This mold was created by Elena Rajan while she worked at Parker Hannifin.
For many students, summer break is spent traveling on vacation, taking a class or just hanging out by the pool. Others may spend some of that time working a job at the local grocery store or movie theater. However, several University of Mississippi engineering students spent their summer preparing for their future careers.
One such student is Christopher Tutor, a senior majoring in civil engineering with an emphasis in transportation engineering. A Como native, Tutor spent his summer completing an internship with the Mississippi Department of Transportation in Batesville, where he spent time working in the materials testing laboratory.
Tutor learned of the opportunity after attending the Engineering, Manufacturing and Technology Career Fair that is hosted biannually by the School of Engineering and the UM Career Center. He interacted with representatives from MDOT at the career fair and encourages students to participate in the event, which is held once in the fall and again in the spring semester.
“I submitted my resume to MDOT staff at the Engineering Career Fair on campus and informed them that I was interested in airfield layout and design,” he said. “After consulting with some of the MDOT engineers, I was contacted by the staff of the Batesville location and offered an internship.”
The experience was very valuable and allowed Tutor to get hands-on experience in areas in which he may choose to pursue professional opportunities in the future.
“I was able to successfully test materials that are being utilized within the soils and asphalt sections of any road construction,” Tutor said. “This allowed me to comprehend why different designs are established for different roads and intersections.”
As a result, he thinks he obtained knowledge and skills that enhanced what he has been studying in the classroom and increase his effectiveness.
Mechanical engineering senior Elena Rajan also said her internship experience helped her develop additional skills that cannot be learned in the classroom. Rajan, who is from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, recently finished her work as an intern with Parker Hannifin Corporation’s Racor Division in Holly Springs.
“My internship provided me with real industry experience and expanded my network,” she said. “I hope to work with design in the future, and this internship was one of my first step to beginning a professional career. Internships open doors for other opportunities in the future.”
Rajan encourages students seeking an internship not to give up if they do not land one right away.
She was made aware of the internship position via email communications from the university’s Career Center and its EmployUM system. Her work involved creating Inventor models, developing engineering designs using Inventor, releasing engineering change notices and innovating new mold designs for one of the production lines.
She recalled that learning a new computer-aided design program was a challenge, but one that she was able to master. One of her major accomplishments through the internship was designing molds for one of the production lines and producing SLA prototypes for the molds. According to Rajan, the company is in the process of acquiring quotes to produce the molds that she created.
Memphis native Kyle Weaver had an opportunity to intern in her own hometown. A senior chemical engineering major, Weaver was hired as an intern with Medtronic’s Spinal Division Headquarters, where she worked directly with the Environmental Health and Safety Department. Her experience included the ability to travel on behalf of the company.
“I was sent to the facility in Eatontown, New Jersey, to aid in chemical inventory and their ISO14001 impacts/aspects goals,” she said. “I also helped in FY16 planning for the EHS group and attended the first training session to receive my green belt in Lean Sigma training.”
Weaver said she was able to accomplish a great deal in the internship as well as learning more about herself and her career. She felt that the fast-paced atmosphere helped her jump in with questions and engage in research and problem-solving.
“After reviewing and updating water and electrical data and the costs associated with those utilites, I worked with an active DMAIC A3 template in order to reduce water consumption at their campus by 10 percent before FY20,” she said. “I was not completely sure about my plans post-graduation, but this internship showed me that the medical device industry is for me.”
Students such as Tutor, Rajan and Weaver have taken an important step in their undergraduate career to prepare for their future. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the top skills sought after by employers include the ability to work in a team, decision-making and problem-solving, planning, organization and prioritization of work, internal and external communication and technical knowledge related to the job. Internship and work experience directly related to a career field can allow students to gain those skills and bring their academic experiences into reality.