Internships and Other Experiences | Graduate School | SIU

Graduate students across campus participate in internships and other practical, professional experiences as an intricate part of their programs of study. An internship or other professional experience might be a requirement of your program, or it might be optional. Consult your advisor. To learn more about internships and other experiential education, make an appointment at the SIU Career Development Center.

Examples of SIU graduate students and their professional experiences

Student: Jordan R. Mays

Major: Outdoor Recreation Leadership Management

Internship: SIU Touch of Nature Environmental Center

Comments: “I completed my internship as the trails manager for Touch of Nature Environmental Center. During this time, I gained valuable transferable skills that are helping me earn a career with the US Forest Service. Some of these skills include designing sustainable trails, volunteer management, and professionalism. After this hands-on experience, I feel that I am equipped with the necessary skills to transition into a successful career-caring for the land and serving people.”

Student: Prasanna Dnyaneshwar Patil

Major: Ph.D. in Applied Physics

Internship: 2DCC RSVP (the 2-Dimensional Crystal Consortium Resident Scholar Visitor Program), Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA.

Comments: “I got an opportunity to be part of 2DCC-RSVP at 2DCC facility, Materials Research Institute, the Pennsylvania State University, which helped me expand my horizon to synthesis of 2D materials. During my visit, I worked with Prof. Roman Engel-Herbert’s laboratory on epitaxial growth of In-doped Bi2Se3 (Indium-doped Bismuth Selenide) and its electrical characterization. These 3 months revealed that I can easily and (more importantly) quickly adapt to complex and previously unknown experimental techniques such as molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and physical property measurement system (PPMS, Quantum Design). This internship helped me develop skills necessary to carry independent research as well as collaborative work in big teams with people from different backgrounds, and working on various projects helped me evolve an interdisciplinary approach towards research. I also would like to thank Prof. Saikat Talapatra (SIU) for his perpetual support and encouragement throughout my graduate studies.”

Student: Samaneh Jafari

Major: Ph.D. in Education (Curriculum & Instruction) – Language, Literacies, and Culture

Professional Experience: Instructional Lead for the project “ STARTALK : Our Languages, Our Gateway,” funded by a National Security Agency (NSA) grant, and collaborating with Soheil Mansouri from Webster University and Cindy Brantmeier from Washington University in St. Louis.

Comments: “I am excited and look forward to this two-week professional development workshop in summer 2021. We will recruit 10 heritage language teachers in the Saint Louis area for the languages of Arabic and Persian.”

Student: Mohammadreza Jalaeian Taghadomi

Major: Ph.D. in Education (Curriculum & Instruction) – Learning Systems Design & Technology

Internship: Federal Reserve System in Chicago and Atlanta

Comments: “I gained hands-on experience on the most recent practices in Instructional Design & Technology. Besides getting a chance to polish my skills and knowledge, I learned many soft skills such as leadership, project management, and team work in one of the best organizations one could ever ask to work for.”

Student: Melissa N. Fry

Major: Professional Science Master’s in Zoology

Internship: National Fish and Wildlife Refuges component of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Comments: “I loved my experience with the Fish and Wildlife Service because I got to do hands-on conservation work with a state threatened species. Working to protect threatened and endangered species has always been my goal, and I found the perfect opportunity with this internship, that will hopefully lead to a career with the Fish and Wildlife Service.”

Student: Jie-Shi (Jessica) Liew

Major: Master of Science in Geography & Environmental Resources

Internship: City of Carbondale Planning Services Department

Comments: “I had a wonderful experience with the City of Carbondale, interning as their GIS (Geographic Information System) Intern. Throughout the 8 weeks, I was able to obtain many hands-on experiences in assisting government planners by completing a variety of GIS projects that ranged from reviewing construction documents to creating maps for zoning reports or planning commission cases using ArcGIS Desktop software, etc. I feel grateful to both my supervisor Mr. Chris Wallace and to Professor Leslie Duram for making this great internship experience possible.”

Student: Samaneh Jafari

Major: Ph.D. in Education (Curriculum & Instruction) – Languages, Literacies, & Culture

Internship: Duke University Talent Identification Summer Studies Program

Comments: “This was a great experience working with academically talented students. It was also a great advantage to put into practice what I had learned during my Ph.D. program. I’m thankful that SIU provided this amazing opportunity to work off-campus and become more practical and knowledgeable in my program of study.”

Student: Vishal Reddy Singireddy
Major: Ph.D. in Engineering Science
Internship: Penn Aluminum, Murphysboro, Illinois
Comments: “I worked along with a Process Engineer on various process related problems. My most important contributions were finding Transverse weld locations for various dies, performing Design of Experiments (DOE) on extrusion process of various dies, conducting internal audits, and determination of grain size for various parts that were manufactured. I also gained valuable knowledge on Extrusion process, Supplier Corrective Action Reports, Pyrometers, etc. This internship introduced me to new areas I could further explore as part of my thesis.”

Student: Ramen Qing Wang
Major: Ph.D. in Environmental Resources & Policy – GIS & Environmental Modeling
Internship: Williamson County 911
Comments: “The GIS internship with 9-1-1 provided me an opportunity to put my hands on real world problems. It allowed me to use my knowledge and skill for contributing to the local community. Moreover, it allowed me to meet experts in the field and learn from them.”

Student: Jake R. Burns
Major: Master of Arts in Criminology & Criminal Justice
Internship: U.S. Marshals Service
Comments: “My experience with the U.S. Marshals Service was a valuable opportunity to network and participate in a non-traditional law enforcement agency internship. I was able to learn how the oldest federal agency in this country’s history conducted day-to-day business. The diversity of tasks that the U.S. Marshals Service does, as well as what it takes to become a U.S. Marshal, was useful information that I gained from my internship.”

Student: Rohit Jogineedi
Major: Ph.D. in Engineering Science
Internship: Building Technologies and Integration Team at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Comments: “My primary task was to test the High-R Vacuum Insulations Panels for thermal conductivity values and explore the functioning of Phase Change Materials as a potential thermal storage device. This research could help in the development of better insulation materials or thermal energy storage devices. My 7.5 month internship gave me enough knowledge to see myself as a researcher capable of identifying a specific problem and working through it in finding a solution or in opening a new area of research. It was exciting to work with some top-notch researchers, learn about technologies, improve my writing, and have a few articles submitted and published as a part of the internship program.”

Student: Rachael Szewc
Major: Master of Music
Internship: Pierre Monteux School and Music Festival
Comments: “The Pierre Monteux School and Music Festival gave me a unique opportunity to improve my skills as an orchestral musician. I was exposed to a wide variety of repertoire and performing experiences. This festival also allowed me to meet musicians from around the world and expand my professional network.”

Visit the Department of English website to learn about several internship opportunities in English and Creative Writing.

For ideas about an internship or other professional experiences in your field of study, contact your academic advisor.