If you or your company has an interest in providing an internship, co-op, or other employment opportunity for BBE students, please contact Ulrike Tschirner to find out how to get involved.
Describe the work you did during your internship?
I performed investigations for improving the high sensitivity troponin kits which are cardiac markers for patients with symptoms of heart attack and other myocardial infarction. I also helped designed new protocols for the detection kit and performed various feasibility tests to risk assess the changes new protocols could bring.
What was the most interesting or impactful part of the internship?
Being able to work in FDA regulated setup and labs while meeting people in various departments such as characterization, verification, manufacturing and consumer line was definitely one of the highlights to understand how much goes into introducing a new product.
Did this internship give you insight into the kind of work you might pursue after graduation?
I have always been drawn towards the biological side of the major which is why being able to learn from internships through a practical setting is important. I was able to work in-person in the labs, which was a great way to learn what I wish to pursue after graduation.
Describe the work you did during your internship?
At Kimley Horn, I worked on a team, the Hydrology and Hydraulics which include Urban Storm water Modeling, design and planning including water quality management using BMPs, Solar Flood Study Analyses, Land and Storm water Permitting and Plans, Hydraulic Structures, Bridge Scour Analysis and Culvert Design, Dam and Levee Failure Analysis, and Floodplain Impact and Mitigation Analyses using FEMA and other sources. I had the opportunity to work on many projects related to Drainage Design, storm water drainage design for roadway projects using CAD and other software, Solar projects, Flood studies and design for solar projects in which GIS modeling, CAD deliverables and other intricacies, Majority Flood Study and Analyses, and 1D and 2D flood modeling and flood study designs using HEC-RAS and other software.
What was the most interesting or impactful part of the internship?
Going into this internship, I was interested in not only building my technical skills as an engineer with the different types of software used in the field, but building my communication and networking skills. Kimley Horn is a company that takes great efforts to not only integrate new and young engineers into their culture, but gives them the opportunity to grow as an engineer through individual and team based engagement. That could be through the use of new software or company lunches with higher up engineers. I found this incredibly impactful during my internship.
Not only did Kimley Horn have an incredible company culture in which it was an easy and friendly process for new hires to integrate into the company, but it has an incredible work/life balance. In addition, Kimley Horn fosters an incredible dynamic of inspiring and influential women in the field that felt truly impactful.
Did this internship give you insight into the kind of work you might pursue after graduation?
I was initially interested in working for Kimley Horn due to where my interests aligned. I am on Environmental and Ecological track of the Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering major, and as a result, Water Resources, Hydraulic and Hydrology Modeling, Sedimentation Analysis and Design in relation to water quality, Best Management Practices (BMPs), Erosion and Sediment Control, and Storm Water Quality Improvements were fields/disciplines that interested me.
As a result, this internship did give me an insight into the kind of work I wanted to pursue after graduation. In terms of the next step for myself, I am looking into full time opportunities from Kimley Horn after my senior year. A career goal in mind was to work more towards environmental engineering, as well as water resources or other disciplines of engineering in related ways. There are many opportunities I hope to take in the future, from enlisting in a leadership position, to developing myself as a well rounded engineer; having experience with various disciplines within the broad field of engineering and the Civil industries.
"Advice I would give to fellow students wanting to seek out an internship is keeping an open mind. Being open to different opportunities and new challenges is important when seeking an internship. In addition, having a goal of networking within your company, asking many questions, and staying engaged in any way is also important when seeking out an internship. Lastly, it is okay to not know everything."
- Treasure Agbonkhese
Describe the work you did during your internship?
I helped assist the maintenance department in varying big picture projects to help lower production costs, and create a safer work environment. I also helped manage over a department where I would schedule work, problem shoot manufacturing equipment and ensure mechanics were performing their day to day tasks.
What was the most interesting or impactful part of the internship?
The ability to network with varying individuals from the hourly workers to the VP's of Hormel.
"I highly encourage you to apply to all internships, even the ones that might not seem interesting to you. The job could turn out to be something you love."
- Ethan Pickering
Describe the work you did during your internship?
I developed a new test method for reverse engineering water based adhesives that is more efficient than the current practice. I developed the protocol for a method that used fewer tests and pieces of equipment to get a quicker glimpse at most of the major and minor components present at an accuracy within 2.5% of the formula composition by weight. My method offers the company a direct savings of 36 hours and $2,330 per competitive sample needing reverse engineering.
What was the most interesting or impactful part of the internship?
Where to begin... I loved getting to use concepts from my courses like organic chemistry, materials science, and even pulp and paper technology to work on problems that a company really cares about. It was empowering to see how my 12 week project could offer such an impactful competitive advantage to HB Fuller. The most impactful thing I gained, however, was a network of brilliant scientists who have mentored me and will continue to support me in my future endeavors.
Did this internship give you insight into the kind of work you might pursue after graduation?
Yes! I really enjoyed working in the analytical department where we worked to identify and solve problems with adhesive technologies used around the world in applications from health and hygiene to construction to computers and vehicles. One of my favorite parts of the internship was the opportunity to collaborate with other analysts on a wide array of projects. At any given time, analytical had 70+ projects ranked at different priority levels, keeping the work engaging and ever-changing. I appreciated the transient nature of the work and the variety of projects I was exposed to in just a short period of time.
"I found this opportunity at the CSE Career Fair where I met my eventual Manager. If you have any interest in working with HB Fuller, I would love to put you in contact with someone in Analytical or Research & Development who could tell you more about upcoming opportunities."
- Maddi King, [email protected]
Describe the work you did during your internship?
In my internship, I worked under the supervision of three project managers on the design of chemical feed systems for a water treatment plant, collection of sewage samples for monitoring, data analysis for a biological pilot, the preliminary design of a pipe loop study, and many more projects. I was able to contribute to the projects by composing technical reports, updating specification sheets, drafting preliminary drawings of process equipment for water treatment plants, etc.. The project managers that I worked under kept me very busy and gave me a great variety of projects in different design stages to work on. The variety I had kept me on my toes and excited to learn new things.
What was the most interesting or impactful part of the internship?
An interesting part of my internships was learning about the field of consulting firms. This involves chasing projects, maintaining good relationships with clients, writing proposals, winning projects, and then designing and implementing the projects. Through this process it becomes very evident that communication, good relationships, and so many other skills are important to being successful as an engineer at a company.
The first impactful part of my internship was making and giving a presentation of my experience to the entire office I worked in (this included the CEO and CFO of the company). This process helped me reflect on my growth over the summer, reflect on the goals I set with my supervisor at the start of the summer, and share with others all of the projects I was involved in. The second impactful part of my internship was the connections I made thanks to the fantastic work culture at AE2S. I got to meet and connect with people I never directly worked with through the company picnic, a volunteer event, over lunch, a panel discussion put together for the interns, and visits to construction sites.
Did this internship give you insight into the kind of work you might pursue after graduation?
Yes! I was really skeptical that I wasn't going to like water and wastewater design but had an incredible experience and found the work really enjoyable. Working with a mid level consulting firm also gave me insight of career routes within consulting, water resources work, and the type of environment that consulting work offers.
"My advice for fellow students looking for internships is threefold. First, keep applying to jobs, interviewing for positions, and trying new avenues even if you are deadly sick of it. Never give up! Second, utilize the resources that the College of Science and Engineering provides you including, resume review, practice interviews, cover letter review, etc. It is important to get a second pair of trained eyes so you can give your best to employers. Third, look for an internship that will provide you with the opportunity to learn and that will excite your learning. There is SO much to learn when working with a company and it is important to value the growth the position will provide you."
- Alli Graper