Every summer, the Health Care Engineering Systems Center (HCESC) offers UIUC undergraduates the opportunity to apply for a Jump ARCHES summer internship. Students are paired with a PI who has received funding through Jump ARCHES and assist them with their work. Not only are students introduced to innovative projects in the healthcare engineering space, they also are able to perform hands on research as necessary. Seven interns were picked for this summer, including computer science and chemistry student Sunny Lee. She assisted Dr. Avinash Gupta and simulation engineer Harris Nisar. 

What project are you working on, who are you working with, and what is something you have learned so far from said project? 

I am currently working on the project 'Mixed Reality Approach to Create Cyber Physical Training Simulation Environments for Neonatal Procedures' under Dr. Avinash Gupta and Harris Nisar. There are so many new technologies and skills I have learned, one of them incorporating OpenCV within Unity to allow for ArUco marker detection to give physicians the flexibility to place the surgical simulation scene anywhere they want.  

What has been your favorite part of your internship experience so far?  

My favorite part has been knowing I'm going to walk in and be challenged/exposed to something new every day. From designing the simulation system from scratch to putting on the HoloLens 2 for the first time and seeing my program come to life, I'm so grateful this internship has allowed me to experience so many eureka moments.  

Why has this internship been important to you?

This internship has taught me the importance of persistence, consistency, and trust in not only myself but others as well; that advancements are not without a group effort. Not only have these 8 weeks improved my technical skills, but my interpersonal ones as well, and having both is fundamental to succeeding.

How do you hope to use the knowledge that you have gained from this experience in your future endeavors?  

I hope to continue working within the intersection of healthcare and tech to make an impact in developing solutions that optimize medical processes, enhance patient care, and improve overall healthcare outcomes.