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Akamai interns visiting Haleakala Observatories

Twenty-Nine Students Named To Akamai Summer Internship Program

The Akamai Workforce Initiative, a local program dedicated to advancing Hawai‘i college students into science and technology careers, has announced the latest class of students for its 2017 summer internship program. With lead funding from the Thirty Meter Telescope, the Akamai Internship Program provides community college students and undergraduates with summer projects at observatories and other high tech companies in Hawaii.

This year’s interns and their placements include:

• Daryl Albano - Thirty Meter Telescope, Pasadena, CA
• Jennifer Chun - Submillimeter Array, Hawai‘i Island
• Nicolas Colon - Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, Maui
• Brianna Craig - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Maui
• Sean Endo - W.M. Keck Observatory, Hawai‘i Island
• Jeri Goodin - W.M. Keck Observatory, Hawai‘i Island
• Nikki Imanaka - Canada-France-Hawai‘i Telescope, Hawai‘i Island
• Chantelle Kiessner - Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, Maui
• Christopher Kim - Air Force Research Laboratory, Maui
• Michelle Lau - Akimeka LLC, Maui
• Junhao Li - Subaru Telescope, Hawai‘i Island
• Brandi Liu - Institute for Astronomy, Maui
• Jamal Marshall - W.M. Keck Observatory, Hawai‘i Island
• Keoki Massad - Institute for Astronomy, Maui
• Reyn Mukai - Thirty Meter Telescope, Pasadena, CA
• Elton Nakagawa - Gemini North Observatory, Hawai‘i Island
• Talmage Nakamoto - Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i Authority (NELHA), Hawai‘i Island
• Kurt Noe - Akimeka LLC, Maui
• Joshua Parep - Institute for Astronomy, Maui
• Katie Park - Subaru Telescope, Hawai‘i Island
• Christopher Roof - Institute for Astronomy Hilo, Hawai‘i Island
• Catherine Sarte - Subaru Telescope, Hawai‘i Island
• Heather Situ - Gemini North Observatory, Hawai‘i Island
• Michael Spetich - Institute for Astronomy, Maui
• Varrick Suezaki - W.M. Keck Observatory, Hawai‘i Island
• Dallas Tada - Gemini North Observatory, Hawai‘i Island
• Ariel Todoki - Integrity Applications Incorporated, Maui
• Akira Vernon - Thirty Meter Telescope, Pasadena, CA
• Matthew Yuen - Pacific Disaster Center, Maui

All 29 students are from Hawaii or enrolled at a University of Hawaii campus. The students receive credit from University of Hawaii Maui College, and began on June 12, 2017 with a preparatory course taught by Akamai instructors. They will then complete a seven-week project at various observatories and facilities on Hawaii Island, Maui, and in Pasadena at the TMT project office.

The Akamai Workforce Initiative is designed to build tomorrow’s high-tech workforce by providing support to local college students over a broad range of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Each student is matched with a mentor and is integrated as a member of the mentor's group with daily guidance. Akamai mentors are prepared to provide an experience that will support their intern’s persistence in STEM, while they complete a real project valued by their host organization, through a unique workshop offered in May. The careful attention to mentoring, the preparatory course, and an ongoing communication course, are all important elements of the program and have been attributed to the program’s success.

Since launching in 2002, nearly 330 college students have participated in the Akamai program and at least 140 alumni are now working in science and technology jobs, with nearly two-thirds of them working in Hawaii and contributing to the local STEM workforce. Akamai accepts college students from Hawaii (80% graduated from a Hawaii high school or were born in Hawaii), and a key objective is to increase the participation of underrepresented and underserved populations in STEM. So far, the Akamai Workforce Initiative alumni demographics include 36% women, 25% Native Hawaiian, and 47% underrepresented minorities. To learn more about the summer internship program, go to www.akamaihawaii.org.