Building Skills, Connections, and Confidence: 2025 Moncrief Summer Internship Program

When 11 undergraduate students from across the country arrived at the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences in early June, they stepped into a summer defined by discovery of their own potential as scientists and problem-solvers. The ten week Moncrief Undergraduate Internship Program pairs each student with a faculty-led research group, immersing them in computational modeling, simulation, and data science projects that address challenges from robotics to astrophysics.

Interns gained hands-on experience in cutting-edge research while participating in a variety of professional development and community-building activities. These included a tour of the Texas Advanced Computing Center, bowling at the campus Union, and a Q&A session with current Computational Science, Engineering, and Mathematics (CSEM) graduate students on topics ranging from working with advisors to career paths in academia versus industry. Interns also met twice with Oden Institute Director Karen Willcox: in the first lunch, she shared stories from her early career and reminded students that paths often unfold in unexpected ways, while the second lunch provided a forum for interns to present their research.

Yash Jain, a senior in Computational Engineering and Mathematics at UT Austin, worked with the Control, Learning, and Autonomy Research (CLeAR) Group under Professor David Fridovich-Keil, a Core Faculty member at Oden. Jain’s research explored control theory and game-based models for autonomous systems, along with a better understanding of “how powerful it is when math, optimization and robotics all come together.”

"Being surrounded by researchers at the Oden Institute has helped me grow both technically and professionally,” Jain said. “One of my favorite parts has been the mix of independence and support. I’ve had the space to explore ideas on my own, but also always had great mentors to point me in the right direction when I needed it.”

Jain said the internship reinforced how interconnected computational tools can be.“Working on game-based control models has been both challenging and exciting, especially with all the different perspectives you get from being in such an interdisciplinary space.”

Gayathri Budamgunta, entering her final year at the University of Colorado Boulder, joined Professor Stella Offner’s Star Formation Group in collaboration with the NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins. She studied spiral substructures in protoplanetary disks through star formation simulations, using radiative transfer calculations and synthetic observations to compare with telescope data.

“Having not participated in research before, this internship has allowed me to explore how I fit into the field of scientific research while also encouraging me to build relationships and expand my knowledge in computational engineering,” Budamgunta said. “It has been truly wonderful to be a part of the Moncrief program and the greater Oden community.”

Fiona Romanoschi, a double major in Mathematics and Informatics at UT Austin, worked with Oden Institute Director Karen Willcox and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Nicole Aretz on modeling glacial melt to better understand the effects of climate change.

“I had a really great time studying glacial melt over the summer. I learned a lot of math, computer science, good coding practices, communication, and more about the grad student lifestyle.” Fiona will continue her research with Willcox and Aretz this fall, implementing a parametric model to study basal melt in ice sheets. 

The program culminated in a poster session on August 7, where interns presented their work to faculty mentors, peers, and visitors. The event not only showcased research outcomes but also reflected the personal growth and professional skills developed over the summer.

As they return to university this fall, the interns take with them new technical expertise, stronger connections in the research community, and a deeper understanding of where their academic and career interests might lead. For many, the program provided both clarity and inspiration for the next steps in their journey.

“The fact that we each get to individually work on a project is great. It’s so awesome to be able to work on such big problems, and it’s been very meaningful to me," added Romanoschi.

More information and application deadlines for the Moncrief Internship Program can be found here.