Name: Gabrielle Salib

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: The Prototyping and Design Lab

Position Title:Undergraduate Research Assistant

Major(s)/Minor(s):Interdisciplinary Studies

Expected Graduation Year:May 2017

Briefly describe your internship, co-op,  or research opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

In the PAD lab, we’re all about making people’s lives better or easier through the use of 3D printing and modeling. My research assistantship involves working with a team of graduate students from the lab, conducting a weekly 3D modeling and printing workshop for elementary school students. As an added challenge, the students we are working with are struggling in more than one area including behavior, academics, attendance, and/or social and emotional well-being.

We are currently doing observations of their perceptions of the 3D environment and their experiences interacting with the technology in collaborative ways, in order to assess potential purposes in improving the collaborative, elementary classroom experience

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

I obtained my research assistantship by first contacting Dr. Amy Hurst about being involved in the lab. She then invited me to attend the PAD lab’s weekly meeting to find a project that I would be most interested in working on and I got started with one of her graduate students Erin Buehler right away!

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

What I've enjoyed most about my position is the exposure to the inevitable intersection of technology and how it affects the people using it!  I find it amazing that through research and proven methods we could improve that interaction to be more effective, yet just as natural as the interactions that we have always had through time.

I’ve enjoyed my work on research very much, but I’ve also really enjoyed the community that the lab has created. It’s a place where you can always find someone to talk about a problem with or to learn about opportunities to further your interests. The people in the PAD are the best.

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

I believe I've made an impact with my team by interacting with the local community to encourage utilizing new technology to better the classroom experience and exploring the possibilities of customizing their own classroom materials.

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

Advice I would give another student who is seeking a research experience is to keep a keen eye for opportunities and to allow his or herself to be in the position to be involved in activities that he or she is truly passionate in their academic and social lives.

Like this story on Facebook and Twitter!

Like the Career Center on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

#UMBCintern

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