Internships are vital experiences for students. Seventeen data science students interned with non-profit organizations through the Christy Houston Foundation. Other students interned with organizations such as the MTSU Agriculture Department, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Experian. Read some of their experiences.
Pallavi Suram interned in the Agricultural Department at MTSU.
“This summer, I served as a Research Assistant in the Soil Science Research Lab at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), working under the supervision of Dr. Samuel Haruna in the Stark Agriculture building. My work was at the intersection of Geospatial AI, Data Science, and Environmental Research, with a focus on analyzing and visualizing soil science datasets. I contributed to projects involving soil moisture analysis, land classification, and remote sensing, applying indices such as NDVI and NDWI to understand vegetation and water patterns better.
Alongside this, I received direct training in SAS (Statistical Analysis System) and supported the integration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into the lab’s research workflows. I also expanded my skills as a Geospatial AI Specialist, building predictive models and interactive dashboards using tools such as GeoPandas, Rasterio, Google Earth Engine, Streamlit, and Tableau. This internship has strengthened my technical expertise and research skills, while also deepening my interest in applying data science to agricultural and environmental challenges.
Myles Ikhalia had the opportunity to serve as a data analyst intern at Mindful Care which is a nonprofit organization in Murfreesboro that provides support for individuals living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
“The internship was a valuable experience that allowed me to apply my data skills in a real-world business setting, especially through working with Microsoft Excel. My supervisor, Cindi Thomas, and her assistant, Jamie, tasked me with organizing patient data as well as financial information for the organization. I enjoyed helping to streamline their data and gain insights from the datasets I worked with. Because I worked in the same room as the patients, I also had the chance to observe them engaging in activities firsthand, which created a lively and meaningful atmosphere that reminded me of the direct human impact behind the work I was doing.
During my internship, I also had the privilege of meeting Bill Hawkins, who is a board member of Mindful Care and later became my mentor. He taught me practical skills in data management and file organization, which are highly valuable as I pursue a career in data analytics.
Overall, my internship at Mindful Care was quite a meaningful experience. It gave me the chance not only to develop technical skills in data handling but also to contribute to an organization making a difference in people’s lives. I am grateful for the mentorship I received and for the opportunity to be part of their community.”
Anastasia Sidorova worked for “A Soldier’s Child Foundation”.
“This was a valuable experience that allowed me to understand the organization’s goals and apply what I had learned from my classes in a real-world setting. I cleaned, formatted, and validated datasets to support campaign analysis. I also analyzed email campaign metrics using data visualization tools to optimize outreach strategies. I would really recommend going through this experience, because this opportunity provided me with real-world experience, and I got to meet many great people!”
Yuan Chen interned at EDF US Innovation Lab.
“This summer I began my internship at EDF US Innovation Lab, where I have the chance to connect what I’ve learned at MTSU with real-world research. My coursework in data science, mathematics, and computing gave me a solid foundation, and this internship has shown me how those skills can be applied to cutting-edge problems. In particular, I am working on Variational Quantum Algorithms (VQAs), which are hybrid quantum-classical methods that can be applied to tackle some problems in the field of partial differential equations. It has been exciting to see how theory from the classroom translates into practice, and how the work I’m doing contributes to larger research in energy and emerging technologies.
At EDF, I’m not only building my technical skills but also learning how to collaborate in a professional research environment. I’ve explored both optimization strategies and numerical modeling techniques. Most importantly, this experience has given me a clearer sense of how data science and quantum computing can come together to solve meaningful problems. I’m grateful to my professors and mentors at MTSU for preparing me for this opportunity, and to EDF Innovation Lab for giving me the chance to grow and learn in such an inspiring setting.”