May 24, 2018

Elms College computer science major lands national-level internship placement

REGIONAL
Staff report

(IObserve photo/courtesy of Elms College)

CHICOPEE – College  of Our Lady of the Elms computer science major Babba Jaden ’20 of Clarkston, Georgia, has been named to the inaugural 2018 cohort of students in Summer@Station1, a prestigious summer science- and technology-based research program in the greater Boston area.

Station1 has a mission of providing frontier, socially directed, science- and technology-focused research opportunities and internships to students across the country.

For Jaden’s internship, he will work on the Data-Smart City Solutions Initiative at Harvard University’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation in the Kennedy School of Government.

The Data-Smart City Solutions group works to catalyze adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. Its research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology.

“Summer@Station1 is an exciting opportunity for Babba. The internship and seminars will provide valuable experiences for his future career,” said Beryl Hoffman, associate professor of computer information technology at Elms.

The paid internship is worth approximately $15,000, according to organizers, and includes a competitive living expenses stipend, furnished housing in newly renovated loft apartments, a transportation stipend, and instructional costs.

The program gives interns hands-on research experience and offers a curriculum that focuses on critical perspectives on the relation of science and technology to society, social innovation, ethics, inclusion, and equity. It also offers individual mentoring and counseling for personal and professional development, as well as a series of leadership workshops on inclusive collaboration, resiliency, communication, creativity, academic and career pathways, networking, and more.

Program alumni also are given access to continued engagement with a network of exceptional scholars and professionals in the Station1 community.

Jaden, who plans to work in software development as a computer analyst and cyber security specialist, had stiff competition for the internship, according to Station1 founder Christine Ortiz of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“Babba was selected from many hundreds of applicants across the nation and the world as a result of a lengthy admissions process over which he performed in an outstanding manner,” Ortiz said.