Hard work pays off at 2016 Sandia/California Intern Symposium

The summer internship season at Sandia/California culminated on July 28 at the 2016 Intern Symposium, an all-day event that showcases intern projects and gives students the chance to network with the rest of the Sandia community.

Undergraduate intern Rebecca Harmon (8351) presented one of 37 posters on display on the DISL patio. Her work this summer on uncertainty quantification was both an opportunity to expand intellectually and explore a career in the national labs. Standing proudly beside the poster was Moe Khalil (8954), who, along with Habib Najm (8351), served as one of Rebecca’s mentors.

 “Internships like this open up avenues for them after undergraduate work,” Moe says. “It highlights the avenues for doing research outside of academia. Especially for young engineers, the prospect of doing work that is outcome-oriented with a clear goal can be very appealing.”

After the poster showcase, seven presentations were hosted in the Combustion Research Facility auditorium.

This summer, Sandia/California hosted a record 184 interns. Intern program coordinator Nicole George (8522) says that the number of interns was equally matched by the support and excitement from staff throughout the season and at the symposium.