Internship Testimonials

 


Interns at Fraunhofer USA CMI share their experiences

Find out how it is to be a student worker or intern at Fraunhofer USA CMI in Boston 


Michael Sodamin

International Project Engineering Student from Reutlingen University, Germany

CAPTION: © Michael Sodamin ## Michael Sodamin, Fraunhofer USA CMI Intern of 2016.

"Doing an internship at Fraunhofer CMI is a great time and the best decision I could have made for my internship. Being in project management allows me to get to know most of the great projects we currently have. Doing my work, which means improving the processes is fun as the staff is interested and open for new ideas. I enjoy the freedom, flexibility and responsibility I am experiencing, too. Working together with bright minded people, in staff and interns, is accelerating ones own urge to contribute. It's great to see how the techniques we learn in our study course can be very useful in real life and to see where they need to be adjusted for research and development. Additionally I was able to use and expand my experiences in C-coding, microfluidic devices and electronics, which gives me a broad learning field, I couldn’t have had in other companies.

Boston is the best city I’ve experienced so far. Every evening there are great events from BU, Harvard, MIT, Microsoft etc. and you get to know a few of the most interesting and intelligent people of the world. 

My advice for future interns? Just come and enjoy, be ready to use the freedom you’ll get and really work as hard as you can on your own."


Marc Müller

M.Sc. Biology Student from Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg, Germany

CAPTION: © Marc Mueller ## Marc Mueller, Fraunhofer USA CMI Intern of 2015.

"I worked as an intern at a German diagnostic company for a "healthier tomorrow" before I came to Boston, USA. At Fraunhofer CMI, I can continue working in this field. In my project, we want to develop a multiplex, rapid method for antibiotic susceptibility testing. What do I like best about my master thesis project at Fraunhofer CMI? The friendly working environment and the work in an international team, being part of the research and development of diagnostic devices, and the combination of biology and engineering - this is very interesting and exciting. I also like experiencing the American culture." 


Matthias Pieplak

International Project Engineering Undergraduate Student from Reutlingen University, Germany

CAPTION: © Matthias Piplak ## Matthias Piplak, Fraunhofer USA CMI Intern of 2015.

"I applied to Fraunhofer CMI because I it was a great opportunity for me to combine my studies with working in a multidisciplinary R&D environment. I was involved in all of my supervisors projects, giving me the chance to not only work in my field, but to gain a broad learning experience. What I liked best about my internship? The creative environment. Friendly colleagues, who include and value the work of the interns. The involvement in the daily work. The internationality of the staff, especially the interns. Travelling to various places on the East coast and spending time in Boston, because Boston is awesome!"


Martha Maria Frysztacki

B.Sc. Mathematics and Exp. Physics Student from FAU Erlangen Nuernberg, Germany

CAPTION: © Martha Maria Frysztacki ## Martha Maria Frysztacki, Fraunhofer USA CMI Intern of 2015.

"I took the initiative to read up on several internship programs within the whole U.S. and I found different interesting offers. Since I was working for 1.5 years at a German Fraunhofer Center, Fraunhofer CMI seemed to be the one most attractive. Also, the location of Boston was a decisive reason to go there, as it is one of the most popular cities when it comes to education.

About my project in Nanopore Proteomics I especially liked the variety I was working on. It had some aspects about electrical engineering, which I have learned in my minor field of study. So there were many things I could use from my education but also a lot of new things to learn which definitely took me forward. I could use my theoretical knowledge from university in an applied manner and cooperate with different kinds of people with different professional backgrounds. I also improved my English in a professional way, learned how to present results and how to write papers.

My advice to future interns: Don't have very strict expectations, be open minded and enthusiastic. Then the internship as well as the city of Boston with its charming people will be one of the most precious experiences in your life. Thank you!"


Gary Holland

Mechanical Engineering Student from University of Northumbria, United Kingdom

CAPTION: © Gary Holland ## Gary Holland, Fraunhofer USA CMI Intern of 2005.

"All in all the year (almost) which i spent at Fraunhofer CMI was the best of my life! The combination of interesting and challenging work, friendly staff and colleagues, very good apartment location and the subsequent improvement to my career prospects made it a superb experience. Thank you very much!"