Brent Summers

If you used any Career Center services or events to obtain the internship, what were they? How did these help you in landing the internship?

I came into The Career Center to get my résumé critiqued and the Career Advisors helped me understand the formatting of a résumé. Right before I submitted the internship application, I went back to have the Career Advisors proofread my résumé. It was a major step in helping me land this internship!

Describe some of your responsibilities or duties during the internship experience.

Since I was a senior member of the lab group at the Mag Lab, some of my responsibilities were to help other students with analytical techniques, as well as present new literature information to my professor. My job was to digest samples with acid, analyzed them using a mass spectrometer, and then interpret the data in order to present a poster at the end of the internship.

What was a typical day like?

I usually started the day by continuing any analytical work from the previous day. This included taking samples off the hotplate, or adding acid to the samples. Throughout the day, I read papers to add to my background knowledge of the Arctic Ocean. I asked my professor any questions that I had. I collaborated with other students to further our understanding of oceanographic concepts.

What are some major takeaways from your experience? How will these help prepare you for the next step after graduation?

In my experience, I have learned how to properly (and cleanly) digest oceanographic samples to analyze for trace metal concentrations. This is a very useful skill in chemical oceanography. I have learned how to create and present a poster in front of an audience. Presenting data is the most important step in scientific research! When/if I start graduate school, I will already have an in-depth understanding of oceanographic concepts, as well as knowledge of helping/guiding younger students.

Did this experience help clarify your career path? How so?

Yes, this experience did help clarify my career path! I collaborated with colleagues from around the country. These colleagues are potential graduate school advisors. I will be contacting them to see if they would be interested in taking me in as a graduate student to pursue a Ph.D. This experience also solidified my admiration for chemical oceanography by immersing me into the field.