Four students from the College of Science at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) will once again be taking part in BioTrain, an eight-week internship program offered each summer by the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. They are Rebecca Hauser, Garrett Dunn, Candice Coppola, and Jonathan Trinh.
"The BioTrain internship is a unique opportunity to gain insight into the day-to-day work involved in being a part of a research group in a premier research setting," says Dunn, who also serves as the vice-president of the Alabama Student Rural Health Association and was recently initiated into the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.
Trinh, whose research skills are currently being honed in Dr. Luciano Matzkin's lab, agrees. "I feel honored to be one of the select few to be offered a chance to participate in this prestigious program," he says. "I am excited for this opportunity, and hopefully this internship can function as a gateway for future opportunities."
All participants are required to complete a one-week Biotech Boot Camp before beginning their internship in one of three areas: with an investigator's research laboratory, with a for-profit company associated with HudsonAlpha, or within HudsonAlpha's educational outreach, computational services, or communications departments.
Each internship position is then tailored to the participant's educational level and interests, allowing them to explore their passion while gaining career-appropriate skills and networking with professionals in the field. "It's a great opportunity," says Hauser, which is why it's no surprise that hundreds vie for the 30 or so spots offered each summer since the program's 2009 inception.
"We receive an overwhelming number of highly qualified applicants from around the state," says Dr. Adam Hott, Coordinator of Educational Outreach at HudsonAlpha. But as with last year, he continues, "we are very happy that four were selected from our own backyard at UAH. We congratulate those individuals and look forward to a very productive summer."
