Engineering and technology students thrive in enriching, impactful summer internships

Over the summer, students in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology were actively engaged in hands-on internships with employers across the state and country.

Internships and co-ops provide students with wholesome, life changing experiences that help to propel them towards their professional goals while offering an insider’s perspective into diverse industries. By completing a co-op or internship, engineering students can make connections between what they learn in the classroom and take a deeper dive into the varying facets of engineering and technology.

Following are comments from several students involved in summer internships.

Aaron Reynolds gained career clarity through immersive experiences 

Senior in electrical engineering and president of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)

My summer internship was great! I interned at Nucor Steel Arkansas, located in Blytheville, Arkansas. My internship lasted for about three months, and I was fortunate to do all kinds of things. I helped update prints, conducted maintenance in the mill and had a chance to work on my own projects that added to the mill’s capabilities and safety. 

This internship helped me get a different perspective on the practical side of how my major (electrical engineering) is applied in the field. This internship provided me with an invaluable experience in the field of engineering and technology. I landed this internship at NSBE Nationals and was able to attend through the help of Russ College, faculty in our college, and our alumni.

Chelsea Coy connects research with project-based and applied learning 

Second year master's student, civil engineering with a focus on structural engineering

This summer I worked at Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS) from May to August as an intern on the Product Development team. I was able to connect with the ADS team through my research at Ohio University. In my undergrad I worked as a research assistant under Dr. Issam Khoury where I was first exposed to ADS by conducting product testing for them. I continued with these projects into grad school where I was able to learn more about the company and their products through my graduate research. I was already familiar with the company, so I decided to apply for a summer internship with them. 

During my internship, I was able to work on many interesting projects where I not only was able to apply a lot of my pre-existing knowledge from my research, but also learn a lot from my team. For my main project, I worked on a live load test for a chamber product. My first task for this project was to generate and update project Layouts and Test Plans. Then I collaborated with my team and the contractors to prep the site as well as assist with installation and instrumentation. Finally, I was able to observe the live load testing and help with removal once everything had been completed. This internship had allowed me to utilize and expand on my drafting skills, product testing methods and documentation, collaboration and adaptability skills, as well as learn how to create product models in SolidWorks, utilize more apps within Microsoft 360 such as Lists, SharePoint, and PowerApps, and plan and execute large scale projects. By completing this internship, I have solidified my career goals of working in research and development and/or product development.

Addison Mohan helped to improve safety protocols and processes 

Sophomore in engineering technology and management

This summer, I had the opportunity to intern with Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth at the United States Department of Energy's (DOE)-owned and operated Piketon Gaseous Diffusion Plant. I worked with the Facility Stabilization and Deactivation group. During my 15-weeks with Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth, I was presented with numerous opportunities to gain new skills and experience. 

I was fortunate enough to earn my Lean Six Sigma White Belt Certification, which was provided by the company. For most of my internship, I was tasked with organizing, managing, and presenting the X-330 process building Safety Hazard Identification Tracker. The purpose of this project was to combat many safety issues and concerns identified in the building prior to the start of deactivation work. This will allow the workers to complete their work more efficiently and safely in the long run.

At the start of my internship, I organized a list of objectives concerning what I wanted to learn from this experience that would help me later in my career. To ensure I came out of this internship a better contender for the job market, I prioritized gaining a better understanding of how work is done safely on DOE jobsites, expanding my knowledge of project management, and building lasting connections with my coworkers. Without Ohio University’s career development and classes to help further my professional development, these goals would have been unachievable.

Adam Kulwa leveraged Career Services and the Alumni Network

Second year master's student in civil engineering 

I interned at Paul J. Ford in Columbus, Ohio. They specialize in design, analysis and construction in different facets of Civil Engineering. They have a Telecom department and a Buildings department.  I interned in the Telecom Department that deals with the analysis, mapping and at times construction and foundation designs of telecommunication towers.

As a design structure intern, I started with loading, analysis of communication towers, then this progressed to starting from scratch. Most people do not fully grasp the role civil engineering plays in telecommunications. We have cell towers that are mounted with antennas and these antennas are put on things called mounts. As interns, we started out with the mounts with the antennas and then got to pick out what kind of mount would go on a particular structure and then in the end, we started doing designs of the entire structure as well.

I’m an international student so knowing how the industry works in America has expanded my horizon to bigger things.  It has given me a different perspective of civil engineering in terms of telecommunications. Being international, I felt like I had a “leg down” in terms of how and where to start but all throughout the Russ College building, I’d see flyers for career counseling and career guidance, so I decided to take advantage of this service.  I attended one of the CV workshops hosted by Career Services, met with the career coach in the Russ College and she helped me with my CV and connected me with two Russ College international alumni at Paul J. Ford. We connected on LinkedIn and later in the Spring I found out their company was hiring interns for the summer. I sent my resume, and eventually got the job. I think it really helped starting from career counseling and since then things have been looking way up from there.

Christopher Lawrence-White builds on recurring internship experiences with Toyota

Senior in mechanical engineering

This summer I worked in Purchasing Supplier Development (PSD), an essential division of the Toyota Motor Company that works out of the Research and Development HQ in Saline, Michigan. PSD engineers are responsible for ensuring the capability of suppliers in their manufacturing of vehicle components for mass production. This was my third summer working as an intern with Toyota and I have gained so many key skills during this time. This summer provided yet another opportunity for me to build on my past co-op experiences while tackling new and challenging tasks. The brunt of my work, this time in the functional division, was much more analytical. Most of my work ranged from on-the floor quality confirmation to qualitative capacity studies, the latter calling for me to lean heavily on my own understanding but to also become comfortable with asking in-depth questions. I was happy to have been able to get my foot in the door and better understand the industry before getting my degree. 

Ohio University has a plethora of resources that are made readily available for students who want to prepare themselves for the workforce. I strongly advise both new and returning students to get as much exposure as they can as it will benefit them tremendously in the long run. Also, I can’t stress the importance of networking enough as this was how I was able to secure my internship by a connection with an OHIO alum at NSBE’s National Engineering Conference.

Experiential learning opportunities at OHIO

Experiential learning opportunities such as internships offer students unique and rewarding chances to build on their academic knowledge by engaging in various aspects of their industry’s technical operations.

All OHIO students are strongly encouraged to complete an internship or co-op during their time on campus. It's also crucial for students to effectively document the skills and knowledge they gain from these experiences.

On Sept. 10, 2024, Career Services will host a workshop called Summer Stories: Transforming Internships into Impactful Resumes to assist students with reflecting on their summer experiences to enhance their resume.  The workshop will be held from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in Baker University Center 503 and is open to all students. Students will also get a chance to schedule one-on-one appointments with a career coach for a more personalized resume review. For more information, email rowea@ohio.edu. 

Career Services also offers 30-minute career coaching appointments to empower students to meet their goals. Dedicated career coaches are available to meet in person, virtually through Microsoft Teams, and over the phone.