Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

I was one of thirteen students selected for the MBARI Summer Internship Program in the summer of 2006. I worked with mentor Kanna Rajan on the MBARI autonomous underwater vehicles. I applied model-based fault monitoring and diagnosis concepts to the AUVs. I had the opportunity to go on two boat trips for AUV docking tests and obtaining ocean samples.

The Boeing Company

During the summer of 2005, I interned at Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) in Seattle, WA. I worked on materials and structures post-production analysis on 727 and 757 aircrafts. I had the opportunity to visit the Boeing Everett plant, the F-22 manufacturing facility, and the 777 engine plant, among other facilites. I also met the CEO of BCA at the time, Alan Mullaly.

NASA Kennedy Space Center

Each January, the Massachusetts Space Grant provides several students the opportunity to participate in the January Operational Internship Experience (JOIE). During January 2005, six students went to KSC. We analyzed how engineering designs affect operations in areas of International Space Station payloads, Space Shuttle vehicle assembly, and Expendable Launch Vehicle development. We visited the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Shuttle OPF, the Space Station Processing Facility, and the ELV facilities. Two students had the opportunity to sit in the cockpit of Space Shuttle Discovery, and I had the opportunity to go inside the ISS Node 2.

NASA Ames Astrobiology Academy

I am proud alumni of the 2004 Ames Academy. For most days of a week, I worked as research associate to Dr. Jeffrey Smith, and created a simulation testbed for robotic exploration of a Martian surface using physically based modeling techniques. I developed computer software using Visual C++ in conjunction with Arachi physics engine to simulate rovers on various terrains. During the rest of the week, the Academy pursued leadership and team building activities. We visited various places, including Desert Research Institute, Lick Observatory, NASA Johnson Space Center, NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Scaled Composites, Space Systems Loral, and MBARI. During the summer, we had over twenty seminars from leaders and experts of the space industry. We were also able to meet many interesting people, including Sean O'Keefe (NASA Administrator at the time), Peter Diamandis (founder of X-Prize), and Burt Rutan (founder of Scaled Composites).

NASA Glenn Research Center

During the summer of 2003, I interned at NASA GRC and worked on the International Space Station battery modeling under mentor Ann Delleur. I developing a new model for battery let-down. Analysis involved considering battery behavior, calculating stochastic life distributions, and modeling extended battery discharge behavior in FORTRAN.