Iacocca International Internship Program (IIIP)

Company and Position Description: During my internship at the Tokuda, Nankaku, and Hashimoto Laboratory at the Nagoya Institute of Technology, I engaged in research on speech signal processing and multimedia signal processing. The lab specializes in developing technologies for speech synthesis, singing voice synthesis, speech recognition, and spoken dialog systems. My role involved contributing to projects that aimed to advance these areas, particularly focusing on voice translation technology. I worked on testing and optimizing algorithms for speech synthesis and recognition, ensuring that...

Company and Position Description: At the Technical University in Dortmund, Germany, I worked a tandem internship between two departments. First, I worked as a research assistant under inspiring PHD students who were pursuing their PHD in Entrepreneurship. Some of my day to day tasks included helping them scrape data online, help review research papers, and make their data collection tasks easier by implementing novel ways. For example, through my interest in AI and software development, I created an AI agent for generating company descriptions for one of the PHD students. The second half of...

Company and Position Description: This summer, I worked as Bioinformatics & Data Science intern at the Luxembourg Institute of Health, a biomedical research organization in Luxembourg. In the Bioinformatics & AI team within the Department of Medical Informatics, I worked on analyzing the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) dataset and building a model predicting gene expression from histopathological image embedding. Through exploratory data analysis with principal component analysis, t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE), and Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP), I...

Company and Position Description: Delamode International Logistics is based out of the United Kingdom and provides freight forwarding, warehousing, and transportation services to companies around Europe. They have branches all across Europe including Moldova which is where I worked. Delamode acts as a specialist intermediary company between their customers and shipping companies. They deal with full container loads, groupage shipping, and small packages. Delamode aids companies in exporting and importing goods from their customers respective countries. Delamode Moldova primarily helps...

Company and Position Description: Italian Angels for Growth (IAG) is a Venture Capital firm consisting of a network of business angels and investors who invest in early stage companies. They focus on companies related to digital products, AI, and biotechnology. The team consists of three investment analysts and other positions. During my internship, I learned a lot about Venture Capital. After reading and receiving some lessons, I began to attend company meetings, where companies would pitch their product or service to members of the investment analysis team. Aside from this, I also helped...

Company and Position Description: This summer I worked in the Electrical Engineering department of Nagoya Institute of Technology, a public university located in Nagoya, Japan. I did research regarding simulations of digital communications in a lab with 17 other Japanese students, ranging from fourth year undergraduates to students in the second year of their Masters. I worked mostly on my own but collaborated with the other students at times as well. I mainly used python for my own coding, although I also used Simulink in Matlab some and had to analyze the C code of others at times. I started...

Company and Position Description: Pathways Development Initiative (PDI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that operates in rural Bududa, Uganda with the mission of "equipping individuals with the skills to build sustainable livelihoods, and investing in the education of their children as a means of breaking from extreme poverty". PDI’s goal is to make education accessible for youth in the community, by encouraging them to stay in school through sponsorships, scholarships, their sport programs, and music & dance programs. During my internship, I helped introduce a new donation program...

Company and Position Description: During my 2024 Iacocca Internship, I worked with EcoContact, a non-governmental organization in Chisinau, Moldova that works with all levels of government to advocate for sustainable development and environmentally responsible management and policy. It also hosts the Aarhus Environmental Information and Consultancy Center, and supports the integration of scientific, legal, and educational collaboration. My main job as an intern was to assist with the technical write-ups for various projects, such as environmental management plans, press interviews, and other...

Company and Position Description: I worked in the Laboratory of the Future (LOF) in Bordeaux, France. This lab collaborates with another company, Syensqo, and the University of Bordeaux, where they specialize in microfluidics. Microfluidics is the study of very small amounts of fluids (10uL-100ul) and typically utilize microfluidic chips. Through this internship, I learned a variety of new and useful lab techniques such as photolithography and Raman spectroscopy. I applied these new skills to my project, which focused on diffusiophoresis of colloids in non-electrolytic solutions...

Company and Position Description: LP2N, or the Laboratoire Photonique Numerique & Nanosciences focuses on integrating optics and computer science for a variety of different applications. The BioImaging and Optofluidics Lab (BIOF) in particular examines these technologies applied to biological tissues and systems. The BIOF group also has a patented cell encapsulation technology which sees different cell types encapsulated in an alginate shell allowing for more physiological relevance in these 3D structures. I had the privilege of being responsible for the summer project formally titled “Cell...

Company and Position Description: As the Project Assistant for the Center for Climate Change, Natural Resources & Energy at the University of Donja Gorica I was expected to complete weekly projects that centered around Montenegrin climate policy and sustainability initiatives. One of the projects that I was tasked with was to create a presentation discussing sustainable alternatives for medical waste disposal. I laid out all of the methods of medical waste disposal, and included pros and cons with example machines. The presentation was extremely helpful when my supervisor met with her client...

Company and Position Description: American Councils for International Education aim to empower institutions and individuals through international education and cultural exchange, fostering stronger relationships across borders. The Vilnius office serves as a hub for partnerships, such as EducationUSA, an advising center for students interested in pursuing higher education in the States. As an EducationUSA Intern, I advised underrepresented students on college applications or and general inquiries on American institutions. I delivered virtual and on-site presentations on topics such as “Mental...

Company and Position Description: Nagoya Institute of Technology is a post-secondary institution in Nagoya, Japan. Their work usually consists of research in technological fields such as information technology, engineering, and biology. I worked with the FUKUSHIMA Lab, translating a previously made program in C++ to MATLAB regarding the creation of Gaussian Fourier Pyramids for Local Laplacian Pyramids, the creation of a new type of multiscale image processing method that improved the quality of detail enhancement in the resizing of images.

Company and Position Description: YES is a leading architecture and design firm specializing in residential and hospitality projects. It was founded in 2008 by Lithuanian architects Indre Sangus and Greta Valikone, YES blends a refined aesthetic with a sharp focus on functionality. Over the years, the firm has expanded both in size and scope, evolving into a multidisciplinary team that offers a unique combination of branding, marketing, and design expertise. This approach allows the company to create environments that perfectly align with each client's needs and lifestyle. During my time at...

Company and Position Description: LOF is a laboratory jointly operated by the University of Bordeaux, the materials company Syensqo, and the CNRS (the French national research center). The lab hosts scientists and students in various fields, and it specializes in microfluidics, soft matter, and robotics. During my 8 weeks at LOF, I worked on a research project concerning the drying process of hydrogels, a diverse class of materials which are used by several scientists at the lab. Most of my work involved using a microscope to produce timelapses of drying gel droplets and analyzing the images...

Company and Position Description: This summer I had the incredible opportunity to work with the Pathways Development Initiative (PDI). PDI is a nonprofit organization aiming to eradicate extreme poverty through sustainable means like education. Bududa, the district we lived in, is ranked among the worse in the nation in terms of education. In order to break this troublesome statistic, PDI is committed to providing educational opportunities for several different populations. The PDI Preparatory School is a pre-primary educational institution which helps children aged 3-6 master essential skills...

Company and Position Description: My internship was at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) a marine science research base that uses its unique location to conduct experiments that not many other bases have the opportunity to do. BIOS has many labs and researchers that focus on microbiology, bioinformatics, physics, engineering, and ecology; my lab focused on bioinformatics and ecology applied to the Bermuda area. My project focused on exploring the biodiversity of the Bermuda marine life using environmental DNA. A big part of BIOS’s goal is to use the research they conduct to inform...

Company and Position Description: I worked with Pathways Development initiative (PDI). PDI is a small NGO in rural Bududa, Uganda founded by a local family, the Zaales. Its programs encompass early education, sports, and community development. It “exists to mobilize and empower individuals and communities to improve their livelihoods and to understand the role of education as a means to fight poverty and transform their lives” (PDI Website). My position at PDI as an office intern included a variety of roles. I assisted teachers instructing children ages 3-8, conducted assessment surveys on the...

Company and Position Description: The Laboratoire Onde et Matière d'Aquitaine (LOMA) is a public research laboratory affiliated with CNRS and the University of Bordeaux, focusing on both fundamental and applied research in Optics and Condensed Matter Physics. LOMA is internationally recognized for its work in Soft Matter, Condensed Matter Physics, Photonics, Materials Science, and Biophysics, bridging disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics. During my internship, I studied the Brownian motion of colloidal particles near complex boundaries using advanced optical...

Company and Position Description: Nor Luyce is a NGO focused mentorship and empowerment of socially-vulnerable girls from the Shirak region of Armenia. Their mission is to ensure that the girls become self-sufficient and globally aware young women through their three-phase program focused on mentorship and skill building. Nor Luyce provides these girls with resources ranging from psychological counseling, skill workshops, and scholarships for higher education. This organization is dedicated to each girl’s individual goals and journey, becoming a testament to the importance of nurturing the...

Company and Position Description: IIASA's main mission is to advance systems analysis and apply its research methods to identify policy solutions that reduce human footprints, improve natural and socioeconomic systems, and help achieve their Sustainable Development Goals . The organization boasts a network of approximately 533 researchers from 57 different affiliated countries. It also has published 431 peer-reviewed journal articles, and is dedicated to improving and applying systems analysis to a wide array of global issues. This includes analyzing the economies of specific countries or...

Company and Position Description: The Irish Cancer Society (ICS) is the largest organization in Ireland dedicated to eliminating cancer and funding research. Their work includes reducing cancer risk, advocacy, education, public outreach, fundraising, and support services. They promote early cancer detection/prevention, and advancements in cancer policy and treatment. The ICS is renowned for cancer patient support, transport services, and patient assistance. As an intern, I worked with the Research department, overseeing research supervision and management, policy formulation, and funding as...

Company and Position Description: Net4Market is an e-procurement platform that produces application solutions integrated with high technological services suitable for all types of companies. As a backend developer in the office 5 days a week for 8 hours, I worked on creating an inventory management system for the company. I learned about and utilized the Java Spring Boot framework to help create REST APIs. I learned how to use SQL language with MySQL to create the database and have it work with the project I was working on. I was able to run and test it all through Postman and by implementing...

Company and Position Description: Pathways Development Initiative is an NGO located in Bududa that is dedicated to developing sustainable livelihoods for children in the community. This is achieved by providing affordable early education at the pre primary school in which students are able to develop their English language skills at a younger age. PDI also facilitates many different initiatives such as the sports program and the music and dance program, which provide safe spaces to empower youth community members. While interning at PDI, I taught English lessons to 3 to 4 year old students and...