In 1997, Louisiana Tech University received a three-year grant from the Whitaker Foundation to establish a biomedical engineering summer industrial internship program. The program has greatly increased visibility and respect for our students and now continues as pat of the services of the University's Career Center.
Career Center
The mission of the Career Center is to educate and to serve the students and graduates of Louisiana Tech University in the career education, planning, and development processes. In support of the mission of the University, the Career Center functions as a vital component in the total educational experience of students, primarily in the development, evaluation, initiation, and implementation of career plans and opportunities. Career Center services and resources provide assistance to students in the cultivation and enhancement of skills to explore career options, master job search techniques and strategies, and research employment opportunities. The Career Center provides effective and efficient service to employers in recruitment programs and activities. In addition to continuous support of students seeking summer internships as well as permanent positions upon graduation, the Career Center holds two Career Fairs annually where students gain exposure to a large number of employers in a short time period. The College of Engineering and Science further facilitates contacts between students and employers through an industry reception and numerous student professional society meetings on the eve of each Career Fair. Additionally, faculty and staff within the Biomedical Engineering program provide individual assistance to students seeking summer internship opportunites through their professional contact. Additional clinical internships are available in local hospitals.
Goals for Student Interns
- Knowledge of the industrial environment
o Information Management
o Marketing
o Business practices
o Manufacturing
o Quality control
o Management - Experience in investigating, analyzing, and reporting a medical product design, development, or distribution problem
- Enhancement of professional communication skills
- Understanding of professional engineering ethics
- Improved academic performance, critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and career satisfaction
Benefits to Industrial Sponsors
Students offer:
- Completion of specific engineering tasks
- Results, products, innovations
- Enthusiasm and new ideas
On-going program offers:
- Positive campus relations
- Cost-effective recruiting and screening program
- Development of supervisory and training skills by company mentors
