Benefits of Student / Industry Internships
BAE enjoys a positive relationship with industry that creates great opportunities for students through internships. Partnering employers with students helps develop the student's skills working in an engineering arena and helps industry identify up and coming graduates who they may want to invite to join their team. Undergraduates who experience internships return with a sense of reality and they feel acknowledged for their contributions.
Here is what our students have to say:
Shelley Vecchio - Kellogg Company
During my three months at the Kellogg Company, I worked in the Snacks Department of the Research, Quality and Technology Division. I was very fortunate to visit production plants all over the country to see how several of Kellogg's products are manufactured including Pop-Tarts, Nutri-Grain Bars, Murray's Sugar Free Cookies, Hydrox Cookies, Cheez-Its, Austin Sandwich Crackers, Raisin Bran Crunch, Rice Krispies Cereal, Fudge Shoppe Filled Cookies, Sensations Cookies, Soft Batch Cookies, and Frosted Shredded Mini-Wheats. It was quite an eventful summer! My experiences at Kellogg has helped to mold me into a better engineer.
Tyler Wright - ConAgra Foods
IInternships are a great stepping stone from the academic world to the industry. My summer internship with ConAgra Foods was invaluable, offering a clear picture of a process engineer's role. I was entrusted with the operation of a multi-million dollar pilot-scale system and was able to gain experience in construction management, production start-up, and troubleshooting and optimization. I made friends with several other interns and was able to communicate with them for advice and opinions during the job decision process. Successful completion n of the internship was awarded with an offer for a full-time position, which was eagerly accepted.
ChelseaPeterson -Terumo Heart, Inc.
As an engineering intern at Terumo Heart, Inc. (Ann Arbor, MI), I aided in refining a heart assist device designed to treat end-stage congestive heart failure. By applying the skills I learned in the MSU Biosystems Engineering program, I gained an understanding of the field of biomedical engineering and a lasting professional experience
Jonathan Biron - Sandia National Laboratories
As an engineering intern at Sandia, I aided a multidisciplinary team in gathering information about renewable energy systems and developing new ways of using renewable energy in remote areas of the Midwest. My internship was unforgettable from the pristine landscape to the lives the renewable systems impacted. This educational and memorable experience will help guide me through my future endeavors in the renewable energy field.
Eric LaChapelle - Lockheed Martin
I worked as both a systems engineer and test engineer in the Integrated Systems and Solutions sector of the company. Because of Lockheed Martin's role in national security research and implementation, the company was interested in students with a systems approach to engineering and an interest in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Michigan State's Biosystems Engineering program gave me experience in both of these areas. Upon completing my summer internship, I was offered a full time position as a systems engineer. I gladly accepted, and I am looking forward to being a part of the Lockheed Martin team after graduation.
Matt Lindsay - Chore Time-Brock
My summer internship was a valuable real-world learning experience. As an engineering assistant in the Egg Production Systems Division, I tested egg collectors; in the engineering shop, I made and assembled various parts for egg production systems. I evaluated manure drying systems and designed, prototyped and tested parts for collection system improvements.The internship was a very valuable learning experience for me. The industry is the only place to learn the value of performance and flexibility.
Shane Bennett - Spicer Group, Inc
My engineering internship with Spicer Group in St. Johns gave me experience that expanded my understanding of water resource issues. As an engineering intern, I assisted the Governmental Services Group, which provides watershed management engineering design and construction management services to federal, state, and local governments. I also worked with the Surveying Group on projects ranging from simple property surveys to topographic surveys needed for road and bridge design, storm sewer design, and for the mapping of flood prone areas.
For more information on establishing an internship relationship, please contact Hope Croskey, our Career Resource Center Coordinator, croskey@msu.edu, 517-432-8795.