The Akamai Workforce Initiative, a local program dedicated to advancing Hawaii college students into science and technology careers, is wrapping up its 2018 summer internship program with a series of symposiums next week highlighting the interns’ work.
With lead funding from the Thirty Meter Telescope, the Akamai Internship Program provides community college students and undergraduates with summer projects at observatories and other high tech companies in Hawaii. All 38 student interns are from Hawaii or enrolled at a University of Hawaii campus.
The students will receive credit from University of Hawaii at Hilo as part of the program. The internship began on June 17 with a preparatory course taught by Akamai instructors, followed by a seven-week project at various observatories and facilities on Hawaii Island, Maui and at the Thirty Meter Telescope offices at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Pasadena.
This year’s interns and their placements include:
· Jaren Ashcraft – Thirty Meter Telescope, UC Santa Cruz, CA
· Alec Bayer – Institute for Astronomy, Maui
· Romilly Benedict – Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA), Hawaii Island
· James Boyd – Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Hawaii Island
· Malcolm Chun – Institute for Astronomy Hilo, Hawaii Island
· Ian Denzer – Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, Hawaii Island
· Maria Daniella Douglas – University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hawaii Island
· Meili Ellis-Tingle – W.M. Keck Observatory, Hawaii Island
· Kenji Emerson – Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Hawaii Island
· Kylie Higaki – Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems, Hawaii Island
· Mickie Hirata – Hawaii Electric Light Company, Hawaii Island
· Austin Jennings – Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, Hawaii Island
· Alexandra Kaohi – Akimeka LLC, Maui
· Tyler LaBonte – Air Force Research Laboratory, Maui
· Janelle Laros – Akabotics LLC, Hawaii Island
· Alicia Lau – W.M. Keck Observatory, Hawaii Island
· Julina Lee – Subaru Telescope, Hawaii Island
· Noah Levine – Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, Hawaii Island
· Jordan Li – Hawai‘i Electric Light Company, Hawaii Island
· Matthew Lugo – Gemini North Observatory, Hawaii Island
· Keoki Massad – Thirty Meter Telescope, Pasadena, CA
· Paul McCabe – Subaru Telescope, Hawaii Island
· Alexander Meyer – Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, Maui
· Olivia Murray – Thirty Meter Telescope, Pasadena, CA
· Jonathan Musgrave – Institute for Astronomy Hilo, Hawaii Island
· Corin Nishimoto – HNu Photonics, Maui
· Derek Ogi – W.M. Keck Observatory, Hawaii Island
· Maya Ooki – HNu Photonics, Maui
· Ariel Peterson – Akimeka LLC, Maui
· Erica Sawczynec – Thirty Meter Telescope, Pasadena, CA
· Sae Hyun Song – Integrity Applications Incorporated, Maui
· Erik Svetin – Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, Maui
· Nicole Tabac – Liquid Robotics, Hawaii Island
· Kekoa Tacub – Gemini North Observatory, Hawaii Island
· Sean Tadekawa – Submillimeter Array, Hawaii Island
· Akira Vernon – Subaru Telescope, Hawaii Island
· Makena Wagner – Gemini North Observatory, Hawaii Island
· Jonah Kalani Wengler – Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Hawaii Island
This summer’s program concludes with student intern symposiums on the Big Island, Maui and in Pasadena beginning Monday, Aug. 6. Hawaii college interns will present their summer projects with a follow-up question and answer period.
The symposiums on the Big Island are: 9 a.m.to 11:30 a.m Thursday, Aug. 9, at the Grand Naniloa Hotel’s Ho‘omalimali and Sandalwood rooms and 9 a.m.to 11:30 a.m Friday, Aug. 10, at the W. M. Keck Observatory’s Jerry Nelson Conference Room.
The Hawaii events are open to the public, but an online RSVP is requested at www.akamaihawaii.org.
The Akamai Workforce Initiative is designed to build tomorrow’s high-tech workforce by providing support to local college students over a broad range of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
Since launching in 2002 and including the 2018 cohort, nearly 390 college students have participated in the Akamai program and at least 140 alumni are now working in science and technology jobs, with nearly two-thirds of them working in Hawaii and contributing to the local STEM workforce.
To learn more about the summer internship program, go to www.akamaihawaii.org.
The progam is funded by The TMT International Observatory and other partners.