{"id":188267,"date":"2023-12-07T09:09:22","date_gmt":"2023-12-07T19:09:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=188267"},"modified":"2023-12-07T09:09:22","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T19:09:22","slug":"akamai-internship-applicants-needed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2023\/12\/07\/akamai-internship-applicants-needed\/","title":{"rendered":"Applicants needed for paid STEM-based internship"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Two
Akamai interns Ethan Moore working at Gemini Observatory (left), Taryn Godfrey working at Blue Ocean Barns<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Akamai Internship Program<\/a> offers college students an opportunity to gain paid summer work experience at an observatory, company or science\/technical facility on Hawaiʻi<\/span> Island, Maui or University of California, Santa Cruz while earning course credit at University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at Hilo<\/a>. The internship program is led by the Institute for Scientist and Engineer Educators (ISEE<\/abbr>) at University of California Observatories, in partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi<\/span>.<\/p>\n

As a part of the Akamai Workforce Initiative, the internship program seeks to develop a skilled STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) workforce to meet the needs of Hawaiʻi<\/span>\u2019s growing high-tech industry. Applications for the summer internship must be submitted by February 5, 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n

More than 500 college students have participated in the internship program since it launched in 2003. At least 250 alumni now hold careers in science and technology.<\/p>\n

“We are committed to provide empowering opportunities through Akamai to our Hawaiʻi<\/span> students so they are ready for careers within the high-tech sector,” said Doug Simons, executive director at the 糖心视频<\/abbr> Institute for Astronomy<\/a> (IfA<\/abbr>). “The state\u2019s astronomy sector is one economic artery that provides employment for hundreds of local people and is an example of how Hawaiʻi<\/span> can further diversify its economy through innovation.”<\/p>\n

The 8-week internship will run from June 3 to August 10, 2024. Interns will be paid a $4,400 stipend, provided housing (if needed), and travel support to their internship sites.<\/p>\n

The Akamai Workforce Initiative is led by ISEE<\/abbr> at the University of California Observatories in partnership with 糖心视频<\/abbr> IfA<\/abbr> and 糖心视频<\/abbr> Hilo.<\/p>\n

Internship provides STEM work experience<\/h2>\n

Apply for an Akamai Internship!<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Upon acceptance into the program, Akamai interns are carefully matched with a project and a mentor within their field, who will supervise the intern throughout the summer. All Akamai interns complete a one-week intensive preparatory course at 糖心视频<\/abbr> Hilo, where they gain the skills needed to be successful in the workplace and meet other interns along with Akamai staff and mentors. Mentors help interns gain work experience and build a network that will help launch their STEM careers. The interns are coached on communication skills, and will present their projects at the end of summer at a public symposium.<\/p>\n

Local students get local STEM jobs<\/h2>\n

Since its inception in 2003, more than 500 college students have participated in the Akamai Internship Program and at least 125 alumni are working in Hawaiʻi<\/span> and contributing to the local STEM workforce. Akamai accepts college students from Hawaiʻi<\/span> (80% graduated from a Hawaiʻi<\/span> high school or were born in Hawaiʻi<\/span>), and a key objective is to increase the participation of underrepresented and underserved populations in STEM. Akamai Workforce Initiative alumni are 37% women, 23% Native Hawaiian and 47% underrepresented minorities.<\/p>\n

“I participated in Akamai in the Summer of 2015 after my junior year at 糖心视频<\/abbr> M\u0101noa. Having the internship at the Canada-France-Hawaiʻi<\/span> Telescope (CFHT<\/abbr>) provided key skills and knowledge that led to my position at Pearl Harbor upon graduation,” said Raycen Wong, mechanical engineer at CFHT<\/abbr>. “I\u2019m from Hilo and having a position in my field on Hawaiʻi<\/span> Island, in particular at CFHT<\/abbr>, became a longterm career goal due to the experiences I had as an Akamai intern.”<\/p>\n

Placements at telescopes and tech companies<\/h2>\n

Interns in recent years have been placed at many Hawaiʻi<\/span> Island firms including Big Island Abalone Farm, Canada-France-Hawaiʻi<\/span> Telescope, Cyanotech, Hawaiʻi<\/span> Electric Light Company, Gemini North Observatory, Liquid Robotics, Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaiʻi<\/span> Authority, Smithsonian Submillimeter Array, Academia Sinica Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Subaru Telescope, IfA<\/abbr> and W. M. Keck Observatory.<\/p>\n

Maui placements include Air Force Research Laboratory, Boeing, Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, HNu<\/abbr> Photonics, KBR<\/abbr>, Maui High Performance Computing Center, Pacific Disaster Center, Privateer Space and IfA<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n

Placements are also available at University of California Observatories on the campus of UC<\/abbr> Santa Cruz, and the Laboratory for Adaptive Optics and astronomical instrumentation projects.<\/p>\n

Mentoring to ensure student success<\/h2>\n

The Akamai Program is a community partnership that offers an exceptional mentoring experience for students. Each year more than 50 engineers and scientists from telescopes and tech companies generate ideas for intern projects that will make a real contribution to their work and will provide a challenging educational experience for the intern. Many mentors participate in the Akamai Mentor Workshop, where they plan how to provide an experience that will help launch interns into a successful career in STEM.<\/p>\n

“As a previous intern, I can truly speak to the pivotal experience that the Akamai Internship Program provided for me,” said Heather Kaluna, an associate professor of astronomy at 糖心视频<\/abbr> Hilo<\/a> who now manages the internship program at Akamai. “I am happy to be able to give back and support similar experiences for other Hawaiʻi<\/span>-based students.”<\/p>\n

Akamai Funders<\/h2>\n

This year the Akamai Internship Program is funded by Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, National Science Foundation (through the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, Gemini Observatory, Event Horizon Telescope, Slicer Combined with Array of Lenslets for Exoplanet Spectroscopy).<\/p>\n

For more information go to the Akamai Workforce Initiative<\/a> website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More than 500 college students have participated in the internship program since it launched in 2003.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[34,656,35,659,1421,1051,313,14,9,947],"class_list":["post-188267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-astronomy","tag-haleakala","tag-institute-for-astronomy","tag-maunakea","tag-maunakea-observatories","tag-mentorship","tag-stem","tag-uh-hilo","tag-uh-manoa","tag-uh-system","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t