• Water extraction and drying efforts began immediately after the water line breaks were contained. 

• Environmental Safety and Health, in partnership with an industrial hygienist, evaluated these areas to ensure that there was not remaining moisture that might spur mold growth. 

• Professional water remediation contractors are in the process of removing and replacing any affected walls that retained moisture. 

• As this work is completed and before spaces and buildings reopen, each space will receive a final cleaning. 

• All HVAC filters in air handling units in affected spaces will also be changed after construction is complete and regularly thereafter.   

Our team is following all industry best practices to make sure that spaces are free of mold, dust, and other health challenges before they can be occupied. Every effort is being made to restore all campus spaces back to their previous conditions before the events occurred.

At this time, the Administration Building, Biological Sciences, and Schwartz Hall remain closed. Once remediation efforts have been completed and fire alarm and other safety systems are operational, we anticipate these buildings will partially reopen. However, we expect continued repairs will make it impossible to fully reopen these buildings for some time. We are working closely with building occupants to understand the immediate effect on research, staff work, and upcoming classes and to make alternative arrangements as necessary. When we have a clear reopening timeline, we will share that with the campus community. 

We appreciate your support and patience as we make these repairs.

Kathy L. Dettloff, Vice President for Administration and Finance

Lenn Caron, Senior Associate Vice President, Administrative Services