Mentors and organizations see benefits from FTPP sponsored internships

In addition to the experience the interns get, mentoring interns has benefits for the mentors and their organizations, say six leaders who were among those mentoring students in two summer internship programs sponsored by the Future Technologies & enabling Plasma Processes (FTPP) program.

FTPP is a $20 million National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research effort managed at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) to support plasma research, commercialize it and create a skilled plasma workforce in Alabama.

“I enjoy teaching students new techniques and research,” says Dr. Komal Vig, a professor of biology at Alabama State University (ASU) who mentored University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) biophysics chemistry sophomore Noel Madapatu. Dr. Vig has mentored 82 Research Experiences for Undergraduates summer students since 2014 and FTTP students since 2018.

“For me it’s like giving back to society,” she says.

two programs

Two FTPP internship programs were offered this summer. In the academically oriented Regional Introduction to Plasma Physics (RIPP), undergraduate students became involved in a summer research project at an FTPP institution.

The industry oriented Corporate Internship Plasma Training in Alabama (CIPTA) was for undergraduate and graduate students at partnership institutions who are seeking degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It provided them with plasma technology application experiences at private companies.

“We always have high priority, relatively simple projects that must be completed quickly,” says Dr. Renato Camata, associate professor of physics at UAB, who mentored Karim Haddad, an undergraduate mechanical engineering and physics double major at UAB, and Victor de la Cruz Cordero, a mathematics major at Talladega College.

“Well-prepared and motivated undergraduates are great resources for quick delivery of these short-term projects,” says Dr. Camata, who as UAB director of undergraduate research programs has mentored 26 undergraduate students in experimental materials research as well as nine doctoral candidates and eight Master of Science students.

Mentoring undergraduates and high school students is a way of giving back and making their dreams come true for Dr. Saikat Chakraborty Thakur, an assistant research professor in the physics department at Auburn University who mentored Ash Coleman, a Thomas More University fifth-year double major in physics and mathematics.

“My dad was a soccer player and a coach, and I saw him scouting for talent in small towns and villages. In some sense, I try to do the same for physics or STEM fields, in general and plasma physics in particular,” Dr. Thakur says. “Over the years, I have mentored 33 undergraduate and 34 high school students in multiple research programs and am happy to say that most of them are pursuing higher studies in physics or plasma physics.”

RIPP and CIPTA interns were immersed in diverse research including:

• finding the ideal plasma concentration for killing bacteria yet keeping the cells alive;
• studying pattern formation in low temperature plasmas in high magnetic fields;
• employing low-temperature plasmas to alter the surface properties of degradable polymers of interest;
• writing a multi-fluid plasma simulation code and investigating large amplitude waves; and
• studying an argon dielectric barrier discharge equivalent circuit.

mutual benefits

The mutual benefits of the mentoring relationship were refreshing and motivating, says Dr. Bernabe Tucker, a scientist at Evonik Industries AG who mentored Emmanuel Ramogi, a graduate student in mechanical engineering at UAB.

“First, the opportunity to connect with someone early in their educational journey reminded me of my journey and mentors and how they positively contributed to my development,” Dr. Tucker says. “Second, and probably more importantly, I was able to see how being a mentor is a two-way partnership where I can impart my knowledge to the student and the student can impart fresh, innovative perspectives.”

“Teaching a student also teaches myself,” says Dr. Masaru Nakanotani, a research scientist at UAH’s Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research who mentored Gareth Hill, a UAB mechanical engineering sophomore. “That’s because often a student’s question is valuable and important to answer.”

organizational benefits

The industries and educational institutions involved also can benefit widely.

“The experience and knowledge from this program can be transformed into company revenue,” says Jerry J. Wang, a senior member of technical staff and software engineer at Applied Materials Inc. who mentored Syed Ayaz, a UAH space science doctoral candidate. “It’s a mutual learning process.”

There are numerous other company benefits, too, says Dr. Tucker, the Evonik scientist.

“First, the public visibility aspect can positively drive interest and the reputation of the organization,” Dr. Tucker says. “Next, the opportunity to provide a hands-on research experience could provide positive consequences such as new discoveries, process improvement and new collaborations that might not otherwise develop in solely a market-driven environment.”

Finally, companies can provide students insight into the hard and soft skills that are necessary for success, Dr. Tucker says.

“These skills might not be accessible in a classroom environment and require a hands-on immersive experience,” he says. “Taken together, these programs offer numerous positive interactions for both students and organizations.”

For educational institutions and programs, visibility is a primary benefit, agree ASU’s Dr. Vig and UAH’s Dr. Nakanotani.

“I believe that it advertises our department to a possible future student,” says Dr. Nakanotani.

High-risk, high-gain projects can be started at educational institutions by properly mentored undergraduate students, says Auburn’s Dr. Thakur.

“Once we see some positive results from these summer internships, we can then plan on promoting the project to a grander scale and give it to a graduate student to investigate more details,” Dr. Thakur says. “In that regard, these internship programs can be thought of as pilot-projects for a much longer research program.”

Internships are the perfect venue to test those waters, he says.

“We always have many novel ideas, but do not necessarily have as many bright students to try all of them out,” Dr. Thakur says. “These internships help to bridge that gap.”

UAB’s Dr. Camata says UAB physics majors are often engaged in internship projects.

“A technically challenging, paid summer project increases the chances that the major will be retained in the program, as they learn real-world skills related to their major that show the relevance of their career plan,” Dr. Camata says.

Mentors at educational institutions can gain a chance to see multiple new opportunities and explore fields of interest, says ASU’s Dr. Vig.

“The one that stood out to me the most was traveling to Auburn and getting a glimpse of their physics nuclear reactor, and also talking to several professors in the physics department,” she says. “I got to connect to students from several parts of the U.S. such as New Jersey, Louisiana and Georgia and get some advice on how to proceed for my upcoming year.”

delightful moments

The close interactions of a mentoring relationship can lead to delightful moments, as well.

“One item of conversation that surfaced during the program was the topic of wristwatches. I and several colleagues at the company are involved in the hobby of collecting wristwatches, which may seem archaic in today’s technology-driven world of smart phones and smart watches,” says Dr. Tucker of Evonik. “However, this hobby has a rich tradition steeped in research and innovation.”

One day his CIPTA intern, Ramogi from UAB, showed up wearing a new mechanical wristwatch.

“We knew that we had inducted a new member into the watch collecting community,” says Dr. Tucker. “However, we advised that the hobby can be quite addictive and to proceed with caution.”

All of the mentors agree that they want to continue in those roles in future FTPP internship programs.

“I highly recommend this program for the multitude of benefits,” says Dr. Tucker.

Auburn’s Dr. Thakur agrees.

“Making the students’ dreams come true is the most rewarding part of our job as a research faculty. From the point of view of the student, the mentor and the institution, it is a win-win-win situation!”