Internship Experiences
Physics Webmaster
Through his work on the “Physics to Go” Web site during a summer internship and later as an online consultant, ASU junior Logan Hancock has helped provide physics resources and education to a potentially international audience.
An applied physics major from Brownfield, Hancock originally came to ASU on a band scholarship, but it wasn’t long before his love of physics took precedence over his love of music.
“Not being a music major, it was difficult trying to shuffle my classes,” Hancock said. “I had a couple of conflicts with band and physics classes at the same time and, I hate to say it, but physics was more important. It was hard to give up the band, but I guess it has worked out.”
While he no longer has his band scholarship, Hancock does receive a Carr Academic Scholarship and a Special Academic Scholarship from the ASU Physics Department. He is also one of only about 40 students nationwide to receive a 2008-09 Columbia Crew Memorial Undergraduate Scholarship from the Texas Space Grant Consortium.
During the summer of 2008, Hancock earned an internship at the national office of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) in College Park, Md., where he worked for the American Physical Society. The main focus of the internship was working on the Physics to Go Web site, which is a component of the ComPADRE online network of 11 educational resource collections. The collections support teachers and students in physics and astronomy as part of the National Science Digital Library.
“It is mostly Web sites in the Physics to Go collection,” Hancock said. “It is targeted toward the general public, so we feature eye-catching images and different activities that would be more beneficial to someone who doesn’t have a physics background.”
“Energy is one thing that a lot of people are searching online about right now,” he added. “We have several articles on the site about energy, so if someone Googles ‘energy,’ Physics to Go will pop up and they can go to our Web site where there are resources for their benefit.”
Since the completion of his internship, Hancock has continued to work on the site as an online consultant. He is charged with finding new resources for the site, providing written descriptions, adding them to the existing collection and updating the Physics to Go home page every two weeks.
As president of the Angelo State SPS chapter, Hancock is also involved in other activities like the spring “Peer Pressure” Road Show and the annual Can Roll holiday food drive in November. He recently attended an American Physical Society Joint Texas Section meeting in El Paso and the 2008 Quadrennial Congress of the Sigma Pi Sigma national physics honor society at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) near Chicago.
Scheduled to graduate in May 2010, Hancock was initially interested in ASU’s “three-two” program that would have provided him with a Texas A&M engineering degree on his way to becoming a civil engineer. But, he has enjoyed the hands-on physics education at ASU so much, he has decided to finish his applied physics degree here.
“I think civil engineering is still probably my plan,” Hancock said. “But, I’ve also been thinking a lot about going into physics education, so it is still kind of up in the air.”
If you want some physics education from Hancock right now, visit the Physics to Go Web site.
Jennifer Rios: Washington Confidential
As one of only five students nationally with a spring internship in the prestigious Scripps Howard Foundation’s Semester in Washington Program, ASU senior journalism major Jennifer Rios is getting real world experience in the District of Columbia, the news-making capital of the world.
Take, for example, President George W. Bush’s last state-of-the-union address. Rios was there, doing a profile on Marine 1st Lt. Andrew Kinard, who sat in first lady Laura Bush’s box during the speech.
Kinard lost both legs to an Iraqi bomb blast in October of 2006. Since then, he has undergone 48 medical procedures with, as Rios quoted him, “a few more left.”
“This was one of my favorite stories so far, probably because it involved a profile,” Rios said. “I love learning about people and getting them to open up.”
During her four-month stay in Washington, D.C., Rios is learning about more than people, whether it’s mastering the Washington Metro system, covering a congressional hearing or attending a National Press Club luncheon with some of the nation’s top journalists.
Rios has covered an anti-abortion rally and march on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. She has written stories on gender violence, on speeches at the National Press Club, on Social Security and vulnerable beneficiaries and on an upcoming National Archives exhibition on the works of the late political cartoonist Clifford K. Berryman (1869-1949)
“The main difference in reporting here, compared to San Angelo, is the pace of life,” Rios said. “I may only complete a few stories a week, but everything happens so much quicker here. Interviews must be snatched up before that person leaves your sight because you may not see or hear from him or her again.
“And, while there are individuals who are friendly and helpful,” she said, “there are also those who have no interest in you if your business card doesn’t say you’re from the (Washington) Post or the (New York) Times.”
Even though the internship has bumped her planned May graduation back to the fall, it was an opportunity Rios could not pass up just like she seldom passes up a chance to broaden her experience. Few students are as driven or as good at multi-tasking as Rios, who in addition to keeping her studies up often worked multiple jobs at ASU while finding the time to bake the occasional cheesecake for her professors or co-workers.
When she arrived on campus in 2004 as a freshman, she immediately sought a job in the News and Publications Office, answering telephones, clipping newspapers and handling the odd jobs that fall the lot of student employees.
She started as an English major but then switched to journalism, attracted by its practicality, whether writing for a newspaper or a Web site.
Almost immediately, she volunteered for the Ram Page and in the ensuing years covered everything from student organizations to the university’s presidential search. She would go on to become copy editor, managing editor and editor her senior year. With a little journalism experience under her belt, she earned an internship at the San Angelo Standard-Times, a Scripps Howard paper, and continues to do stories on assignment for the publication.
While she wrote features and covered breaking news for the Standard-Times, Rios developed a fondness for one type of story.
“I really liked writing obits,” Rios said. “Some might find that odd, but I enjoyed writing the stories of their lives and even had some families call me to thank me for the job I had done.”
Though she was drawn to journalism through the writing, her classroom and work experience has broadened her perspective on the field.
“The No. 1 lesson I have learned,” Rios said, “is that writing is really a small part of the job. Meeting people, making contacts, presenting yourself well, being observant and not taking things at face value are all just as important to success.”
Rios attributes her success to her ASU professors, who “really care about their students,” and her parents, each contributing in different ways to her success.
From her father Jose Luis Rios, she got her interest in journalism, following in his footsteps at the Ram Page where he was sports editor and at the Standard-Times where he was a reporter. He went on to work 13 years with the Washington Post and is today director of photography for the Miami Herald.
“He was excited to learn I was going to Washington,” Rios said, “because he knows what a great city it is for journalists.”
From her mother Julie Rodriquez, she received a reality check that helped develop her strong work ethic.
“My mother taught me that I was always replaceable,” Rios said, “and that I needed to work hard and do a good job. I always had a job, at least one, since I was 13. I learned that when there wasn’t enough time in the day to do all I wanted to do, I had to do several things at once.”
“The multi-tasking thing is a big part of me,” she said. “I get antsy when I have down time.”
With so much to write about and see in Washington, Rios will be anything but antsy this spring.
Kinesiology major gives his future a workout
Paul Martinez has taken physical fitness and wellness to heart.
The ASU senior kinesiology major from Fort Stockton spent the summer as an intern at the prestigious Cooper Aerobics Fitness Center at Craig Ranch, which was founded in McKinney by Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., author of the 1968 book, “Aerobics.”
Cooper’s book popularized a point system for improving the cardiovascular system and was the origin of the 10,000-steps-per-day plan for attaining a healthy level of fitness through walking.
“Being selected for placement at such a facility is a huge opportunity for this young man,” said Dr. Doyle Carter, head of the ASU Kinesiology Department. “He personifies what we want people to think of when they visualize a kinesiology major and graduate.”
Martinez said that from the first day of his internship he was immersed in Cooper’s fitness doctrine and experienced all facets of working in a fitness center.
“We were on a different schedule and did something new every week,” Martinez said. “We went through a four-day personal training certification course and took a test to be certified as a trainer at the Cooper Center.”
Among the areas Martinez studied during his internship were new member orientations and personal fitness assessments. The assessments included blood pressure checks, height and weight, fat measurements, medical screenings and function of movement, which checks for physical limitations of clients.
“A huge thing for people is core strength – how strong their lower backs and abdominal muscles are. We also check to see how their knees, ankles and shoulders stand up to physical activity,” Martinez said. “We test everything so we can design a fitness program for these people to improve their quality of life.”
Martinez and another intern also helped the Cooper Aerobics Fitness Center’s fitness director develop a mentorship program for personal trainers working outside the center. The program will share Cooper’s philosophy on fitness and teach the trainers new methods for performing fitness tests.
A desire to focus on strength and conditioning training led Martinez to kinesiology, but he said he didn’t want to be a high school coach with classroom duties.
“I wanted to work with different types of people from the elderly to athletes,” Martinez said. “I wanted to do the physical training part, the workouts and to help improve people’s health.”
He said the internship showed him a new path he hadn’t considered. He plans to work at a fitness center after finishing his degree and then explore an advanced degree in radiology.
“After seeing the medical testing, I decided I want to go to the clinical side of kinesiology,” Martinez said. “I want to administer the stress tests and do CT scans.”
That does not mean he is going to give up the physical fitness side of kinesiology completely.
“I can still do personal training and work with individuals and give them one-on-one attention,” Martinez said.
Fun with Physics
Alpine native Jennifer Hendryx has not had a real summer vacation in two years.
A graduate of the ASU physics program, Hendryx spent the last two summers completing prestigious internship programs at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and the Plasma Physics Lab at Princeton University.
“I knew I wanted to do summer research or an internship, so I searched online for opportunities to pique my interest,” Hendryx said.
At the completion of her internships, she presented her research at meetings of the Texas Section of the Society of Physics Students and the Texas Section of the American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics.
In addition to her internships Hendryx was also active on campus, serving as vice president of the Sigma Phi Sigma physics honor society and secretary of the ASU Society of Physics Students (SPS). She was also a member of the SPS Peer Pressure Team, which travels to area school districts every spring to perform dramatic physics demonstrations at student assemblies.
“Honestly, I like playing with the fun toys and eating frozen marshmallows during the Peer Pressure demos,” Hendryx said. “I got the chance to show students that physics and science, in general, are not impossible or untouchable subjects. We are regular people with an interest in the workings of the world around us and it wasn't that long ago that we were in our audiences’ shoes.”
Hendryx credits the ASU Physics Department for expanding her options and putting her on the track to success.
“The professors are so personable and accessible,” Hendryx said. “They are not out to flunk anyone and they want students to learn and grow as scientists. We physics students also rely on one another to get through, so we are a pretty tight-knit group.”
Hendryx graduated from ASU in May 2009 and has been accepted to the doctoral program at the University of Arizona’s College of Optical Sciences in preparation for a career in university teaching or industry.
South American Adventure
While most ASU students were attending spring classes in familiar campus surroundings, senior Anthony Sanchez was half a world away gaining valuable experience at the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru.
As an intern with the Foreign Commercial Service (FCS), Sanchez assisted with trade development and promotion activities, including international partner searches and trade missions, shows and events. He also conducted market research and addressed inquiries from U.S. companies on doing business in Peru and from Peruvian companies seeking American products and services.
“Meeting such an impressive and diverse group of people enhanced my understanding of the professional world,” Sanchez said. “It was from this same group that I developed both working and personal relationships that made my stay at the embassy highly worthwhile.”
An international business/accounting major, Sanchez learned of the internship opportunity at a seminar organized by Dr. Sharynn Tomlin, director of ASU’s Center for International Studies. But, it was a pending family trip to Peru to visit relatives that really opened the door of opportunity for him.
“I e-mailed Dr. Tomlin explaining my visit to Lima and my idea for an interview,” Sanchez said. “Without hesitation she contacted the FCS office and within 20 minutes I was connected to them through e-mail. Everything began falling into place and just two days after talking to the FCS office in Lima, I had set up an interview.”
After acing his interviews, Sanchez was awarded the internship and spent four months working at the embassy alongside college interns from South Carolina, Michigan, Toronto and the University of Chicago School of Law. His key accomplishments included writing three International Market Research Reports that were published in BuyUSA and the 2007 “Peruvian Oil and Gas Report” for The American Oil and Gas Reporter magazine. He also helped remove a trade barrier between a U.S. company and a Peruvian company by utilizing government contacts and embassy personnel.
At ASU, Sanchez was a member of the international business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi and is an instructor for the ASU Salsa Club. He graduated in December 2007 with plans put his internship experience to good use.
“The Foreign Service is a sector that has definitely captured my attention after my internship in Lima,” Sanchez said. “The overall experience was unforgettable.”
