Partnerships for Innovation
Undergraduate Research Experiences
Whitney Bogus
Biochemistry and pre-med major Whitney Bogus spent her summer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory running experiments to show that nanoparticle production can be more efficient than current synthesis methods.
Michael Capozzoli
Michael Capozzoli, a participant in the NETL Summer Internship Progam, studied computer programming and now is employed by a NETL contractor to work on a new website.
Paris Cornwell
Paris Cornwell, a participant in the Laboratory Technology Program at ORNL, traded his pizza delivery job for an opportunity to help make a future delivery person’s vehicle safer and more fuel efficient.
James Earle and Maxwell Robinson
University of Tennessee engineering students Maxwell Robinson and James Earle spent their summer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the Volkswagen Distinguished Scholars Program gaining hands-on experience in 3-D printing, robotics, and other elements of engineering.
Eric Dulmes
Eric Dulmes, an undergraduate in the DHS Scholarship Program, characterized explosives and blast effects to support aircraft vulnerability testing and assessment.
Shaun Galvan
As a participant in the DHS HS-STEM Summer Internship Program, Shaun Galvan worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory synthesizing gold and silver particles to enhance Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy analysis of explosive substances.
Bryce Gamble
Bryce Gamble, a computer-engineering major from Tennessee Tech, spent 10 weeks in the Volkswagen Distinguished Scholars Program where he simulated stress-points on a theoretical cantilever to create a “best version” of a materials design.
April Gillens
April Gillens interned in the Earth and Environmental Science Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory where she determined stable isotope “signatures” that could help stop illicit trafficking of nuclear materials.
Leslie Koyama
Leslie Koyama, a participant in U.S. DHS HS-STEM Internship Program, spendt the summer researching the mechanisms of DNA repair at Sanida National Laboratory.
Travas Lenard
Travas Lenard spent his summer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory modeling the fuel economy of a lean-burn engine using a silver-based catalytic converter as part of the Volkswagen Distinguished Scholars Program.
Ezinne Nwankwo
Ezinne Nwankwo, an undergraduate at Emory University and a summer intern for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at Sandia National Laboratories, is investigating ways to improve more rapid technology for DNA "fingerprinting."
Justin Vadas
Justin Vadas is exploring ways to incorporate a magnet in refrigeration applications to provide cooling at a low-cost, efficient and environmentally-friendly manner. He is conducting research as part of the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.