New Summer Internship Program for High School Students

This summer, five students in Georgia  participated in the Institute for People and Technology’s (IPaT) inaugural summer research program at Georgia Tech specifically designed for high school students. Students participating in the summer 2023 inaugural class included:

• Ryan Elchahal from Westminster High School
• Nekele Hayes from Campbell High
• Morgan Hildebrand from Harrison High School
• Harrison Lueder from Maynard Jackson High School
• Lilith (Ace) Magerko from Dekalb School of the Arts

Nekele Hayes is a high school junior and while the other students are seniors in high school.
Nathan Williams, a Dekalb County school teacher, was onsite helping to support the program.

The goal of IPaT’s high school summer internship program is to expose high school students interested in careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to ongoing research at the Institute for People and Technology. Project areas will include Esports, augmented reality/cognitive aid design, and technologies for aging in place (Aware Home). 

The team of IPaT faculty and staff members supporting the program includes:

• Maribeth Coleman – Director of Research (IPaT)/Principal Research Scientist
• Scott Robertson – Senior Research Scientist
• Brian Jones – Principal Research Engineer/Director of the Aware Home
• Laura Levy – Senior Research Scientist
• Clint Zeagler, Senior Research Scientist
• Tim Trent, Research Technologist II
• Noah Posner, Research Scientist II
• Kala Jordan, Research Technician II
• Cynthia Moore, Assistant Director-Business Operations
• Marcia Chandler, Administrative Operations Coordinator
• Christine Robinson, Senior Administrative Professional
• Leigh McCook, interim Executive Director, IPaT

At the end of the internships, students presented their projects in the large Georgia Tech Research Institute auditorium on July 21. Morgan Hildebrand, Harrison Lueder, and Ace Magerko presented their Fidget Focus project. The aim of their project was to boost productivity in virtual meetings using a browser-specific Chrome extension for distraction free collaboration. Nekele Hayes and Ryan Elchahal presented their Vidsight project. An iOS app for life skills training and appliance education using machine learning and computer vision.