Purdue News

January 16, 1998

Companies statewide can 'TAP into' Purdue interns

Businesses, industries and municipalities interested in hiring TAP interns need to contact Randy Hountz, TAP summer intern coordinator, by Friday, Feb. 27. Interviews should be scheduled by Friday, April 24.

Since 1988, almost 400 undergraduate and graduate engineering, technology and management students have worked for 239 Hoosier employers through TAP's Summer Intern Program. Students and employers negotiate salaries.

"Our students are one of the more valuable resources we offer Indiana companies and municipalities," Hountz said. "They not only provide valuable manpower, but they also are a pipeline to the expertise of our faculty."

Because of their backgrounds, Hountz said, TAP interns can fill almost any need. Students can help in such areas as production process improvement, plant layout, product development, computer-aided design, construction inspection and surveying.

Among the many projects undertaken in the last 10 years, TAP interns established quality control standards for auto parts distributors, developed AutoCAD part design libraries and supported environmental and safety programs.

The program also allows employers to select local students whenever possible.

"Because we draw interns from all 15 Purdue campuses and School of Technology sites, more than two-thirds of our students are from the employer's region," Hountz said.

ESSROC Materials Inc. in Logansport, Ind. , producer of a wide variety of Portland and masonry cements for the construction industry, hired two TAP interns last summer to help with production processes.

"We weren't asking for a complete redesign of our workspace, but we do have a lot of engineering needs that Purdue students have background in," Mike Fox, administrative service manager, said. "We want to reach out to young talent. This program is a great opportunity for us to connect with Purdue's students and do some recruiting at the same time. We absolutely will hire Purdue interns again."

Ryan Gross, a senior in mechanical engineering technology from Galveston, Ind. , interned at ESSROC in 1997. His experience gave him a new understanding about the "real world."

"It was great to be able to transfer the concepts we are learning in the classroom into action in the workplace," Gross said. "Plus, I gained the experience of solving problems on the job, and the company was able to implement new ideas that ultimately met its goal."

For 12 years, TAP also has provided university resources to help more than 2,100 Indiana businesses, industries and government organizations implement new and advanced technologies to boost the state's economy. In addition to the intern program, TAP provides year-round technical assistance and technical information.

Sources: Randy Hountz, (765) 494-7845; e-mail, intern@ecn.purdue.edu
Ryan Gross, (765) 742-8148
Mike Fox, (219) 739-6134
Writer: Jenny Pratt, (765) 496-3133; e-mail, jenny_pratt@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: Color photos of interns on the job are available from TAP at (765) 494-7845.

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