Lunching with the 2022 SPS Interns
AIP summers are full of excitement because of the bright, lively energy SPS interns generate throughout our community. It’s all a part of two transformational months that find our interns paired with influential science institutions where they work on projects that advance the physical sciences.
The AIP Foundation team recently shared lunch with the 2022 SPS interns and learned more about their summer of working, exploring, and growing. They are interning with organizations like SPS, NASA, NIST, and the United State Congress, and though each area of focus is different, they are proud of their contributions. Our fun, engaging conversations covered their areas of study, why they love physics, and what the future holds for their science careers.
We spoke with…
Nicole is the 2022 NASA Goddard Space Center intern and is working on the Experiment for Cryogenic Large-aperture Intensity Mapping project. We learned she has been looking at six-billion-year-old light to understand how stars and galaxies form. Nicole’s biggest surprise so far has been how much she uses NASA’s IT support!
Emma is the 2022 AIP Center for History of Physics/Niels Bohr Library & Archives Intern. Through her internship, she is creating teaching guides on underrepresented voices in the physical sciences, like Emilie Du Châtelet. Emma explained Du Châtelet was an incredible physicist whose work was overshadowed by Voltaire. We can’t wait to see the finished teaching guide.
Justin is the 2022 Society of Rheology/Soft Matter Kitchen intern. He is learning about the physics of gastronomy and had us laughing when he joked about not knowing what rheology was prior to his internship. The best part of his research is being able to eat it and share with his fellow interns! You can follow more of Justin’s summer as an SPS intern on his YouTube channel The Avendaño Effect.
Aidan is one of the 2022 Mather Policy interns and is working in Congressman Bill Foster’s (D-IL) office. He spends his time researching various bills and speaking with constituents. Aidan shared this experience opened his eyes to the reality of working for the government, and still, he is not necessarily deterred. A role in government might be in Aidan’s future and with a need for more scientific voices it will be exciting to watch his career path.
This is only a small piece of the incredible afternoon we had speaking with students and we encourage you to check out the entire 2022 SPS intern co-hort. You will be inspired by the dreams, ambition, and curiosity they bring to this unique program, and in return, they will show you how to see the world through hopeful eyes.