Internships and Industry Practicums

When looking for employment, students have discovered that employers increasingly demand significant practical work experience in addition to sound academic knowledge. The optional Internships and Industry Practicums provide opportunities for students to enhance their education by integrating their engineering knowledge with workplace practice. Internships are paid, full-time summer positions that typically also lead to part-time work during the academic year. The Industry Practicum program was recently established to allow students to complete eight contiguous months in a paid, full-time position. Students participating in the Industry Practicum would work in industry either during the spring/summer of their junior year or the summer/fall of their senior year, thereby extending their graduation date by one semester.

The students' academic and industry work experiences combine to produce a comprehensive learning experience that enriches their academic programs and adds direction to their career development. Participation in the Internship or Industry Practicum programs helps students to make intelligent, informed, reality-based career choices for the future.

Eastman Kodak Co.
Michael Tom '94
Analysis of fluid evaporation in sample metering tip. Analysis of evaporation in chemistry slide under various ambient conditions. Analysis of heat transfer of thermoelectric components in slide supply of a Blood Analyzer.

Bausch & Lomb
Frank Duver '94
Conducting research in mechanical properties of soft contact lens materials. Computer software development of user programs intended for material testing and contact lens fitting.

DELPHI (Formerly AC Rochester)
Michael McMillian '94
AC Rochester is the division of General Motors Corporation which is responsible for the design and implementation of fuel and emissions systems. My responsibilities include determining the cause and possible solutions to problems which arise with design components, primarily fuel injectors and related systems. Solutions could be directly related to an incorrect choice of a component material, or determining the source of a deleterious contaminant. In order to accomplish this task it becomes necessary to utilize every aspect of the multi-million dollar engineering facility. From the chemical analysis of a fuel contaminant to the electronic imaging of a surface at magnifications up to 180,000 times, attention to detail is crucial. Any evidence which is uncovered could lead to the solution to a problem which is costing the corporation hundreds of thousands of dollars.

DELPHI (Formerly AC Rochester)
Christopher Painter '94
The internship at AC Rochester, working in the Materials Science Lab, has been both an exciting and edifying experience. More specifically, working in the lab amongst very knowledgeable engineers and with an excessive selection of the latest equipment, has provided an excellent learning environment. The understanding of materials gained through the intern heightens the basic foundation laid by the introductory materials course and lab taken at the University of Rochester. The internship teaches a variety of methods for analysis, both quantitative and qualitative, destructive and non-destructive, while measuring properties using the various resources available. The assorted work actuated in the lab dealt with many of General Motors latest engine components varying from an electronic fuel injectors to an exhaust manifold; this provides an opportunity to see an array of materials ranging from polymers and elastomers to a plethora of metals. In addition to any analysis, standard procedures for documenting one's work and writing reports are other important and useful tools gained while working at AC Rochester. Whether one has a strong interest in the field of materials science or not, this internship offers him or her with valuable insight into real life engineering application and general hands on experience that can be both fun and enlightening.

DELPHI (Formerly AC Rochester)
Robert Asento '96
As a Materials Engineering intern at Delphi Automotive Systems I was exposed to all aspects of a modern materials laboratory. Duties included failure analysis on warranty returns, competitive analysis, and materials verification based on chemistry and mechanical properties. In order to carry out these tasks I learned how to operate analytical equipment such as the Scanning Electron Microscope, X-ray florescence, Vacuum Emissions Spectrograph, Carbon Sulfur Analysis, and Rockwell and Knoop Hardness Testers. All this information is invaluable to a Mechanical Engineer in any field.

DELPHI (Formerly AC Rochester)
Michael Eisenhower '97
My internship with Delphi was spent at the Henrietta Energy and Engine Management site. I was primarily responsible for examination of wear and contamination in fuel injectors. Throughout my internship, I was entrusted to the operation of a $300,000 Low Vacuum Scanning Electron Microscope and x-ray EDS system. I also spent time learning traditional metalographical sample preparation techniques form a few seasoned metallurgists.

Center for Optics Manufacturing
Custodio Ferreira '94
The Internship at COM consists of executing many experiments on the OPTICAM-SM, a state-of-the-art CNC controlled optics grinding machine. This is a hands on type of internship requiring the internees to assist in determining the best methods to execute most of the experiments performed. A typical experiment consists of cutting a set of optical lenses to given or wanted specifications on the OPTICAM-SM. The surface profile and the roughness of the finished lens is measured on a Zygo Mark IV and on a Zygo Maxim interferometer, respectively. The goals of the various experiments are very diverse. We have set up experiments to determine vibration effects, mechanical properties of the glasses, material properties of the cutting tools, the settings and conditioning of the machine, and random variables introduced by the operator that affect the performance of the OPTICAM-SM and consequently the finish of the optical lenses cut on it. At COM there exists an atmosphere of professional work and fun. Usually there is not a simple answer to any particular problem, therefore everybody gets involved trying to achieve the best solutions. Consequently everybody is important for the success of the various experiments and of COM. At the end of every month a Progress Science Report is published so everybody knows what everybody else is doing and what the agenda for the future is. This internship has been very interesting so far and I hope to continue working at COM building on my lab skills.