Ranked as one of the best internships in the U.S. by the Princeton Review, WISE (Washington Internships for Students of Engineering) offers a unique opportunity to 3rd and 4th year engineering students to spend the summer in Washington, D.C., learning about the interaction of technology and public policy.
In addition to 3rd and 4th year engineering students, recent graduates, beginning study in an engineering policy-related Master’s program, will also be considered. WISE interns are provided housing in a dormitory on the campus of George Washington University in the heart of Washington, D.C., and receive a $2,100 stipend to assist with living and travel expenses.
Selected from a nationwide competition, WISE Interns spend nine weeks learning how government officials make decisions on complex technological issues and how engineers can contribute to legislative and regulatory public policy decisions. At the end of the nine weeks, interns produce a public policy paper on a topic of interest, i.e. alternate energy, and present their findings on Capitol Hill.
The following engineering societies also sponsor WISE internships:
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
- American Nuclear Society (ANS)
- American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
- ASTM International
- Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
- Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
After the completion of her internship this past August, 2010 ASME WISE intern Phi Nguyen said, "The WISE program provided me an interesting opportunity to see first-hand how public policy decisions can directly affect the field of engineering. With this knowledge, I now understand why it is so important for engineers to be aware of what is going on in Washington and get involved in the process."
2008 ASME WISE intern Marc Santos agreed, saying “The WISE program presented the perfect opportunity for me to pursue my interest in public policy and my passion for engineering.”
Apply
ASME accepts applications for its WISE intern annually, from September 1st thru December 31st. The ASME application can downloaded at http://www.wise-intern.org. To see examples of previous year’s policy papers, please visit http://www.wise-intern.org/journal/2011.
ASME's 2011 WISE Interns
View ASME Press Release
The dates of the 2011 WISE program are June 5- August 5, 2011, and the following ASME student members will serve as the 2011 ASME WISE interns:
Julian Leland, a rising senior at Swarthmore College, is pursuing a major in Engineering with a mechanical concentration and a minor in Public Policy. He is currently serving as President of the Swarthmore Student Chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Under his leadership, the Chapter has created a student-run workshop space, organized numerous trips, and hosted the Philadelphia Student Sections "Student Night". Academically, he is interested in the application of engineering solutions to problems of international development, and in the creation of policy frameworks to support these efforts. He also enjoys playing rugby and working in the machine shop.
Final Paper: Development from the Bottom of the Pyramid - An Analysis of the Development Innovations
Ventures Program
Final Presenation
Maxwell Micali, originally from Los Gatos, California, is a student of Mechanical Engineering at Yale University, class of 2012. His primary interests include materials science and energy technology. He is the founder and a co-president of his university's ASME student section, and he is a member of Varsity Lightweight Crew team at Yale.
Final Paper: Life Cycle Considerations of Solar Energy Technologies
Final Presentation
For more information, please contact:
Melissa Carl
WISE Program
1828 L Street, N.W., Suite 906
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202.785.7380
Fax: 202.429.9417
Email: carlm@asme.org
Additional information can be found on the WISE program web site at: http://www.wise-intern.org