HONOLULU, HI, June 7, 2024 – Summer 2024 is here and this week, Oceanit is proudly welcoming this year’s class of the Oceanit Student Intern (OSI) program. In 2024, eight promising students were selected for the three-month OSI program from thousands of applicants via a rigorous selection process. Oceanit internships offer students mentorship and hands-on experience in specific research and development projects tailored to each intern’s skills and interests, all under the guidance of Oceanit’s teams of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurial staff.
Oceanit has been operating the summer internship program for over three decades, working with students from undergraduate to Ph.D. levels. The program has proven instrumental in helping students discover their passions and hone career paths, with many interns returning to work at Oceanit later in their professional careers.
Throughout the summer, this year’s students will work on Oceanit projects for the state of Hawai’i, the U.S. Departments of Energy, Defense, Transportation, and more. The program culminates with the Innovation Summit, where interns will present creative project proposals that align with their academic and career goals. This year’s cohort includes Joel Kiernan, Oliver Nishikawa, Kyle Bueche, Keenan Millikan, Stephanie Linn, Keoni Han, Remi Kuba, and Aaron Murai. Their interests range from software development to mechanical engineering, reflecting a broad spectrum of disciplines:
Kyle Bueche, an intern passionate about computer science, will be working on software projects like ADAPT.
Keoni Han, a recent graduate from the University of Portland with B.S. in Computer Science with passion for AI, will be engaging in immersive tech.
Remi Kuba, a student pursuing B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is immersing in software and hardware engineering projects.
Stephanie Linn, a student at Boston University aspiring for a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, will be working on mechanical engineering projects like SPARTAN and KERTEX.
Keenan Millikan, a student striving for a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, will also be engaging the development of SPARTAN and KERTEX.
Aaron Murai, a recent graduate from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, is challenging RiSE projects like REEFrame.
Oliver Nishikawa, a student working towards a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University, will be immersing in the development of AeroPel.
Joel Kiernan, a recent graduate of Stanford University with B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, will be working in acoustic metamaterials projects.
Oceanit’s mission is that the OSI program continues to serve as a stepping stone toward a future of economic diversification for Hawaii. Given the state’s heavy reliance on tourism, which contributes to economic instability and a GDP lagging behind the national average, Oceanit recognizes the critical need to retain young STEM talent. By offering career opportunities like the OSI program, Oceanit aims to keep these skilled workers in Hawaii, therefore fostering a more resilient and diversified economy.
Check out some video from last year’s 2023 summer interns, below:
