Greenbelt, MD -- 18 NOV 09
Student Rockets into NASA Internships
It is not every day that a University student gets the opportunity to work hands-on with the nation’s leading space program, but this year, one student is.
Alison Sweeney was chosen, along with a small number of other qualified other college students, to work at the Goddard Space Flight Center with the NASA in Greenbelt, Md.
Sweeney found out about the NASA Undergraduate Student Research Program by the University’s Mathematics Department. After her second time applying, she was able to land her dream internship.
“I was so thrilled when I got this internship. It is an extremely competitive program to get into,” said Sweeney, a School of Arts and Sciences senior. “I was really discouraged after I did not receive an offer the first time I applied, but I am very grateful I didn’t give up because I got it the second time around.”
Sweeney said she loves the internship because she has the opportunity to work in a high-tech environment and make network connections that will benefit her in the future.
NASA USRP Co-Project Administrator Anthony Zippay said Sweeney is one of more than 300 undergraduate students selected per year at all 10 NASA centers and facilities across the country.
It is a highly competitive internship program, he said.
[We want] to attract undergraduate students from the widest array of backgrounds, who are fully representative of America’s racial, ethnic and cultural diversity and … provide them with hands-on, challenging research experiences,” Zippay said.
Sweeney said it took her awhile to figure out what she wanted to study, but now that she landed this internship, she found her niche.
“[Since I did not declare my major until my junior year], I have had to push back my graduation date twice, but I am so happy I did because look at where it got me,” Sweeney said. “I never would have thought it would have led me to an internship at NASA. It’s just so exciting.”
Core Flight Systems Product Development Lead Barbie Medina, Sweeney’s internship mentor, said Sweeney was a perfect match for the position, especially because she studied both math and computer science.
“Both of these courses of study give [her] the analytical abilities that are necessary to work in the flight software environment,” Medina said. “Alison has been one of the most successful interns that I have had the pleasure of working with. She is very motivated and tackles new challenges without fear or hesitation.”
Sweeney worked on performing the entire engineering process of a software system.
It was not an easy task, but Sweeney successfully conquered it and is already tackling another project, Medina said.
School of Arts and Sciences junior Laura Bankowski said she is glad that a University student was able to land such a prestigious internship and have the opportunity to work on hands-on projects.
“I think it is wonderful that [a fellow Rutgers student] has the chance to work on something like this that may make a difference,” Bankowski said. “However, I’m not surprised because Rutgers produces many people that explore cutting-edge technology due to the level of education offered.”
Sweeney said her experience working at NASA will be carried with her for the rest of her life. “My particular computer program will be in space on a future satellite,” she said. “Believe me, I will forever brag about that.”
Source: Laura Watson of the The Daily Targum
