Posters and videos and graphics, oh my! Over 90 interns present summer projects at INL intern expo
IDAHO FALLS — Over 90 interns at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory will present the work they accomplished this summer during an expo on Thursday, Aug. 10.
So far this year, INL has hosted 337 interns from 81 universities. Students come to the lab from all around the country and the world, including 47 international interns from 14 countries.
INL internships are in high demand, with nearly 1,900 applicants this year. INL offers high school through university undergraduate and graduate-level students an interactive learning culture where they can get practical experience working with scientists, engineers and other experts in their field of interest.
Vault ranked INL as one of the top five 2017 Best Energy Internships, and GoodCall ranked Idaho Falls as one of the Best U.S. Cities for Summer Internships.
“We work to make the internship experience as valuable as possible,” said Michelle Thiel Bingham, University Partnerships director. “We follow an 80/20 philosophy. We encourage interns to spend 80 percent of their time at INL with their mentor and apply their classroom knowledge to real-life work, and to spend 20 percent of their time in enrichment activities like workshops or skill-building activities.”
INL offered more than 30 enrichment activities throughout the summer, including welcome breakfasts with senior leaders, Site tours, a science abstract writing class, a wilderness safety workshop, self-reflection workshops, a resumé and interviewing skills workshop, and the intern expo, where interns practice presentation and communication skills.
The expo, which is open to the public, will be held at the Energy Innovation Laboratory (EIL) meeting center. Along with traditional posters, interns will present digital posters and infographics. Entries are grouped into four categories:
- World’s nuclear energy future.
- Enabling clean energy development.
- Securing and modernizing critical infrastructure.
- Enabling INL business and support operations.
Six intern awards will be handed out, including first place in the four expo categories, best digital/graphic entry and best technical presentation. INL will also recognize the Mentor of the Year, an award given to an employee who has done an exceptional job working with students.
What: Intern Expo and award ceremony
When: Thursday, Aug. 10; 1 p.m. awards ceremony; expo immediately following
Where: Energy Innovation Laboratory Meeting Center, located at the south end of EIL, 775 University Blvd., Idaho Falls
