The Undergraduate Research Program would like to recognize and congratulate Christina Slack for her recent acceptance into the competitive Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program (NREIP). Last year, only 590 students were chosen to participate in this program.
NREIP is a ten-week program that places its interns in a Navy Laboratory over the summer. Under the guidance of a research mentor, interns will have the opportunity to participate in research. Participants will receive a research stipend to be used towards their research efforts.
According to NREIP’s website, ” The goals of NREIP are to encourage participating students to pursue science and engineering careers, to further education via mentoring by laboratory personnel and their participation in research, and to make them aware of DoN (Department of the Navy) research and technology efforts, which can lead to employment within the DoN.”
NREIP selects its interns based on academic achievement, personal statements and recommendations, and, of course, research interests.
Tina Slack, a current SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship) recipient, was recently selected to participate in this internship. Tina is interested in pursuing research as a career, and her selection for this internship will open many doors for the future.
“Receiving this internship allows me to be one step closer to my dream job. I would love to work in the government as a research scientist. This internship gives me the chance to explore the government research world and get my foot in the door, so to speak.” (Tina Slack)
Although internships like NREIP may seem impossible and far off, Tina believes it is always worth it to apply and open yourself up to opportunities.
“You should never count yourself out for any opportunity. The internship I applied for seemed like such a far reach for me, and the acceptance rate is completely dependent on the lab’s research needs. It was a long shot, but it worked out. Always apply for everything that you are interested in.”
Tina already has plans for the research she will be conducting over the 10-week period.
“During the internship, I will be working with synthesis and characterization of micron organic/metal materials, along with a project involving wet chemistry and nanocrystal synthesis and characterization.”
Tina is currently conducting her own research here at UWW, with Dr. Steven Girard of the UW-Whitewater Chemistry Department.
“I have conducted silicide nanoparticle research with Dr. Girard beginning my second semester of my freshman year. The nanoparticles are useful in thermoelectric materials, which are materials that can convert heat into electricity.”
She and her mentor are working to gain a better understanding of the process of synthesis as it relates to their research.
“There have been many challenges in our research project. We do not have a full understanding of the chemistry behind the process of synthesis, creating lots of questions that need to be answered. We are currently in the process of answering all of these questions to the best of our ability. Some are answered successfully while others seem to create more questions, but we learn something from every experiment.”
As the academic year comes to a close, Tina plans to finish up her work with Dr. Girard.
“I am still conducting research on the silicide nanoparticle project, however it is coming to a close. The last piece of the project will be to test our material for thermoelectric properties. I will also be writing a manuscript of the work to hopefully be published in a scientific journal.”
Once again, the Undergraduate Research Program would like to congratulate Tina Slack on the terrific accomplishment of receiving this competitive internship position. For those of you interested in research, please visit us in our Andersen Library office, or head to uww.edu/urp.
“I would love to extend my gratitude to the Undergraduate Research Program. They have supported me every step of the way throughout my research career. Without their support, I would not be where I am today!”