Intern of the Week: Arushi for Biological Sciences!

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 14:11:03 -0500
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Name: Arushi Dalal

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET)

Position Title: Summer Research Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s):Biological Sciences, Pre-Veterinary

Current Class Level: Senior

Work Term: Summer 2020

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

This summer, my fellow interns and I worked on projects centering around the Baltimore Harbor. Specifically, my lab partner and I characterized bacteria in the Baltimore Harbor. Identifying changes in microbe presence reflects the Harbor’s water quality. Using gene sequencing and bioinformatics, we identified bacterial indicators and generated graphs to compare the microbial diversity. My days consisted of Zoom calls to discuss our progress on the project, meetings with professionals in the field, and work sessions to learn bioinformatics techniques. Throughout the internship, I also engaged in science communication and technical training workshops.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I originally planned to take a course at IMET this past spring, but I really learned more about the Institute at the CNMS Careers Conference and an On the Road trip with the Career Center. After this, I knew I wanted to apply. I scheduled a resume review meeting with the Career Center and drafted my statement of interest. The application was due in early February and consisted of a brief form, statement of interest, resume, and transcript. By the time May came around and the pandemic worsened, I worried I wouldn’t have an internship for the summer, but shortly thereafter I received an email about my acceptance. I had a brief interview over Zoom, and then I got to work!

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?

I appreciate the emphasis IMET puts on science communication. I’ve never encountered an organization which put an equal focus on the way we presented our findings as to the research we were doing. I believe that’s what made our final presentations so good. I also enjoyed meeting new peers and science professionals, in addition to attending weekly seminars to learn of the research being done at the Institute and around the country. Despite the challenges this pandemic has brought, IMET was very accommodating to students who had internet connectivity issues and who were joining from different time zones. I really appreciate all that the organization did to arrange this internship program, especially given the circumstances this year.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I was originally a little apprehensive of how a virtual internship would turn out. I always envisioned science to happen in a laboratory. Nevertheless, for ten weeks, I learned coding skills and utilized bioinformatic techniques to analyze 4.5 million DNA sequences and identified five key bacterial species. These results highlighted that we must further study the microbial diversity at certain sites that had been sampled in our research. I’m grateful for the opportunity to conduct meaningful research and cannot wait to see how future interns will build upon this work.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

I recommend targeting specific organizations and familiarizing yourself with the work they do to see how it aligns with your interests, rather than applying everywhere and hoping one works out. I think what set me apart in IMET’s eyes was that I interacted with them at Career Center events and on their social media. I also reached out to them when organizing an event for a club, and I participated in their Open House activities. I did this not only because I wanted to intern there, but because I was truly interested in the work being done.

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Want to be the next Intern of the Week? Make sure to fill out this form and stay tuned. New interns are announced every Monday!