2025 interns join ULRI-ULSE

This summer, UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement are welcoming a 28 interns and GEM Fellows to our organizations. Of the 21 interns and seven GEM Fellows, four are returning for a second summer internship with ULRI-ULSE. For 11 weeks, these interns and fellows will work alongside various teams in the institutes and offices across ULRI-ULSE, and participate in the Office of Research Experiences & Education’s Student Engagement Program.

Internship and GEM Fellowship programming and opportunities at ULRI and ULSE have grown significantly in recent years. Since the SEP was first piloted, the program nearly tripled from 10 interns and fellows in 2023 to 28 now; and the GEM Fellowship at ULRI and ULSE has more than tripled since it first began in 2022.

Student Engagement Program Adds Identity Dialogues to Support Interns and Fellows

This year’s SEP features programming that will engage interns and fellows in professional development workshops, networking opportunities, and mentorship, covering topics like:

• Research tied to ULRI’s Grand Challenges
• Using ORCID in your career
• Leveraging LinkedIn for career success
• Combatting imposterism

Initially born out of findings from OREE’s research team on the resources and programs needed to provide support, connection, and belonging to interns and fellows, each year the SEP evolves based on direct feedback from participants.

In 2023 and 2024, OREE’s research and evaluation team conducted an evaluation with the interns and fellows which showed that they wanted to receive more professional identity guidance. As a result, this summer, the OREE team created the Identity Dialogue Sessions where students will get the chance to explore their professional identity alongside peers and mentors during three sessions.

The Identity Dialogue Sessions throughout the 2025 SEP will feature facilitated conversations for interns and fellows to reflect and process new learnings from this stage in their career. The goal of these sessions is to help interns through what may be their first professional experience of their career, allowing them to explore their identity, reflect on their learnings, and process new understandings with their peers and a facilitator.

Meet the 2025 Interns and Fellows

• Lauren Ashley is an intern with the HR team. Lauren is currently studying human resources management and psychology at Loyola University Chicago.
• Ashlyn Bonner is a public education/marketing intern with the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI). Ashlyn is currently studying English and psychology at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
• Avkash Chandra is a library science information science intern with Library and Researcher Information Services. Avkash is pursuing an M.S. in information management at the University of Maryland-College Park.
• Amorette Chiossi is an intern with the Materials Discovery Research Institute (MDRI). Amorette is a Ph.D. candidate studying materials engineering at the University of Washington.
• Zina Deriche is a research intern with the Electrochemical Safety Research Institute (ESRI). Zina is a Ph.D. candidate studying chemical engineering at Rice University.
• Luke Dsouza is a partnerships intern with ULSE. Luke is pursuing an M.A. in international relations at the University of Maryland-College Park.
• Roulince Dukuly is an intern with MDRI and a GEM Fellow at Columbia University. Roulince earned a B.S. in chemical engineering from Stanford University. Roulince is also a Ph.D. candidate studying chemical engineering at Columbia University.
• Chukwudalu Dumebi-Kachikwu is a data science and engineering intern with ULSE. Chukwudalu is currently studying computer science and data science at the University of Pittsburgh.
• Megan Fahrney is an intern with the Office of Research Experiences & Education (OREE). Megan earned a B.A. in political science and global affairs from the University of Notre Dame.
• Alex Farkas is an intern with the Finance team. Alex is currently studying finance and accounting at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
• Makayla Headley is an intern with OREE. Makayla is a Ph.D. candidate studying engineering and science education and pursuing an M.S. in computer science at Clemson University.
• Michael Henderson is a graduate research fellow with ESRI. Michael is currently studying civil engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.
• Lena Hicks is an intern with the Health, Safety, & Environment team. Lena is currently studying environmental and scientific journalism at Emerson College.
• Everett-Alan Hood is a data science and engineering intern with ULSE. Everett earned a B.S. in computer science from North Carolina A&T State University. Everett is pursuing an M.S. in artificial intelligence and machine learning at the University of Washington.
• TreShai Hubbard is a digital assets intern with OREE. TreShai is currently studying experience architecture at Michigan State University.
• Shuroq Hussein is an IT service management intern with the IT team. Shuroq is currently studying computer science and business administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
• Haein Kong is a digital safety research intern with the Digital Safety Research Institute (DSRI). Haein is a Ph.D. candidate studying information science at Rutgers University.
• Jack Lowrie is a digital safety research intern with DSRI. He is pursuing an M.S. in computer science at Purdue University.
• Madison Luongo is a graphic design intern with ULSE. Madison is currently studying advertising and public relations and visual communications at Loyola University Chicago.
• Norah Nguyen is an intern with the Chemical Insights Research Institute (CIRI). Norah is currently studying chemical engineering and chemistry at UMass Amherst.
• Sydney O’Clery is a multimedia design intern with FSRI. Sydney earned a B.S. in film and television from Hofstra University.
• Timilehin Oluwole is a research operations intern with the Operations team. Timilehin earned an M.S. in chemical engineering from the University of New Have. Timilehin is a Ph.D. candidate studying chemical and biological engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• Godrein Owusu-Ayeye is a data science and engineering intern with ULSE. Godrein is currently studying electrical engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
• Lauryn Price is a public education/marketing intern with FSRI. Lauryn is currently studying business administration and marketing at Bowie State University.
• Zahin Ritee is a fire protection engineering intern with the FSRI. Zahin earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Columbia University and a B.S. in physics from Adelphy University. Zahin is pursuing an M.S. in mechanical engineering at Columbia University.
• Kaylin Ryan is a graphic design intern with FSRI. Kaylin earned a B.A. in graphic design from York College of Pennsylvania.
• Kate Sheeran is a governance, risk, and compliance intern with the IT team. Kate is currently studying criminology and criminal justice at the University of Alabama. Chen Wang is an intern with ESRI. Chen is a Ph.D. candidate studying chemical engineering at Texas A&M University.

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