This summer, three chemical engineering students explored the interface between engineering and public policy as AIChE鈥檚 2015 WISE (Washington Internships for Students of Engineering) interns.
Kathleen Wu (Yale Univ.), Jill Schoborg (Iowa State Univ.), and Jami Summey-Rice (Univ. of Houston) spent two months in Washington, DC, contributing to discussions on how engineers impact society. As part of the program, which ran from May 31 to Aug. 1, the students prepared and delivered original research papers on public policy topics based on what they learned in their intern roles.
Wu discussed her work in a paper entitled 鈥淏ridging the Financial Gap for Carbon Capture and Storage.鈥� Schoborg studied genetically modified organisms, documented in her paper 鈥淭o Label or Not Label: Addressing America鈥檚 Genetically Modified Organism Policy.鈥� Summey-Rice examined the economics and sustainability benefits of high-speed rail transit in 鈥淕et on Board: High-Speed Rail Policy to Incentivize Growth and Technologies.鈥�
The WISE interns, along with interns sponsored by other engineering organizations, presented their work on Capitol Hill. The interns鈥� research is published online in the Sept. 2015 edition of the WISE Journal of Engineering and Public Policy, available at .
The WISE program selects undergraduate engineering students to conduct research on public policy issues during the summer in Washington, DC. The students learn about the interactions between the engineering community and the government in matters of public policy, and see how engineers can contribute to decision-making on complex technological matters.
The deadline for 2016 WISE internship applications is Dec. 31, 2015. For details, visit .