Data Programming to New Product Design Provide Internships for Mathematics and Computer Science Students

SALISBURY, MD--From data programming to new product design, internships with private companies and public institutions are providing Salisbury State University mathematics and computer science students real work experiences beyond running errands and stuffing envelopes.

Recently, the students presented a summary of responsibilities performed during their internships, as well as the skills they learned, to the SSU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. They worked with some of the area’s leading companies.

Senior Sean Cullinan was an associate programmer analyst for Perdue Farms Inc. in Salisbury. He helped implement quality control computer software that allows customers to file suggestions electronically into the corporate database. Cullinan also helped Perdue upgrade its computer’s mainframe.

Sophomore Jeremy Heslop and senior Ricardo Trinidad worked with Salisbury’s Beacon Technologies Inc. designing, implementing, testing and distributing a home management database system. The system’s purpose is to help homeowners manage every aspect of their home, from inventory and schedules to logging paint type and landscape designs. In their short time at Beacon they were able to create functionality requirements, propose the screen layouts and design the database tables for the software package.

Janice O’Day, a junior, interned at K&L Microwave Inc., analyzing filter performance and transferring the statistical analysis of quality data. Her duties included chart designing for the production floor and teaching a training class giving K&L’s technicians a better understanding of statistical procedures.

Sophomore Pete Surgent interned as a computer technician for Peninsula Regional Medical Center. There he assisted with updating the operating system for every computer on the PMRC network, as well as software and hardware installation and configuration.

Daniel Winter, a junior, worked in SSU’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science Information and Decision Science project. He taught a class on UNIX and LINUX workstation operating systems. This included building a server, UNIX administration and shell scripting, which entails writing commands to automate the activities of the operating systems. Winter also tracked a listserver hacker, configured ATM cards and relocated the SSU web pages.

Christopher Woodward interned for C.E. Computers where he assembled and disassembled the inner components of computers, learning to diagnose and repair problems in the process. He also programmed Web pages for customers.

"We see a big difference when they work outside of regular classes," said Department of Mathematics and Computer Science internship coordinator Tom Horseman of the internship students. "It definitely is a positive experience. The students realize that the material we cover in class works on an outside job. The opportunity is excellent and they become better students as well."