The following is what a few of our students had to say.

            “I completed a summer internship at HERL working most closely with Dr. Fitzgerald, helping keep track of certain aspects of her Wheelchair Maintenance study.  I got a lot of hands-on experience with some of the testing equipment, which was very interesting.  I also helped out other studies where I was needed, all of which gave me the opportunity to see how many different projects are going on at once and how much work goes into every step of the research.  In addition to all the experience I got at the laboratory itself, I was given the opportunity to travel to Cleveland for the National Veteran’s Wheelchair Games to assist in the research studies that were carried out there.  I got to see a wide variety of wheelchairs and other kinds of assistive devices that people were using, so I got a different perspective of how people with disabilities adapt to their environment.  I am looking forward to being able to use everything I have learned as I finish my undergraduate studies in Rehabilitation Science and I would like to thank everyone at the lab for making this an enjoyable learning opportunity.” (by Stephanie Martin)

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 “Over the past 7 months as an intern I have learned and gained the experience of a machinist, designer, team member, tester, and maybe most importantly a researcher.  I have gone through the disappointments as well as the successes in creating a device from the roots.  I have worked to meet deadlines and put the most important priorities ahead of personal progress.  I was given a project when I first arrived at HERL and have been working on it ever since.  This project has involved the designing, machining, problem solving, and the testing that it takes to make a product marketable.  My project is a pneumatic caster fork.

JJJJ

“This summer I worked at HERL for 12 weeks and found it to be a very educational and enjoyable experience.  I worked on a computerized model of the shoulder with help and guidance from my advisor, Dr. Koontz.  I spent the first six weeks of my internship learning the computer modeling software, SIMM (Software for Interactive Musculoskeletal Modeling).  It was somewhat tedious because no one else in the lab had used it before, but it was a very good learning experience.  The second 6 weeks were spent using FIGURE - human modeler, a part of the Adams suite of software.  I used this to create a model of the upper extremity that analyzed the forces and torques acting at and within the shoulder joint.  I compared these results to a mathematical currently used to analyze the shoulder joint.”              

“Overall, my time at HERL has been a great learning experience.  I was exposed to the research of many grad students, saw a lot of specialized research equipment, and learned how to use computer simulation software.”  (by Martha Loehr)

The Intern Program here at HERL (Human Engineering Research Laboratories) provides an opportunity for undergrads to experience the daily activities of the research environment.  Internships are granted to those students who have an interest in Biomechanics, Bioengineering, Rehabilitation Sciences or other fields within these disciplines.  Students are encouraged to offer their own ideas on projects and to work alongside professional researchers and Engineers to complete the given tasks.  Although most interns work the summer months, there are openings nearly year round here at HERL. 

If you would like more information on our Intern Program, email Paula Stankovic at paulas@pitt.edu