I was initially drawn to materials science and engineering (MSE) because of its versatility: everything uses materials! I liked the idea of having options to explore--whether it be engineering, product design, energy, or sustainability--but the flexibility makes it difficult to choose my favorite.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed learning about MSE in school. Many of my classes focus on the basics, which equips you well with transferable skills. Learning about fundamental theories and laboratory practices also gives me a good introduction to a breadth of topics. Through the years, I’ve enjoyed lab work the most out of any class sessions. I still vividly remember one of my first lab projects in freshman year, in which we tempered steel in a furnace to the point where it was brittle enough to snap with your bare hands! That being said, I was super excited about my project as a summer intern at Indium Corporation, hoping to explore new lab techniques and materials that I have never worked with before.

Overall, my internship project was pretty similar to class projects, both of which were a combination of literature review and lab-based experimentation for verification. However, there are two main differences that stick out to me.

First, any literature review I’ve completed for academic courses has included an overview of the theory and how widely it can be applied. In contrast, for my internship project, I specifically looked into works that have employed similar processes or alloy compositions. This makes my search for papers more streamlined and specific, and I’m putting Google Scholar’s advanced search to good use!

Second, there is a lot of room for exploration within my project at Indium Corporation. At school, when you’re completing a lab project, you know exactly what aspects of the process you’re changing and then specifically test for the expected changes. On the other hand, in a real-world project like this, you don’t know the specific causes of the results observed, and so each experiment and testing method needs to be planned thoroughly in advance, keeping the independent and control variables in mind. A school laboratory gives you clear-cut directions on how to reach the end point while in a real-world scenario, you’re embarking on a scavenger hunt, with some clues of course, but you still need to put two and two together.

I’m excited to take on the adventure and explore more advanced equipment that I have not been familiar with. I’ve mainly been working on digital microscopy, imaging the various samples that have been tested under different conditions. I was excited to get trained on this new equipment as it’s much more advanced than the microscope I’ve used at school. This machine has spoiled me--I’ll miss it when I’m back in school using a manual microscope!

Working individually on a project is another thing that stood out to me. For the lab work I’ve done in school, we’re usually organized in groups, which speeds up the process by having multiple people work on both the experiment and the report. However, understanding how I work individually through this internship project is a valuable learning curve. I am excited and grateful for this opportunity, seeing how my efficiency and confidence have progressed over the weeks. The adventurous side of me also loves the flexibility and exploration that come with it.

Outside of my project, I’ve also enjoyed touring the three manufacturing facilities. This was my first time seeing a manufacturing floor–I was introduced to some of the processes through my classes but seeing them all come to life at the facilities was a unique experience. For example, seeing the difference between small scale casting at my school’s lab and witnessing it at a much larger scale here was interesting.

Beyond its technical aspects, MSE drew me in because of its close-knit community. As one of the smaller engineering departments, MSE students at my school have the unique opportunity to work in smaller groups and connect with both peers and professors more frequently. Academics aside, community has been an important factor in my life, as I continue to delve into new environments. Connection is an important theme in my life, whether that be with people or places I interact with. For that reason, as I discovered how close-knit the community at Indium Corporation was, it excited and impressed me deeply. The internship program also presented valuable opportunities to make new friends and build connections in this area (which I knew nothing about as a non-local). It has been great getting to know the other interns both in and out of the office. Since we’re all from different schools, I have had so much fun hearing about their journeys. I’ve also enjoyed getting to know the people working in the various facilities–it’s so nice to see familiar faces when you walk around, right? Everyone being so welcoming has definitely made my transition into a new role and a new environment easier.