This summer, I participated in a short-term HIV/AIDS Outreach Virtual Project in partnership with Global Health Uganda (GHU). This project aimed to facilitate the exchange of information, education, and communication about the management of HIV/AIDS for prison inmates in Uganda. This project required doing background research and developing infographics to be translated and distributed to individuals in prisons. More specifically, my research was in regard to how HIV/AIDs is managed by prisoners and sex workers in LICs. Our… read more about Lexie Brzoska '25 - Project with Global Health Uganda »
Over this past summer I got the privilege to travel to Switzerland for Summer Session II as a part of the Duke in Geneva summer program. I was able to take classes in international business and the political philosophy of globalization. Two subjects I had no prior knowledge in WHATSOEVER. A particularly eye opening part of this experience for me was being able to read books in our curriculum about how economies arise and persist, but also seeing how these factors manifest in day to day life in a foreign country. Not only… read more about Genevieve Jean-Pierre '26 - Duke in Geneva »
I spent my summer of 2022 at Fidelity Investments’ Raleigh-Durham office, working as a full-stack software engineer. It was an invaluable opportunity that allowed me to gain practical industry experience and insights into the constantly evolving world of software development. I enjoyed my experience so much that I decided to return there for my summer 2023 internship, and although I was once again a full-stack developer, my experience could not have been more different! Having two varied experiences allowed me to broaden my… read more about Sharan Sokhi '24 - Software Engineer at Fidelity Investments »
This summer I had the amazing opportunity to participate in the Amgen Scholars Program at Columbia University in New York City. The Amgen Scholars Program is a fully funded research program that allows undergraduate students to conduct hands-on research in the lab alongside top faculty, participate in seminars and networking events, and take part in symposia with their peers and leading scientists. I worked in Dr. Christine Denny's lab, which focuses on studying the molecular mechanisms underlying learning… read more about Carmen Miller '25 - Amgen Scholars Program at Columbia University »
Over the summer, I conducted a 12-week research project with the Duke Cosmology Group. I specifically worked with Erik Peterson, a PhD candidate, and Dr. Dan Scolnic, to evaluate supernova 'siblings', which are supernovae within the same galaxy. A supernova is an extremely bright explosion which generally explodes the same way each time. We can use these bursts of light (which we deem 'standardizable candles') to measure distance and trace the expansion history of our universe. My project will be the first analysis of… read more about Arianna Dwomoh '24 - Research with Duke Cosmology Group »
This summer, I interned at SAS as a Technical Intern on the Cloud Engineering team. My team is primarily concerned with maintaining and improving the cloud-based services used to support and deploy the SAS Customer Intelligence software, though I was tasked with improving the development process for any new engineers on my team. Specifically, I was tasked with creating a brand new command line tool to streamline the development process so that new engineers could begin writing and deploying code for Cloud Engineering on… read more about Trevon Helm '24 - Technical Internship at SAS »
Over the summer, I had the incredible opportunity to work as a Post-Market Engineering Intern within the Supplier Engineering Team (specifically the Metals, Coatings, Facilities & OEM subgroup) at Cook Medical- a privately owned, global medical device company based in Bloomington Indiana. Cook Medical focuses on the design and manufacture of minimally invasive devices for various applications in healthcare. One common application includes the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). As part of the post-market… read more about Christian Pile '25 - Post-Market Engineering Internship at Cook Medical »
This summer I took part in Code Plus which was by Duke OIT. I worked in a team of five to develop a web app under the mentorship of Duke OIT professionals. We worked on essentially building a “data warehouse” for the institutional data at Duke like HR data, Student data and Card Swipe data. I learnt a lot during the program in regards to technical skills as well as how to work and collaborate in a team. I am a computer science major so I really enjoyed being immersed in the experience and having the freedom to build… read more about Hala Mohammed '26 - Code+ Program at Duke »
This summer I was granted the amazing opportunity to intern at Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters. I interned under the company’s Digital Security and Resilience organization for 12 weeks as a Technical Program Manager intern. This was my first PM-related role so I learned a lot about the functions of strategizing, planning, and collaborating in order to apply new security controls to Microsoft’s Azure cloud service. My team specifically interacts with other teams such as the Data Intelligence team to gain insight on security… read more about Mitchelle Mojekwu ’24 - Technical Program Manager Internship at Microsoft »
This summer I worked at BlackRock as a summer analyst. I was in the technology arm of the firm as an intern on the Aladdin Client Services team. Aladdin is Blackrock’s end to end investment platform. The Aladdin Client Services team works with clients that include respected investment institutions to solve their problems and educate users to improve client experience and improve Aladdin. During the course of my 10 week internship, I gained an in-depth understanding of Aladdin, various Aladdin clients, and the… read more about Alice Wu '23 - Summer Analyst Internship at BlackRock »
This summer, I did gravitational wave research at Caltech through the LIGO Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program. The LIGO collaboration is dedicated to detecting gravitational waves, which are ripples in spacetime that are caused by violent processes in the Universe. During the 10-week program, my research project focused on determining the feasibility of using matched filter searches for core-collapse supernovae. Gravitational waves have yet to be detected from core-collapse supernovae, so matched… read more about Pavani Jairam '23 - LIGO Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow at Caltech »
This summer I was pleased to work with Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy, the university’s leading research, education and engagement capabilities to inform policymaking and implementation for better health and health care. I worked at the Durham office for 10 weeks over the summer to research and make a case for a Medical Legal partnership at Academic Medical Centers, such as Duke Health. A Medical Legal Partnership (MLP) is an interdisciplinary collaboration between a medical entity such as a hospital… read more about Breanna Barrett '25 - internship at the Margolis Center for Health Policy »
This summer, I had the amazing opportunity to intern at Blur Product Development, a start-up in Cary, NC, that works on developing and manufacturing medical devices for clients. I worked in person as an R&D Engineering intern with a focus on electrical engineering. Throughout this summer, I had the chance to work on multiple projects, varying from those that were nearing the end of their development cycle and only had testing remaining, to those that were still having active research and iterative prototypes created.… read more about Riddhi Ranjithkumar '23 - R&D Engineering Internship at Blur Product Development »
This summer, I was able to work as a STEP Intern in the Google office in New York City. This was my second STEP internship with Google and my first in-person internship with the company, and I chose to return after interning virtually last summer to get a stronger feel for the company culture that I couldn’t really get through a computer screen. I soon found that culture to be particularly informal and encouraged creativity as well as a willingness to seek help, both of which helped make my internship a positive experience… read more about Jamael Smith '24 - STEP Internship at Google »
This summer, I had the pleasure of interning at Schneider Electric, a multinational company that works to power homes, buildings, data centers, etc., using sustainable energy technologies, automation, software, and services. I worked at the office in Morrisville, NC as a systems and testing engineer. This was my first internship, so it was my first experience applying what I have learned in my classes to industry and finding what aspects of electrical engineering I enjoy most. My main work this summer was focused on… read more about Jenna White '23 - Electrical Engineering Internship at Schneider Electric »
This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to intern at Truveta, a health-tech startup based in Seattle, WA. This was my second summer at Truveta, and I decided to come back because of how welcoming they were and the company culture, which focused a lot on growth and knowledge sharing. I was especially excited about this summer because I had the opportunity, unlike last summer, to intern in person. This was my first in-person internship since high school, so it was truly amazing and rewarding to get to experience living… read more about Arushi Bhatia '23 - Health-Tech Internship at Truveta »
Each year during the rainy season in the mountains of Bolivia, kids that attend school in the rural community of Japo must swim across a flooding river to get to class. Engineers in Action (EIA) serves communities across Bolivia, like Japo, where rivers become dangerous or impossible to pass, making education, healthcare, and markets inaccessible. By pairing college students with bridge projects in these towns, EIA facilitates both sustainable international development and technical and social learning opportunities for… read more about Sarah Bailey '24 - Duke Engineers for International Development »
This summer I had the opportunity to continue my research in the Becker Lab for Functional Biomaterials through the Duke University Chemistry Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship and SPIRE. Starting in January I shadowed and worked in the Becker lab, but had not yet been able to begin an official independent study or spend extended time in the facility. Dr. Becker offered for me to continue working with him and begin my own research project but was not able to provide a paid position. Through application guidance from… read more about Anna Davis '23 - Chemistry Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship »
After a year and a half of online classes, a virtual high school graduation, a virtual convocation and orientation at university and only interacting with others virtually, I was skeptical about doing a 9-week internship remotely. With zoom fatigue and social isolation setting in, I expected long workdays filled with socially awkward meetings where we would hide behind muted mics and turned-off cameras. However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this internship would not be what I expected. The InStep Global… read more about Sharan Sokhi '24 - Cybersecurity Internship at Infosys Limited »
With the use of SPIRE enrichment funds, I was able to purchase documentary equipment that I used to collect archival-quality interviews and oral histories beginning in the summer and continuing through this academic year. This work, which was conducted for my senior thesis in cultural anthropology, concerns questions of race, place, land, and inequality, particularly as they pertain to my family’s farm in rural Alabama. Thanks to the SPIRE enrichment funds, I am able to continue engaging with the data that I collected even… read more about Lucas Lynn '22 - Research for Senior Thesis in Cultural Anthropology »
This summer, I interned as a Global Markets Summer Analyst within the Sales & Trading division at Credit Suisse. My internship was ten weeks long with the first 8 weeks being virtual and the last two weeks being in-person in New York. It was an excellent opportunity to seek an intersection between my passion for finance, strategy, innovation, and analytics. The rotational nature of the internship allowed me to spend three weeks each on Global Execution Services, Global Credit Products, and Equity Derivatives. I… read more about Priya Parkash '22 - Credit Suisse Global Markets Summer Analyst »
I worked in the Haravifard Lab at Duke University this past summer. This physics lab, run by Duke professor Sara Haravifard, mainly focuses on the behaviors of quantum materials. We synthesize and analyze these materials for properties of special physical phenomena, such as superconductors. As an undergraduate researcher in the lab, I was tasked with beginning a project to create eight new materials. I also would help attend to lab maintenance, such as organizing and labeling chemicals in the lab. The entire process for a… read more about Riley Fisher '23 - Undergrad Researcher in Haravifard Lab »
Robotic Arm Control Through Algorithmic Neural Decoding and Augmented Reality Object Detection A brain-machine interface (BMI) is a device that uses neurally implanted sensors to translate brain neuron activity into commands capable of controlling external software or hardware, such as a computer or robotic arm. BMIs are often used as assistive living devices for individuals with motor, sensory, and/or verbal impairments. They can also restore more independence than voice-controlled prosthetics by eliminating the… read more about Sydney Hunt '23 - WAVE Fellow in Dr. Richard Andersen's Lab at Caltech »
This summer of 2021, I interned at Cook Medical as a quality engineer. The internship was remote, as were several things this summer due to COVID, but I am glad to say that it was an amazing experience, and I learned a lot. Cook is a family-owned medical devices company based in Bloomington, Indiana, and even though I was interning remotely in Raleigh, I was able to make connections that I will value for a long time to come. What I did this summer as a quality engineer at Cook: I was part of… read more about Simran Sokhi '22 - Summer Internship at Cook Medical »
This past summer, I utilized the SPIRE enrichment experience to intern for a company called Frontier Tower Associates. It is a telecom tower company centered in the Philippines with smaller operations in various Asian countries. I worked as a financial analyst, doing work like investment banking, as all my superiors had experience in that realm. At a large investment bank: technology, media, and telecom (TMT) is a business unit and I worked for a firm in which a bank would help grow their business. I worked on… read more about Qaiser Mahmood '21 - Financial Analyst Internship (Summer 2020) »
With SPIRE’s enrichment funds, I was able to spend my summer interning remotely with Advance Access & Delivery (AA&D), a global health non-profit focused on tuberculosis (TB) interventions. As the Health Policy and Writing Intern, I had the opportunity to tell stories for the Zero TB Initiative. One examples includes writing about how AA&D’s partnerships in Karachi, Pakistan leveraged existing TB-screening mobile X-ray vans to jointly diagnose TB and COVID-19 to help overwhelmed hospitals triage potentially… read more about Yuexuan Chen '21 - Advance Access & Delivery Internship »
I worked as an investment banking summer analyst for Rothschild & Co. What separated this internship from any other is that I was offered this position, reserved exclusively for rising-seniors, as only a rising junior—owing to the firm’s interest keeping me on board long-term: in fact, I was the only such intern at Rothschild in at least North America, if not the world. I worked on various projects ranging from a live deal, to constructing pitch decks, to managing a deal’s two-party database of confidential documents.… read more about George Sanchez '22 - Investment Banking & Venture Capital Analyst Internships (Summer 2020) »
This past school year, I used my enrichment funds to participate in the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Nationals Conference this past March! Through SPIRE, I was able to attend the conference and gain exposure to not only new peers studying similar disciplines in STEM to my own majors of Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science, but also industry members and potential mentors that attended the conference as a means of recruiting for internship positions! Walking away from the conference with an expanded… read more about Mimi Larrieux '22 - NSBE Conference (Spring 2020) »
I just attended my first Grace Hopper Conference, and I’ve never felt more inspired to continue in the computer science field. But truth be told, I haven’t always felt this way. Last year, when I was rushing Catalyst, Duke’s technology community, I couldn’t help but compare my own classes and intellect to the accomplished males who were also rushing. I couldn’t help but feel small in my computer science classes. So hearing a female engineer’s at first uncertain, then successful transition from being a new-grad into full-… read more about Natalie Tarn '22 - Grace Hopper Conference (Fall 2020) »
This summer I utilized SPIRE funds as well as a physics research fellowship to work on a high energy physics research project. The ATLAS experiment at CERN aims to find new physics by analyzing data from high energy proton-proton collisions. These collisions are observed via a shower of particles called a jet. One of the ways this is done is by “tagging” known jets that come from certain particles (such as quarks and gluons) in order to isolate abnormal jets. I have been working on creating an untrained jet tagger that uses… read more about Elliott Kauffman '22 - High Energy Physics Research Project (Summer 2020) »