High-performing students from four University of California campuses will spend eight weeks gaining hands-on, real-world experience in high-demand technical fields this summer.
Over the next few weeks, 126 undergraduate and graduate students from UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz — the four University of California campuses associated with the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS) — will embark on eight-week paid summer internships as members of the fourth and final cohort of the CITRIS Workforce Innovation Program.
CITRIS Workforce Innovation, established in 2022 with generous support from a one-time state award, has helped further the careers of more than 365 UC students total with internships in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.
Alongside their positions in the high-demand, high-tech realms of aviation, climate and energy, cybersecurity, data and artificial intelligence (AI) for social impact, digital health, and semiconductors, the newest group of talented student interns will attend weekly virtual workshops to help them build vital workplace skills. They’ll progress toward a formal certificate in emerging technologies as they learn the ins and outs of project management, effective workplace communication and leadership principles.
The program saw more than 495 applications across the four participating campuses this year, from majors as varied as conservation studies, data science, design engineering, environmental economics and public health.
The students selected for internships reflect the breadth of UC’s student body, a range of characteristics that will strengthen the resilience of California’s workforce. More than one-third of the cohort qualify for Pell grants, indicating a family income of less than $45,000 per year, and one-third also reported themselves as first-generation college students. Languages spoken at home include Cantonese, Khmer, Spanish, Tagalog, Turkish and Vietnamese.
“Applied learning and real-world experience is key to demystifying deep tech careers,” said Jill Finlayson, managing director of the CITRIS Innovation Hub, which operates the Workforce Innovation Program.
“The mentorship and support provided through the Workforce Innovation Program and our amazing hosts ensure that students demonstrate real growth in their skills and ability to see themselves in these high-growth job sectors.”
Out of the classroom, into the working world
The interns have been placed with 52 different host organizations, including startups, established companies, campus and national laboratories, and government agencies. They’ll take on such tasks as cleaning and transforming data in a decarbonization model that helps companies reduce their carbon emissions and developing computational tools to study bird flight.
The Berkeley Marvell Nanofabrication Laboratory at CITRIS, which just received a state-of-the-art multichamber semiconductor etching system, will host five students with support from a National Science Foundation (NSF) Workforce Innovation and Inclusion in Semiconductors and Emerging Research Areas (WIISER) grant.
Six interns will work with the NASA Ames Research Center in a partnership between NASA, the Berkeley Space Center (BSC), and CITRIS and the Banatao Institute, addressing projects such as optimizing the aerodynamic design of rotor blades for extraterrestrial atmospheres and modeling the resilience of autonomous systems in Python.
“Our students, with their intellectual curiosity and talent, are something only the University of California is able to offer,” said Darek DeFreece, the university’s lead representative to the BSC.
“The Berkeley Space Center is really excited to deepen its relationship with CITRIS by promoting meaningful internships at the NASA Research Park. Our partnership will advance one of our strategic initiatives — preparing our workforce for positions of influence in advanced aviation and aerospace. The jobs of the future start here.”
While many of these opportunities are close to the students’ academic homes in Northern California, some range far further afield. Brazilian systems engineering and technology powerhouse Atech is a first-time host this year, while RoboticsCats, a Hong Kong–based startup working to build AI-powered wildfire detection tools, has returned for its fourth year.
“CITRIS is widely respected for cultivating innovation and offering students hands-on experience in real-world projects,” said Lucy Chen, founder of Gifted Books and GiftedCoaching.info, a first-time internship host.
She has tasked her four incoming interns with a slate of critical projects, including designing and developing online courses for aspiring authors and prototyping an app that connects startup founders with college students seeking hands-on experience.
“I believe this partnership will be a win-win: Interns can contribute their skills while gaining professional experience, and I’ll benefit from their fresh perspectives and technical capabilities.”
Terravanta, an engineering and construction management consulting company with several locations along the West Coast, will host three CITRIS Workforce Innovation interns. Illary Archilla, the firm’s president and CEO, saw the benefits of bringing in qualified talent to augment operations while familiarizing students with the workings of a small business.
“We are looking forward to supporting student development and professional growth,” she said.
Terravanta’s interns will work on developing databases, processes and procedures.
Practice brings perspective
The students will leave their internships not only with bona fide technical skills and beefed-up resumes, but also — if the experiences from previous cohorts hold true — with more professional confidence and a greater sense of belonging in the STEM workforce.
According to reports conducted by the Lawrence Hall of Science, CITRIS Workforce Innovation interns feel more committed to careers in STEM fields after finishing the program.
One intern from the 2024 cohort reported in their end-of-summer survey that they gained deeper insight into industry practices while working on a project that was both practical and useful. “Overall, I had a great experience and acquired many skills that will be relevant for my next role,” they said.
Other responses mentioned feelings of accomplishment, personal and professional growth, and improved mental health.
“It is deeply satisfying to see students blossom as they progress through their internships,” said Nicole-Marie Cotton, CITRIS Workforce Innovation Program manager. “Their enthusiasm is invigorating.”
While the program will come to a close at the end of the summer, the state of California can expect to see a return on its investment for years to come.
“We are grateful to the state for funding this extraordinary group of students over the past four years,” said Camille Crittenden, executive director of CITRIS and the Banatao Institute. “I have no doubt that the students will continue to benefit from the skills they gained during their internships and contribute meaningfully to the future workforce in these critical sectors.”