As part of the Gemstone Honors College, I coded a data automation script for my research team; the skills I gained from this experience were directly applicable to the skills I needed to code Matlab scripts at Northrop.
Name: Ananya Uniyal
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Employer: Northrop Grumman
Location: Baltimore, MD
How did you find the internship/co-op? What was the interview process like? I found my internship on Careers4Engineers and submitted my resume for the Northrop Grumman internship position. I was then selected for an interview which was conducted over zoom. During my interview, I talked about my past experiences and answered numerous behavioral questions.
What have been the most interesting aspects of your internship? The most interesting part of my internship was being able to work on a variety of different projects. I got to work on the integration and testing of antenna tiles in a near-field antenna test range. I worked on various hands-on tasks in the range and wrote Matlab scripts to automate data collection. Another project I worked on was designing a high-altitude balloon payload layout in CAD, and 3D printing various fixtures for the payload components.
What campus activities or courses do you think helped you, or would have helped you, with this internship? I gained CAD and programming skills through the classes I took at the University of Maryland over the years. These classes helped me develop the skills I needed to design fixtures in CAD at my internship. As part of the Gemstone Honors College, I coded a data automation script for my research team; the skills I gained from this experience were directly applicable to the skills I needed to code Matlab scripts at Northrop.
Was there a formal program for all interns at the company? Was peer support available throughout the internship? Northrop Grumman has a formal internship program for all the interns within Space Systems. I was able to work with other interns and full-time engineers on various projects. The other interns and I were able to solve challenging problems together and successfully complete our tasks. I was also able to attend various intern events where I got to talk to Space System executives.
What advice would you give other UMD engineering students seeking an internship or co-op position? I would encourage UMD engineering students to attend the career fair to learn more about internship opportunities. This is also a great way to talk to recruiters and get your name out there. Also, Careers4Engineers has a ton of great opportunities and positions available to UMD engineering students.
Top