Four University of New Orleans computer science graduate students have been selected for paid summer research internships by the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program (NREIP). NREIP provides competitive research internships to college students at Department of the Navy research laboratories during the summer.

The nationally competitive internship program, which is administered by the American Society of Engineering Education, averages 800 awards yearly. Many of the recipients join Department of Defense laboratories after graduation.

Selection for an internship is based on academic credentials, recommendation letters and personal statements.

The summer 2022 NREIP recipients from UNO are Christopher Moore, Austin Schmidt, Viet Nguyen and Jared Wise. They will intern at the Center for Geospatial Sciences at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

“I am grateful to the computer science department for making me aware of this opportunity, encouraging me to apply, and guiding me through the application process,” Wise said. “I'm excited to learn in a research environment and understand how to utilize computer science skills with a Navy research center.

“The machine learning and artificial intelligence courses at UNO, as well as the many other CS courses I have taken, will be instrumental in making my internship with NRL a success."

A major goal of NREIP is to make interns aware of the research activities of the Department of Navy laboratories, in order to facilitate employment by that agency after graduation.

Interning at the Naval Research Laboratory was always a goal after changing his major from communication to computer science in 2019, said Nguyen.

 “I am looking forward to applying my computer science skills with a focus on network security and threat management,” Nguyen said.

NREIP graduate recipients receive a stipend of $11,500 for the 10-week summer research internship.

Moore and Schmidt, who were selected for internships for a second year, said the experience has help to hone their research skills and broaden their career development.

“It is my great honor to be selected for the prestigious NREIP internship for a second year. I am glad to have the opportunity to work closely with professionals in a rigorous and fast-paced research environment,” Schmidt said. “NREIP has greatly enhanced my professional development and furthered my career goals in the past, and I greatly look forward to participating in the program again.”

Moore interned last summer at the Air Force Research Laboratory‘s Autonomy Technology Research Center.

“The different technologies I encountered ushered me into a new and exciting world of computing,” Moore said. “I look forward to the task ahead with the NREIP program at NRL.”