How did you learn about GM's summer intern program?
I learned about GM R&D through a professor at school. GM and Stanford have a cooperative research arrangement. My professor mentioned several contacts at R&D, and I spoke with those people. From that, I learned about the internship program.

Was there an application process?
It was fairly informal. I did fill out an application form and had a brief telephone interview with my current supervisor. Within a week or two of that, I received my offer.

Was that this year?
No, actually this is my second year as an intern. I found out I'd be returning this year in February. Last year, I think it was April.

How did you find housing?
GM provides housing for me. It's a corporate apartment that's fully furnished, located about 8 miles from the Tech Center. Most students rent cars for the summer.

What's the focus of your PhD?
At the moment I'm trying to refine it. I'm interested in supply chain optimization and management, looking to see how tools from economics can be applied there.

What were you looking for in an internship?
I was curious about the research activities in a large company. I hadn't really known anyone who worked for an industrial R&D company. I'd seen the academic research environment growing up, because my father is a professor.

What project are you working on?
One of the key initiatives at R&D is the area of Work Systems. Essentially, it's a multidisciplinary look at how to structure organizations to make them more efficient, improve their performance, or just understand generally how they work.

Work Systems is an open-ended area, so our work consists of lots of literature searches and meetings with people here in the lab and elsewhere. We're lucky, because there's a center at the University of Michigan just down the road that specializes in this area.

Last year's projects dealt with a specific issue related to Work Systems: how information gets shared within groups and organizations. This year we're more interested in general modeling approaches and determining how computer simulations can be used for the Work Systems project.

Right now we're focusing on product development organizations, figuring out what kinds of coordinating mechanisms can make them more efficient. Computer simulations help us test out our ideas.

What is your work life like?
I usually get into the office a little before 8 am, check my e-mail, and start reading a paper. Then we might have a discussion among several people in the group. At some point, we usually sit down, compare notes, and talk about what we're going to accomplish that day. We might read, search the Internet for resources, meet contacts, and eventually, write and test computer simulation code. Later, we'll be preparing a written report and a presentation for the lab. Of course, sometimes we have lunches and informal meetings or get-togethers for birthdays too.

How do you expect this internship to contribute to your education and career?
I'm interested in an industrial R&D career after I graduate from school. One nice thing is that it gives me some exposure to how projects are approached and how new projects are generated in the lab. It's fun for the summer to work on a project that's not closely related to my schoolwork, but still requires some of the things I've learned.

Another good thing about working here is the contacts that I can develop; for example, I'm having discussions with people here about work I'll do at school in the fall.

What do you like most about working at R&D?
The openness. It's very easy just to approach someone with a question and sit down to talk with them. There's lots of exchange of ideas - really a big social network. Doors are pretty wide open even for summer interns. And it's always a pleasant working environment. People are very friendly and helpful.

What do you like least about working at R&D?
That's a harder question. On the administrative end, things take a lot of time. That's probably the biggest drawback - the bureaucracy you have to deal with it.

How do you like Warren and the metro Detroit area?
I ended up liking it a whole lot more than I thought I would. Actually I can find just about everything that I want to do or see here, although sometimes I do more driving than I'm accustomed to. One thing you don't hear about Detroit is how diverse the community is.

What do you do for fun?
This is funny and embarrassing, but I like to eat for fun. I quiz my coworkers about places to go to try different kinds of food. I usually get together a group of interns or full-time researchers and go out to eat.

Will you be back next summer?
Actually, I'm hoping the discussions I'm having this summer will lead to research that will carry me through the summer at school next year.

Has the internship met your expectations?
I think so. There are fewer surprises this year, because I'm used to the project and people. The project is still engaging, still interesting. I'm very satisfied with the work.

Would you consider working full-time at GM Research?
I'd definitely consider it … but winter in Detroit would be a major drawback. Living in California causes you to develop a fear of cold. My body has forgotten about it.

Did you have a previous interest in the automotive industry?
No. I hardly knew a thing about the auto industry before I started here. At R&D, most of the projects are tied in with the auto industry, but our work it's abstracted away from that. The researchers here seem more interested in the problems than in the cars per se.

Any further words about being an intern?
I think being an intern has been a positive experience. Overall, I've been really happy here.