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STEM students can get paid this summer to check out plasma physics

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Want to get paid to immerse yourself in a plasma physics-related internship over the coming summer and explore this growing field? Now’s the time to sign up!

Students studying in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields can apply immediately for the popular paid summer internships funded by Future Technologies & enabling Plasma Processes (FTPP), a University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH)-managed statewide effort to fund, develop and commercialize plasma research and the high-tech workforce it requires.

apply here

Details about the opportunities:

  • The Regional Introduction to Plasma Physics (RIPP) summer internship is a nine-week program where undergraduate students can select a research project and work with an FTPP faculty member. This internship is available to students at various partner schools, including UAH, ASU, AU, USA and UAB. Students will gain experience in plasma research and interact with industry experts.
  • The Corporate Internship Plasma Training in Alabama (CIPTA) is a 10-week program that provides students at FTPP partner institutions with experiences in plasma technology applications at private companies. Both undergraduate and graduate students from various disciplines are eligible for the program.
  • The South Eastern Research Experiences (SE REU) for Undergraduates is a program catered to undergraduate students enrolled at HBCU institutions across the Southeast. Selected interns will be enrolled in a quality REU program at one of partner universities (UAH, UAB, ASU). The goal is to engage a diverse, educated and skilled pool of scientists and engineers to promote long-term relationships between students and investigators to enhance the Alabama workforce.
  • The International Space Weather Camp is an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to work with students and faculty internationally from UAH, the South African National Space Agency and the German Aerospace Center. The camp aims to teach students about space physics and its impact on modern society. It also promotes personal, professional and cultural connections.

highly rated programs

Participants in last year’s summer internships programs rated them highly on exit questionnaires and said the experiences they had broadened them and introduced them to new areas of interest.

“I know I would love to work in the plasma physics field, something I really did not know much about before this internship,” says Ash Coleman, a fifth-year double major in physics and mathematics at Thomas More University from Georgetown, Ky., who was mentored for her RIPP experience at Auburn University by Dr. Saikat Chakraborty Thakur.

Emmanuel Ongaro Ramogi, a graduate student in mechanical engineering at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), says that his CIPTA experience further fueled his quest to become a research engineer. Originally from Kenya, Ramogi’s internship was at Evonik Birmingham Laboratories and his mentors were Dr. Bernabe Tucker and Dr. Jian-Feng Zhang.

“After working in the corporate environment, I have come to appreciate the role that research plays, not only in academia but also in industry,” Ramogi says. “I clearly saw this when I did market research on biodegradable polymers and cold plasma technology, which was key in my project.”

building an industry

FTPP is a five-year, $20 million National Science Foundation (NSF) Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) grant that funds a statewide coalition of nine universities and a research corporation. FTPP aims to transition plasma research into agricultural, manufacturing, space science, space weather prediction and other applications, establishing Alabama as a Southeastern regional hub for plasma science expertise and creating thousands of high-paying technical careers in the state and region.

Besides UAH, which is a part of the University of Alabama System, members are the University of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Auburn University (AU), Tuskegee University, the University of South Alabama (USA), Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University (ASU), Oakwood University and CFD Research Corp.