News Release

Team Internship Program: Building the next generation of engineers.

A team of TIP interns at 3D Robotics. From left: Andrew Hung, Fabian Ramirez and Sandra Medina.

San Diego, Calif., Oct. 7, 2014 -- They worked on the next generation of drones for 3D Robotics. At Cubic Transportation Systems, they created applications to allow public transit users to enhance their mobility and pay fares on their own mobile devices. At UTC Aerospace Systems, they re-engineered the designs for manufacturing aircraft parts.

In all, 330 students participated in the Team Internship Program at the Jacobs School of Engineering at the University of California, San Diego this summer. They worked for 42 companies in the United States and around the world, including Yahoo!, Qualcomm and Solar Turbines, among many others. The program is part of the Jacobs School’s effort to enhance students’ education through real-world engineering in a team setting. Students work onsite with industry partners in multi-disciplinary teams focused on clearly defined and significant projects. Students who took part in the program said the TIP’s interdisciplinary team approach allows for more meaningful and challenging work than could ever be offered to an individual intern over the same period of time.

Fabian Ramirez, a mechanical engineering major, worked on one of 3D Robotics’ new UAVs. The company develops innovative, flexible and reliable personal drones and UAV technology for everyday exploration and business applications.

A lot of the statistics and dynamics classes he took at the Jacobs School provided Ramirez with the knowledge he needed for the job, he said. Finite element analysis was a key skill. It allowed him to analyze previous designs for the drones and figure out which areas needed improvement.

At the same time, Ramirez learned a great deal about materials and the small components needed to build UAVs, from screws to electronics. He also worked with pilots who had military-related experience, from whom he learned how UAVs are handled. The internship was a great experience, he said.

Ramirez is returning to the Jacobs School and looking forward to his senior year design projects. He chose UC San Diego because of its strong mechanical and aerospace engineering program, he said.

For Narine Cholakyan, the team internship experience at Cubic Transportation Systems provided a real-world training ground for collaborative and creative work. Her TIP team helped develop mobile device applications that enable contactless payment for public transit users. “I had the opportunity to not only put my programming skills to the test, but also work in a team environment to come up with solutions to meaningful problems that occurred during the internship,” said Cholakyan.

“There was a lot of support and the work environment was perfect to facilitate brainstorming and the creation of ideas. I think I took away a lot of skills from this internship–both technical and interpersonal and learned how to better communicate my ideas to others.”

Cholakyan graduated last spring with a bachelor’s in computer science and is currently working with UC San Diego research scientist Nadir Weibel on a project that will connect paramedics to doctors so they can consult on time-critical patients being transported to the emergency room.

At UTC Aerospace Systems in Chula Vista, Calif., Tayelor McKay was part of a team tackling a longstanding design optimization challenge in aircraft manufacturing: How to reduce costs and increase the supplier base for a complex component of the nacelle, which houses the aircraft’s engine. McKay said engineers have been exploring alternatives to existing manufacturing processes for about 20 years, hoping to find a solution as technologies improve and new ones emerge.

The project’s focus on manufacturing presented a learning curve for the team, but McKay said their supervisors and collaborators at UTC Aerospace provided great guidance and support. “Feeling as though you are contributing to an important issue for a worldwide company is extremely motivating,” said McKay, who added the team aspect of the internship was especially beneficial. “You meet more students from your school, learn from experienced engineers with different backgrounds while growing your network, and have the chance to realize what sort of engineer you want to be all while gaining a competitive advantage for a full-time position due to the relevant industry experience. “

McKay earned a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering last spring and landed a full-time position at United Technologies Corporation, one of the largest building systems and aerospace manufacturers in the world.

If you are interested in learning about hiring a team of engineers for Summer 2015 through TIP, contact Loren Metzger at lemetzger@ucsd.edu or858-822-6772. To receive a project description form for submittal, email jacobsschoolresume@soe.ucsd.eu.  The TIP model is flexible, and is a scalable way to augment your team’s recruiting reach to target top talent. Loren will work with each company to help market opportunities, pre-screen resumes, and serve as an extension of your recruiting team on campus.

TIP Participating Companies

Media Contacts

Ioana Patringenaru
Jacobs School of Engineering
858-822-0899
ipatrin@ucsd.edu