Westmont Magazine Everyone Wins with Internships

While the liberal arts curriculum emphasizes theoretical study, students at Westmont enjoy many opportunities to acquire real-world experience. By participating in faculty research projects and internships with local organizations and industry, they can put classroom learning into practice.

Several students of Professor Ken Kihlstrom, chair of the physics department, have worked with him while serving as interns for Superconducting Technologies, Inc., in Goleta. He is collaborating with researchers at this firm to better understand the properties of superconductors and explore the range of temperatures at which they operate.

The students (Mary Elise Richter ’97, Bill Klug ’98, Jennifer Wilkes ’98, Jonathan Mitchell ’00) did measurements for a filter STI is developing and testing for commercial use. Being involved in this process provides a realistic view of the work needed to take a cutting-edge concept and technology to the market place. “The contributions to the company have been as valuable as the experience the students have gained,” Ken says. “It is a classic win-win scenario.”