I feel like the rigor of the Bioengineering major really taught me how to meet deadlines successfully.
Name: Surabhi Singh
Major: Bioengineering
Company: National Institutes of Standards and Technology
Location: Gaithersburg, MD
How did you find the internship/co-op? What was the interview process like? I applied through USA Jobs around the end of January for the NIST SURF program. I did not have an interview, in fact. The supervisor reached out to me mid-March extending an offer, and I accepted!
What have been the most interesting aspects of your internship? Having the opportunity to present my research done at NIST at a professional conference. I was working on a Biophysics project, so I later presented my research at the Biophysical Society Conference in Philadelphia, PA this past year! It was such a great experience for my professional development, and I truly felt proud that my research was successful.
What campus activities or courses do you think helped you, or would have helped you, with this internship? Since the workplace was so fast-paced and my PI had many deadlines for me to meet, I feel like the rigor of the Bioengineering major really taught me how to meet deadlines successfully. During school, I handle difficult courses as well as being involved in various on-campus clubs, so being able to operate in a fast-paced work environment was nothing new to me.
What advice would you give other UMD engineering students seeking an internship or co-op position? Apply as early as possible! For the NIST SURF program, the applications were due March 1, but I applied by the end of January. This highlights your interest in the position and gives you a leg-up if decisions are rolling. Also, even if you're not an expert in the specific field of the job you're applying for, don't hesitate to apply! I did not know anything about the field of biophysics, but I still succeeded in my internship! It is all about having the will to learn.
I also gained a lot from being able to connect with the other interns and workers during my internship. Being a part of Theta Tau - Professional Engineering Fraternity, I gained the confidence to be able to strike up conversations with professionals and anyone in general. This helped me feel comfortable talking to experts at NIST because I had experience with talking to so many distinguished alumni in Theta Tau! Having that professional confidence and personality is something I am grateful to have.
Was there diversity among your colleagues within the department and throughout your internship/co-op experience? Yes! There were other interns of various majors and ethnic backgrounds. Same with the workers, there was an equal amount of males and females along with people of differing races.
Did the internship provide a solid education in professional ethics? If so, how? Definitely. At NIST, there was a heavy focus on ensuring all projects were completed ethically and followed a certain protocol. Because it is a government-affiliated company, the research being conducted there needs to be completely accurate.
Was there a formal program for all interns at the company? Was peer support available throughout the internship? Yes. In my department, the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR), there were 12 interns. Peer support was absolutely available. My PI was AMAZING! The other scientists were great mentors as well, and I made great professional connections.
How have your career or academic goals changed as a result of this internship experience? I realized that I am interested in joining a lab on campus because I enjoyed the ability to work on an ongoing project. I also realized I wanted to shift gears more towards mechanical/technical projects because the aspects of my research at NIST that involved data analysis and visualization were more interesting to me than the wet lab portion.
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