A piloted internship opportunity worked to ensure that experiential learning equates to student success. This past summer, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) provided a meaningful internship opportunity for eight students of various non-engineering disciplines at Virginia Tech.
“There’s a lot more to professional life that isn’t taught in a classroom,” said Miguel Perez, a research scientist at VTTI. “The ability to come into an organization, understand how it works and relate to the people in it—that kind of stuff follows you around forever.”
Thanks to years of development and funding from the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Virginia Tech, the opportunity was made available through Handshake during the spring semester of 2024. It was coordinated by Perez, who is also an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics.
During the program, the interns were matched with a department within VTTI that best suited their desired future professional field and given work based on their interests. They were also paired with mentor figures, who provided check-ins at the beginning, middle, and end of the internship.
“My internship aligned perfectly with my degree,” said Ruth Perkins, a senior studying technical writing. “I didn’t realize VTTI had a technical writing department, so I was able to work and do exactly what I want to do with my degree.”
Through a partnership with a similar program at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, interns were also able to take part in professional development activities. These included weekly seminars every Monday, where interns learned about a range of topics related to business and professional aspects of the academic research enterprise, such as grants management, human resources, facilities management, administrative leadership, policy, and advocacy. Seminars offered interns the chance to engage with each other, while learning more about the successful operation of premiere research institutes through a variety of guest speakers.
As part of the internship, students also had the opportunity to audit Career Development in Science, a course taught by Sarah Clinton, health sciences associate vice president for planning and strategy, that focused on professional development in the context of scientific research work. Clinton, who is based in Roanoke, helped lead a similar program at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute with a cohort of 11 students.
“I thought the course paired well with some of the other intents of the internship,” said Clinton, who is also an associate professor in the School of Neuroscience . “The internship is trying to open people’s eyes to different ideas and career paths. You are simultaneously being exposed to different professionals with expertise and thinking about what you want to pursue.”
Feedback from the student interns was overwhelmingly positive.
“VTTI is saving lives, time, money, and the environment. I like that I got to work with an institute that has an actual impact on real people and real things,” Perkins said. “I would absolutely recommend taking the opportunity if available.”
Perez said he hopes to provide the opportunity again next summer, which would be made available to students via Handshake during the spring 2025 semester.
In the students’ words
“I worked as a facilities assistant. My role was to maintain and support operations within VTTI. Throughout the internship, I have learned the importance that every role has in the success of an organization.” — Sarai Amaya, a third-year student studying environmental economics
“I was a project management intern and learned various aspects of the position, such as quality assurance of budgets, labor allocation, documentation, and project planning with PIs. This internship has reiterated the importance of communication and information sharing, and how necessary it is to ensure successful project oversight and collaborative, cross-functional teams.” — Nikolas Cullifer, a senior studying business information technology and operations and supply chain management
“During my internship at VTTI, I focused extensively on researching and understanding cyber risks, particularly within the realm of supply chain risk management (SCRM). My responsibilities involved studying various aspects of cyber threats and implementing strategies to prevent and mitigate these risks effectively.” — Michelle Curtis, a senior studying cybersecurity and management consulting analytics
“I worked under Matthew Casadonte and Sydney Silkroski this summer in the project management office. I largely performed database maintenance and report-building tasks for the Division of Data Analytics, but I was also encouraged to explore more statistics-focused work. This combination, plus the routine administration that I got to see on the day-to-day, has been great experience for working with data at a larger institution.” — Stephen Delotto, a senior studying economics
“At VTTI, I worked under Ginny Williams and Tammy Trimble as an intern for the STARS team to help research policy, sustainability, and decarbonization for projects such as the Dock-to-Door coalition. I really enjoyed my experience at VTTI and have learned so much about electric vehicles, sustainable freight, and how a successful team works,” — Amelia Giurintano, a senior studying environmental policy and planning
“I worked as a MarCom intern this summer. I was tasked with putting together social media campaigns, managing and tracking requested website updates, and writing news stories. If this internship has taught me anything, it is that the best work is the work that provides value for others. My work at VTTI feels like it has value. I’m also super thankful for the people I’ve gotten to work with.” — Jacob Henshaw, a senior studying marketing management
“At VTTI, I worked as an intern in the project management office. I helped multiple project managers with their assignments, mainly working on labor allocations, budget reports, meeting with principal investigators, and many others smaller tasks. This internship taught me about the ins and outs of research institutes, the importance of communication and proficiencies in different management skills for VTTI or any other business.” — Daniel Kim, a senior studying management
“As a technical writing and editing intern, I supported VTTI’s editing team in the editing of institute reports, proposals, journal articles, and other written documents to ensure grammatical correctness, improve clarity, and comply with style guidelines. I also helped develop informative descriptions of VTTI’s past research projects as well as proposal templates for future research projects.” — Ruth Perkins, a senior studying professional and technical writing
Written by Jacob Henshaw, marketing and communications intern for VTTI
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Local News
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