Author Archives: Christian Zavisca

Zhuoran Hu ’21: Tsinghua Urban Planning Institute

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Name: Zhuoran Hu
Class Year: 2021
Major: Mathematics, Growth and Structure of Cities
Hometown: Beijing

Internship Organization: Tsinghua Urban Planning Institute (THTF Co.)
Job Title: Intern
Location: Beijing

What’s happening at your internship?

My internship is related to smart cities, transportation, and big data. The team that I joined is currently working on an artificial intelligent system named Insight (or called Hui Yan Da in Chinese). This product is mainly used to improve or further solve some existing problems in China’s highway network system, such as lack of hardware equipment as well as intelligence. Currently, a large number of monitoring video images can only be observed and identified by human eyes, so some emergencies cannot be timely detected, which leads to under-reporting. At the same time, some traffic information is not interconnected and shared.

A large number of real-time traffic data collected by the system are sealed and idle. The current situation makes it difficult for the government and the police to manage traffic networks effectively. It is hard to make predictions as well as to identify and deal with emergent traffic accidents at first. The team is able to use machine learning techniques to form some models that can automatically analyze traffic problems. The goal of the product is to improve intelligent traffic management and service capabilities. Most of our clients are local government and some police offices or security departments. People in our group have pretty diverse backgrounds and have different responsibilities. There are people in charge of collecting, selecting, and categorizing different types of data (mostly images of roads or highways). There are also people who build models and test those models. My work is more similar to the first type because of my lack of knowledge in computer science, especially in algorithms. My other work includes preparing materials for conferences, taking notes, and organizing some team-building events. I also make phone calls, participate in group discussions, and brainstorm with other team members. We are trying to train and improve the model so that it can detect more kinds of traffic accidents even under a dark environment with a bad network connection.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I applied because I want to explore what kind of jobs that I can do with my background in both math and cities. I find organizations or occupations related to smart cities will be a good fit because it is interdisciplinary. I am interested in cities and how people circulate around the city. This internship touches many topics that I am interested in, including transportation and data.

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect?

Before I came to this internship, I thought the concept of smart cities is more related to the field of urban planning or urban studies. But actually, the concept of smart cities is based more on computer science instead of urban studies. To succeed in this field, people not only need to have some knowledge about cities, but also need to become an expert in computer science as well as have a deep understanding of algorithms. I believe that if I am good at coding, I will be able to explore more in this internship.

Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?

I am learning the company’s own software that is used for data annotations. I am also learning the company’s own chat tool that people can use to send large documents and images to each other. I think this experience provides me inspirations and gives me a better understanding of software developments.

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced at your internship?

I think the biggest challenge is to wake up early. I need to wake up at 7 a.m. and leave my home at 7:30 a.m. in order to arrive at the company before 8:30 a.m. The fast pace of the company is also a challenge, because everyone needs to finish a lot of work in a limited time. I think my experience at Bryn Mawr prepared me for the work. I already learned how to work efficiently and multi-task.

Carlie Hansen ’21: Operations Intern for U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth

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Name: Carlie Hansen
Class Year: 2021
Major: Biology + Political Science
Hometown: Chicago

Internship Organization: Office of U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth
Job Title: Operations Intern
Location: Washington, D.C.

What’s happening at your internship?

As the operations intern, I have one of the more dynamic roles within the internship cohort and the senator’s office as a whole. I have worked in every department so far this summer, including communications/press, admin, legislative, and scheduling. Basically, wherever the office staff can use extra hands or an extra brain, I’m there. The teams I work most closely with, however, are the administrative team, where I sort mail or review voicemails, and the legislative team, where I assist the environment and energy policy staffers. On a daily basis, I also engage with the senator’s constituents over the phone and when they visit the office, recording their legislative opinions and assisting them in connecting with caseworkers in the senator’s state offices.

Why did you apply for this internship?

Senator Duckworth is one of my home state senators, and has been a huge inspiration to me as I’ve started thinking about a career in politics, so it seemed natural to pick her office to apply to intern in. For a while I’ve had an interest in working on the Hill in D.C. after I graduate, so I figured applying for a congressional internship would be the best way to see if I wanted to build my career here. Prior to this summer I also received advice that an internship on the Hill in some ways serves as an extended job interview, as the connections you make and reputation you build while interning can help you get a job later on.

Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?

This internship first and foremost has been an opportunity to polish my writing, speaking, and Excel skills. I’ve gotten to develop intrapersonal skills working in group settings and with a variety of teams within the office, and learned how to engage with the senator’s constituents. In the bigger picture, I’m learning about what it means to represent a constituency and how to do so effectively and diplomatically. With that, I think it is important to recognize that any elected official represents people who hold a variety of beliefs, not just those who share their views. Throughout my internship I’ve gotten to see how the senator takes into consideration the views of her constituents without compromising her own beliefs when it comes time to make decisions.

Was this internship what you expected it to be?

I didn’t have a lot of expectations about the internship going in, especially because I had no idea what an operations intern did in the grand scheme of a congressional office. I also have had to constantly think on my feet, as no two days are ever the same on the Hill. But going into the internship with no expectations has let me take better advantage of any learning opportunity that I’ve encountered so far — I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer holds!

Emily George ’21: Sociology of Sport Research with David Karen

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Name: Emily George
Class Year: 2021
Major: Sociology
Hometown: Wilmette, Ill.

Internship Organization: Sociology of Sport Research Project with David Karen, Chair and Professor of Sociology, Bryn Mawr College
Job Title: Research Assistant
Location: Bryn Mawr College

What’s happening at your internship?

Currently, I’m working on a few mini-assignments under the umbrella project of researching the benefits and possibility of the “all sport for all” model! Right now, my main focus is researching how the six major confederations of FIFA regulate recruiting in order to maintain competitive balance among the teams. Other than that, I’m looking at how the UN’s Centre for Sport and Human Rights is working towards creating a global respect for sport as a human right and a tool for peace building. On top of these projects, I do some speed-reading and summarizing of books and articles for DK!

Why did you apply for this internship?

I applied for this internship because I felt it would give me the opportunity to explore and experience what a large-scale, long-term research project is like. Furthermore, I felt that it would allow me to obtain and practice many research skills that will be highly beneficial for the remainder of my college career and beyond! Finally, the topic sounded fascinating, so I was thrilled to have the chance to get involved.

Was there anything special about how you found this internship?

In the fall semester, I had asked DK if there were any research opportunities in the Sociology Department, as I was hoping to gain hands-on research experience outside the classroom. At that point, there were no research assistant positions available. However, in February, I received an email from DK explaining that he was planning on conducting research for a book on sociology of sport and asking me if I’d like to discuss the possibility of joining his project as a research assistant for the summer. Naturally, I was thrilled to have the opportunity and expressed my excitement immediately.

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

This is very small, but I have my own office and key to all the rooms in Dalton, which is very fun!

Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?

I believe that the research skills I am gaining will be useful in all my classes going forward, as well as my thesis. Outside of hard skills, I am certain that the other soft skills I am honing, such as persistence, time-management, organization, dedication, and drive will be beneficial in my college years and beyond! I am incredibly grateful to have this opportunity because I feel as though it is helping me grow as a student, researcher, and person.

Tania Feliz Soto ’22: Bosak Lab, MIT

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Name: Tania Feliz Soto
Class Year: 2022
Major: Geology
Hometown: Boston

Internship Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bosak Lab
Job Title: Research Affiliate
Location: Cambridge, Mass.

What’s happening at your internship?

Here at the Bosak Lab, researchers study the development of early life on Earth and use modern organisms to model and understand life that can now only be found on the geologic record. I have been working on research regarding stromatolites, which are believed to be evidence of the earliest life on Earth⎯ cyanobacteria. Modern Cyanobacteria exist today in very limited environments where extreme conditions prevent other life from thriving. One such location is Shark Bay, Australia, where hypersaline waters act as the perfect shelter for cyanobacteria. Here, cyanobacteria called Entophysalis form pustular colonies strikingly similar in shape and texture to some 2.6 billion year old stromatolites. We know that in these ancient stromatolites, silica is present in the form of chert and seems to play a role in preservation. In the lab, we run experiments where Entophysalis and other modern cyanobacteria are exposed to a silicified ocean environment similar to the ancient environment to better understand their interaction with silica, how they fossilize and what factors contribute to the fossilization.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I sought this opportunity because I am interested in pursuing geology. However, I’ve come to understand that it is a broad and interdisciplinary field. I want to learn more about the connections between geology and other sciences, in this case biology, so that I can find specific area that I would like to focus on in the future.

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced at your internship?

One of the biggest challenges I have encountered so far is reading scientific literature to understand the background and scope of the research I’m doing. It has proven difficult since you have to put the information of the different papers together specially when forming connections between ancient life and the present. Also using this information in my own ideas has been difficult since not all experiments are logistically possible within the short time I have this summer.

What is most rewarding about your internship?

What I’ve found to be the most enjoyable aspect of this internship is the guidance I have received from the graduate student I’m working closely with. I appreciate the balance in learning and independence since I’m encouraged to pursue my own ideas using the lab techniques and information I’ve learned. Although challenging, the research has been fun and stimulating as I have met people who are very excited about their research and eager to learn more.

Morgan Coursey ’20: Pennsylvania Prison Society

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Name: Morgan Coursey
Class Year: 2020
Major: Sociology
Hometown: Wayne, Pa.

Internship Organization: Pennsylvania Prison Society
Job Title: Summer Internship
Location: Philadelphia

What’s happening at your internship?

At my internship thus far, I have been responding to letters and calls from incarcerated people and their families, processing Official Visitor requests (volunteers from the Prison Society who have unsolicited access to speak to incarcerated people and prison officials to ensure humane prison conditions) and I have been helping with the upcoming issue of the organization’s bimonthly newsletter, Graterfriends.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I applied for this internship because I respected the deep history (which I have since learned more about) behind the Prison Society, and after tutoring at the Glen Mills School with the Petey Greene Program, I was looking for an opportunity to work with incarcerated people and their families. I also found that the work the Prison Society does helps to highlight, in a material sense, many of the sociological and philosophical phenomena that I have discussed at Bryn Mawr.

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect?

When I first started reading letters from prisoners, I was really surprised about what goes on inside of our state’s prisons. Though I understand that there are limitations and challenges in prison distinct from those in the outside world, it was really disheartening to read about people not receiving adequate or timely medical care for serious health issues, being assaulted, filing grievances and being ignored, having mail withheld or tampered with, losing touch with family and friends, being forced into solitary confinement, and just feeling ignored and forgotten.

What is most rewarding about your internship?

I think the most rewarding aspect of this internship so far is being able to provide people with hope. Just this past Friday, a woman wrote in from a county jail and shared that she had gotten engaged exactly a year ago. She mentioned that she and her fiance were previously using drugs and were on the streets. She was looking for information about how they could get married, as they are incarcerated in the same prison. Finally, she wrote that she did not have anyone on the outside that she was in correspondence with that could help them. I was fortunate enough to be that person on the outside to get back to her with some information about how she might be able to apply for a marriage license or even have a ceremony in prison.

Even though I know as an organization we cannot solve all the problems of the people who contact us, just being able to correspond with people who need and deserve a listening and understanding ear is really special. I am looking forward to learning more about the history and philosophy behind the Prison Society, prison conditions today, and finally, what we as both an organization and as individuals can do to ensure that conditions are humane inside of our prisons.

Katherine Mallea ’20: Chemistry Research, Stonehill College

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Name: Katherine Mallea
Class Year: 2020
Major: Biology
Minor: Chemistry
Hometown: Brockton, Mass.

Internship Organization: Stonehill College, Department of Chemistry (under Professor Louis Liotta)
Job Title: Bio-Organic Research
Location: Stonehill College (North Easton, Mass.)

What’s happening at your internship?

I am learning how to organically synthesize/create compounds of interest. Each day I am tasked with continuing the synthesis, in that I am purifying, extracting, reacting, etc., my compound from commercially available sugars in hopes of obtaining pure novel (either never been synthesized or never been documented) sugar analogues. In that with each new synthesis I begin, I am continually documenting observations of the reaction, while using my data to modify the reaction in a way that produces either a purer product, or a product with a better yield, than in a previous written producer of the reaction. Each day differs from the previous and is ever changing.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I had been wanting to work in a laboratory as a researching student, whether that be in biology or in chemistry. But, during the middle of my first semester of organic chemistry, I was falling in love with the subject. While in lab, I felt as though I was not truly able to enjoy the synthesis process as much, as my main goal in the course was to do well, in juncture with my group. I felt comfortable in the lab setting as I had volunteered in an organic chemistry lab one summer during high school. The organic chemistry labs were either at capacity or had chemistry majors in queue (as I am only a minor). Thus, I used one of the connections I had made previously and with the help of LILAC I was able to apply to my first internship!

Was there anything special about how you found this internship?

Yes! As I mentioned previously I was given the amazing opportunity to volunteer with the ACS program project SEED a summer in high school! Although as a high school student who had never taken an organic chemistry I was not able to truly grasp the work that I was doing. But then, as I was using the laboratory equipment during the lab course of the organic chemistry course, I recalled first learning how to use the machinery years prior, and took a chance by emailing the professor of the lab I was able to volunteer in.

Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?

Having the opportunity to work in a research laboratory, I will be able to solidify my understanding and knowledge of the mechanisms I had studied in class. I will be able to go beyond the classroom and lab, in that I will be able to run the machinery and lab tools independently, as well as work independently (although the professor and lab students are present), which allows me work on problem solving, as organic synthesis is truly a puzzle. Where the mechanisms are the puzzle pieces, and the solutes and solvents are the images on each piece, that guide you to piecing everything together. But also, I am gaining experience in how to operate in a lab, which will be a stepping stone for many other opportunities and internships in the near future.

Phoebe Cribb ’20: Progressive Policy Institute

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Name: Phoebe Cribb
Class Year: 2020
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Chorley, United Kingdom

Internship Organization: Progressive Policy Institute
Job Title: Education Policy Intern
Location: Washington, D.C.

What’s happening at your internship?

This summer I am working at the Progressive Policy Institute on a project focusing on Charter Schools and Innovation school networks. Through researching, policy briefings and meetings, I am producing a “how-to guide” for state legislators and districts about creating effective innovation schools, as well as model legislation. My research is based on models that have been successfully implemented in Indianapolis, Memphis and Denver, and how these models can be expanded. In addition, I attend policy briefings and events on Capitol Hill, write blog posts for the PPI website, and keep up to date on the latest education policy news.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I am passionate about education policy and I wanted to be able to learn about how legislation is researched, created and enacted in D.C. I also wanted to experience how an influential policy think tank functions on a day to day basis. Through participating in the Bi-Co education program I have been able to observe various K-12 classrooms in Philadelphia. Therefore, I wanted to see how my understanding of the classroom compared to federal policy initiatives. I also wanted to take this opportunity to explore D.C. and connect with other interns in the city.

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

My favorite part of my internship has been working in a small, collaborative environment. PPI is one of the smaller think tanks in D.C., so I get to work closely with really influential policy researchers and writers. Also, every Friday we have intern lunch day, which I look forward to every week. The main topic of discussion in the office has been the 2020 presidential election.

Can you give us three adjectives and three nouns that describe your internship experience?

Adjectives: Enlightening, fast-paced, collaborative
Nouns: Coffee, LinkedIn, The West Wing

Amelia Thomas ’20: Victor’s Vision

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Name: Amelia Thomas
Class Year: 2020
Major: English
Hometown: Richmond, Va.

Internship Organization: Victor’s Vision
Job Title: Event Intern
Location: All around Philly

What’s happening at your internship?

So far, my internship has been centered around venue hunting. I’ve never had to search for venue spaces, let alone a space big enough for up to 125 guests in attendance, and therefore have been keeping myself rather busy. I’ve been touring a few promising spaces I find in person, as well as talking with event planners and managers at dozens of possible spaces I’ve found through online research. I’m now about to get started working towards finding donors and sponsors. I’ve nailed my elevator pitch for the organization, as well as a longer, in-depth explanation of the work we’re doing, all in order to find people who aren’t just willing to help us, but who are excited and proud to be a part of our mission.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I applied for this internship because it ticks off all three directions I can see a future career following: education, nonprofit work, and event planning. Victor’s Vision is a nonprofit that works to provide an equal opportunity for education in Central and Latin America. Currently, they are based out of Chulucanas, Peru, and have a school running that is giving students a holistic approach towards education. My internship, then, is to plan their largest annual fundraiser, Viva la Vision. I’ve been interested in education for a few years now, working through if I want to go to grad school post-BMC to get my master’s in education, and therefore, become a teacher. I’ve also been interested generally speaking in nonprofit work, and what nonprofits have to do in order to thrive and complete their mission(s). Finally, I’ve also been on and off thinking about event planning, not sure exactly what that means related to education and/or nonprofit work, but now I’ve seen the three come together.

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect?

Something I’ve learned from this internship that I didn’t expect is how expensive it is to plan events! This might sound silly, but since I’m interested in a career pursuing this, it’s important that even the smallest things have me learning. Most venues aren’t priced out for nonprofits, they’re priced for weddings and larger corporate celebrations — therefore,  trying to find a place that is happy to work with a limited budget has proved difficult!

Was this internship what you expected it to be?

Yes, and no. I’ve been doing a lot more individual work than expected, but I also work really well with that, and therefore it’s exciting that it’s different than expected in that sense. However, the tasks I’ve been working on, and the ways in which I’ve been learning to communicate about the organization and communicate with venues and donors, have been exactly as expected.

Ricki Su ’20: Bank of America

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Name: Ricki Su
Class Year: 2020
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Beijing

Internship Organization: Bank of America
Job Title: Software Engineering Intern
Location: Pennington, N.J.

What’s happening at your internship?

I’m part of a technology team that aims to build an NLP (natural language processing) platform for data scientists at the bank. Currently, I am at the base team that develops utilities for other development teams of the project. I am also looking at an internship-long task that implements parallel processing for the project.

Why did you apply for this internship?

As a CS major, I always want to apply my skills and knowledge learned at Bryn Mawr to build something useful, for individuals, or for corporations. I believe this kind of experience at an international company will broaden my vision and take my understanding of software engineering to another level.

Was there anything special about how you found this internship?

A big shout-out to Grace Hopper Conference, an event that happens yearly, and attracts thousands of people who support women in technology to attend. I went last year and participated in the huge career fair that they organized. I was offered the opportunity to have onsite interview with engineers, and I got my offer a few weeks after the conference. It was an amazing experience to feel the vibe, to feel supported, and to support other women in tech.

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

Being just two weeks into this internship, I love how demographically diverse and interesting the interns are at my team. Female have always been underrepresented at tech roles, and I am excited to see that including me, four out of six interns are female.

I can see the bank’s effort towards diversity and inclusion. Besides, everyone is funny and pleasant to work with, which makes me feel really lucky about being placed into this team.

Bank of America Pennington campus.

Chloe Liu ’21: EMILY’s List

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Name: Chloe Liu
Class Year: 2021
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Princeton, N.J.

Internship Organization: EMILY’S List
Job Title: State and Local Campaigns Intern
Location: Washington, D.C.

What’s happening at your internship?

EMILY’S List is a political action committee that is focused on electing pro-choice democratic women to all levels of government. EMILY’s List is the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, and it has raised over $500 million to support pro-choice Democratic women. I am currently interning in the State and Local Campaigns department, which trains and supports candidates and their campaign staff. My day-to-day work includes compiling and writing background research on candidates and races, communicating with state and local candidates to aid them with administrative tasks, and attending staff meetings.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I applied for this internship because I know the importance of electing pro-choice Democratic women to state and local legislatures. I believe that state legislatures have the most influence on constituents’ day-to-day lives. Issues such as choice, healthcare, water quality, and school budgets can be affected by local legislatures. I believe that it is important to elect women who will champion progressive change.

Living in a new city? What has that experience been like for you?

This is my first time living in a city and I love it! I’m adjusting to casually walking past national monuments when crossing the street and watching motorcades zoom past me on my way back from work. Currently, I have two major goals: 1. Go to all the free museums 2. Find every vegan bakery in the area.

What is most rewarding about your internship?

The most rewarding aspect of my internship is that I know that every piece of work that I do is meaningful. Although it is sometimes difficult to imagine the impact of the work that I am doing behind a computer screen, I know that every project I complete will help elect a candidate into office.