Students Find Summer Internships Through ISIP

Since its inception 16 years ago, the APS Industrial Summer Intern Program (ISIP) has helped over 260 U.S. college students secure summer employment in some of the country's best industrial laboratories, thus gaining valuable hands-on experience in that research environment. This year the program placed six students in positions at three of the nation's top industrial laboratories.

Established by the APS Committee on Education in 1978, ISIP provides an opportunity for qualified U.S. physics students to broaden their training by working in an industrial environment for 10 weeks during the summer. Interns receive their salaries from their industrial employers. Interns and companies for the summer of 1995 are Shelley Anna, IBM; Kimberly Binger, General Electric; Jennifer Heath, IBM; and Indaka Jayawardene, Zijin Shen, and Scott Wilhelm, AT&T Bell Laboratories.

The primary benefits of the ISIP program include exposure to industrial research and the opportunity to establish important contacts in industry. "In a number of colleges and universities, the faculty hasn't had much exposure to industrial science, and as a result their students aren't aware that interesting physics can be done in an industrial setting," said Israel Jacobs (General Electric R&D Center), who has served on the ISIP selection committee since the program began. The program also benefits the participating industrial laboratories. Interns often produce useful results that help advance a company's scientific program, and may return to industry after earning their degrees.

An announcement for the 1996 Industrial Summer Internship Program may be found on page seven. Student application forms are available from college physics departments and from the APS. Undergraduates in their senior year and graduate students are eligible. The deadline for this year's program is 27 October 1995. Further information is available from the ISIP Administrator, APS, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844.