SRNL HIGHLIGHTS:
Interns Gain Valuable Research Experience

For one group of students, summertime meant time to head into the laboratory, the reading room or out into the field, to contribute to research projects that support the nation’s national and homeland security, energy security, or environmental management.

This summer, more than 60 students - undergraduates through post-doctoral students - participated in internship and student programs at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River National Laboratory.  The students came from all over the country, representing schools as far away as Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, Arizona State University and the University of Idaho, with many from South Carolina and Georgia. Each was paired with a mentor from SRNL’s research staff and given one or more projects to work on.  These projects support the Laboratory’s work on behalf of DOE and the nation, while preparing the students to eventually take their place as the future of science and technology. Many of the students and mentors also value the internships as a pipeline for potential future employment at SRNL.

While most internships take place during the summer months, local internship participants and post-doctoral participants may remain year round.

“We have two objectives,” says Dr. Rich Dimenna of SRNL’s Process Modeling and Computational Chemistry Department, who is mentor to one of the interns.  “The principle one is to challenge and help develop a student.  The second objective – which is lesser, especially with beginning students – is to get some useful work out of them.  We’re accomplishing both.”

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