Hey, Retrievers!  

The Gathering Space is open for the fall semester! 

Please come visit any day Sunday-Friday during our open hours:

Sunday: 12:00 noon - 10:00 PM

Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Have questions? Ideas for programming? Feel like something's missing? Email thegatheringspace@umbc.edu. 

The Gathering Space is the hub for religious, secular, and spirituality identities (RSSI) at UMBC. This space serves as home base for 28+ religious and belief student organizations and 20+ Religious Council members, interesting dialogue and interfaith work, and as a lounge and hangout space for campus community members. A core part of Student Belonging at UMBC, The Gathering Space was created by UMBC community members who saw the need to honor religious and spiritual diversity as a core part of holistic well-being and success.

Name: Lahari Vuppalapati

Pronouns: She/Her

Semester of Internship: Summer 2025

Major: Computer Science

Current Class Level: Masters Student

This semester I completed a(n)...: Internship

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site (Company/Organization Name): Kaya Global Inc.

Location of the Organization (City, State): New York, NY

Title of position: Technology Summer Intern

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

During my internship at Kaya, I was actively involved in both functional and technical tasks that contributed to real-time AI customer simulation and product workflows. My day-to-day responsibilities included analyzing dialogue flows, testing the AI assistant’s behavior across various automotive scenarios, and ensuring smooth handoffs between AI and human agents. I worked closely with mentors and team members to validate conversation designs, identify bugs, and offer improvement suggestions. I regularly documented findings, clarified task scopes with my mentor, and contributed to building testing processes for new use cases. Over time, I also expressed interest in participating in more technical development efforts, aiming to deepen my understanding of the product and support the engineering team where possible. This internship gave me a hands-on view of how AI solutions are built and validated in a professional environment.

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

I obtained this internship position through an internal application process facilitated by the Talent Acquisition team at Kaya. I first learned about the opportunity early in the semester when the team reached out directly. After expressing interest, I proceeded through the interview process, which also included discussions about my background, technical interests, and cultural fit with the team. The interviews were completed by April 2025, and I received an official offer during the second week of May 2025.

What resources did you use to find your current experience?

UMBC Career Center, Handshake, LinkedIn or other social media

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

The organization fosters a collaborative and supportive environment where asking questions and learning from others is encouraged, which has greatly helped me grow both professionally and personally

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

By proactively communicating challenges and helping streamline the workflow when collaboration issues arose, I helped maintain momentum and ensure deadlines were met. 

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

I would emphasize the importance of starting early and being intentional throughout the process. Begin by identifying your interests and aligning them with potential roles. Tailor your resume / cover letter for each application, highlighting relevant coursework, projects, or personal initiatives. Once you apply, keep track of deadlines, follow up when needed, and prepare well for interviews. Practice articulating your experiences clearly and confidently. After landing the internship, be proactive in your contributions. Take initiative, ask thoughtful questions, and build connections with team members. Approach even the smallest tasks with dedication, as each one contributes to your learning. Show consistent growth, ask for feedback, and express interest in more responsibility when appropriate.

Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center.

What I liked most about my position was the constant feedback and update sessions with my HR, and the active engagement and support whenever we wanted to build or explore something new. The Career Center’s resume review helped me present my experiences more professionally, which gave me the confidence to pursue and secure this opportunity.

The Center for Social Science Scholarship (CS3) at UMBC is seeking a Graduate Research Assistant to support the development of training modules that integrate Large Language Models (LLMs) into R-based workflows. This position will directly contribute to a set of upcoming faculty and nonprofit trainings at UMBC.

Position Details:

• Pay Rate: $25/hour

• Hours: Up to 80 hours for the academic year (flexible scheduling)

• Start Date: Immediate / Fall 2025

• Application Date: For best consideration, apply by September 15, 2025

Responsibilities:

• Assist in the design and preparation of interactive training modules showcasing applications of LLMs in R.

• Support the integration of R, Quarto, and Ellmer-based workflows for reproducible research and training materials.

• Document and streamline workflows for both academic and applied audiences.

• Collaborate with the CS3 Team to ensure modules align with training goals.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with R programming and package development/workflows.

• Familiarity with Large Language Models (LLMs) and their application to data science, research, or training.

• Experience with Quarto for reproducible research and teaching.

• Knowledge of Ellmer or related tooling for LLM integration.

• Strong communication and documentation skills

This position is an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience at the intersection of computational social science, reproducible research, and LLM applications while contributing to faculty and nonprofit training capacity at UMBC.

To Apply: Please send a brief statement of interest, resume/CV, the names and contact information for at least one reference (faculty or professional only), and (if available) examples of relevant projects or code to socialscience@umbc.edu. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.