Former IACMI intern and Purdue graduate student Jessica Lavorata is participating in her second Members Meeting by presenting on the IACMI Internship Panel at the Winter 2019 Members Meeting. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Purdue University, an IACMI core partner. IACMI is proud to have prepared Jessica in developing a professional career in the composites industry.
Jessica first became an IACMI intern in 2017, at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) while pursuing a degree in the Composites Materials Engineering program at Winona State University. Although she knew she wanted to work with composites, Jessica wanted to magnify her background with polymer-based composite fabrication and experience the innovative capabilities of industry. NREL composites experts took the time to develop her confidence and skill with, allowing her to fabricate wind turbine components on her own with an industry expert on hand.
When asked why she wanted an internship within the composites field, Jessica replied, “I wanted to expand upon my composites background with professional training. IACMI led me to Purdue with its nation-wide connections while also giving me opportunity and skills to make a scientific contribution to the composite industry. I see the science eventually catching up to composites manufacturing needs, and IACMI allowed me to be a part of that.”
IACMI Workforce Manager Joannie Harmon Heath said, “IACMI is extremely proud of Jessica’s continued research to drive the sustainability and innovation of the composites industry. Hands-on experience is at the core of the IACMI internship program, and we are glad that she found a valuable experience to further her educational career through the IACMI internship program.”