A yearly report shows that the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is a cool place to work.
“ERDC has some of the smartest people I’ve ever met,” said Robert Pennell, a senior double majoring in English and mathematics at Mississippi College who interned at the Coastal & Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL) this summer. “It’s cool to see them research and develop so much innovative technology that could change the world.”
This summer, ERDC hosted a record-breaking number of interns at its seven laboratories—544 of them to be exact.
Ninety-five percent of the students, interns, and fellows who worked at the organization during Fiscal Year 2024 agreed in an annual student survey that ERDC’s work activities provided a positive learning experience. Ninety percent felt that the laboratories they worked for provided a professional, yet fun, atmosphere. This year’s historic rise in ERDC student interns is an agency best, setting a record for recruitment and growth in student participation.
“It was a great experience,” said Robert Nguyen, a senior computer science major at the University of Mississippi who interned at ERDC’s Information Technology Laboratory (ITL). “I loved ERDC’s atmosphere, working alongside other interns and learning from my mentor.”
The survey also provided feedback on how students and trainees felt about their supervisors, the group of 240 ERDC mentors, work assignments and resources made available to them. Students appreciated the knowledge and career/educational guidance they received from their mentors.
“ERDC has done a phenomenal job at developing my interest and helping me find what career I want to pursue,” said Emma Dorfmueller, a sophomore chemical engineering major at Ohio State University, who was a student trainee in the Environmental Laboratory. “I enjoyed the freedom to speak with other professionals from other laboratories. ERDC provides a space to see how you can make an impact with your interest.”
“I learned so many new things,” said Tia Magee, a freshman environmental science major at Jackson State University who interned with the Geotechnical & Structures Laboratory (GSL). “Before my internship, I didn’t know anything about geotechnology, but the opportunity to learn about it piqued my interest so much that I’m thinking about changing my major from environmental science to geotechnology. ERDC introduced me to so much, and I’m grateful for the internship opportunity.”
ERDC’s broad appeal caught students' attention from multiple U.S. News & World Report-ranked schools nationwide. A total of 161 students from 30 of the “Top 50 Engineering” schools such as Arizona State University, Cornell University, and Texas A&M University, and 160 students from 27 of the “Top 50 National” schools, such as Dartmouth College, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, furthered their knowledge at the agency.
Speler Montgomery, ERDC directorate of Human Capitol and talent acquisition program manager, credits ERDC programs such as SMART, AEOP Internships/Fellowships, ORISE STEM Internships/Fellowships, Defense Civilian Training Corps, the newest DoD HBCU/MI Summer Research Internship Program and Army HBCU/MI SPARK programs, and ERDC offering students the opportunity to send their resumes and transcripts to ERDCRecruitment@usace.army.mil for growing the agency’s talent pool.
“Each year, our student talent pool grows and continues to get better,” said Montgomery. “ERDC is fortunate to have so many opportunities for students through different programs. STEM outreach and student programs are a fundamental part of our recruitment pipeline. These programs allow us to introduce young students from K-12 to STEM and hopefully encourage them to continue their STEM journey with us as student interns.”
ERDC’s effort to cast a wide net to find the most gifted students from all demographics is reflected in the survey, as 119 students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) came on board during the year.
Quincy Alexander, chief of the Information Technology Laboratory’s (ITL) Software Engineering and Informatics Division and I-ACED project administration and management team lead, applauded ERDC for its successful outreach methods.
“I am excited about the range of universities we were able to recruit from this year, which highlights how effective our outreach efforts have been,” said Alexander. “By tapping into such diverse talent pools, we’re broadening our perspectives and bringing fresh ideas. Most importantly, seeing these interns transition into full-time employees is a powerful testament to the value we place in nurturing and retaining top talent.”