How an Internship at Explico Can Jump Start Your Career

Importance of Internships

Gaining work experience while getting your degree is an important step in building your career. Hands-on experience and observing professionals in the field is a great way to explore a potential career, learn new skills, and provide valuable assistance to a company. Internships can help you gain real-life skills that can be applied to almost any field and help you build valuable connections and relationships, all while exploring what a career has to offer. 

Forensic engineering is a unique field where many concepts and skills  are not explicitly learned in the classroom but rather on the job. Principles of engineering and science form the foundation of forensic engineering, but truly grasping and comprehending the field requires the application of these principles in real-world scenarios, engagement with the industry, and personal development in the research and standards of practice. If forensic engineering and accident reconstruction are fields you are interested in, an internship with Explico can provide the opportunity to get further ahead on mastering the science and prepare you for a successful career in the field.

My Internship Experience

I graduated from the University of Dayton with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2023. I first interned with Explico the summer of 2021. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, especially since this was a field and environment that was unfamiliar to me. However, as anyone in this field could attest to, it doesn’t take long to get hooked. Exploring and analyzing how accidents happen is an interesting concept, and something I had never been exposed to in my classes. After one summer of learning about the industry and connecting with Explico’s experts, I knew I wanted to continue pursuing this career. My commitment to working hard that summer led to a second internship with Explico in the summer of 2022.  

Explico is extremely dedicated to providing meaningful internship experiences. From day one, they aimed to immerse me in research projects that would not only provide valuable information to the industry but also challenge me and pave the way for me to become a published author. 

During my first internship, I worked on a study that analyzed the behavior of drivers at stop-sign controlled intersections. During my second internship, I conducted a second study focusing on the coefficient of restitution and collision pulse duration during low-speed vehicle-to-barrier impacts. During these studies I worked on analyzing videos to determine vehicle speeds, sharpened my technical writing skills, and even took Explico’s drone, GoPro cameras, and 3D laser scanners out into the field for data collection. These research projects helped me grow my knowledge in unique topics and gain hands-on experience that I wouldn’t have been exposed to elsewhere.  

Beyond the research, I was also able to develop an understanding of the field simply by being engaged in the day-to-day life at Explico. A few highlights include going on inspections, conducting headlight mapping, assisting with ATV testing, working on my FAA remote pilot license, and getting to interact and connect with the forensic engineering professionals around me. Explico’s welcoming culture made it easy to jump right in and feel like I was part of the team, even as an intern.  

My Career

After two successful internships with Explico, I started my career as an associate scientist shortly after graduating in 2023. Since I already understood how the industry functioned and had built strong relationships with the other Explico team members, I was able to hit the ground running. 

In my first year, I was able to conduct a third research study on the effect of image stabilization on PhotoModeler project accuracy. I was already able to explore the various groups at Explico during my internships, which allowed me to focus on the particular area I was interested in: Marine Accident Reconstruction. Working with Dr. Wendy Sanders and the rest of her team at Explico has been a rewarding experience and a great path for my career. 

Explico has continued to show their dedication to my career by encouraging me to take courses through the Society of Automotive Engineers, American Boat and Yacht Council, Northwestern University Center for Public Safety, and training resources for various software we utilize. The support from Explico, both during my internships and now, has been instrumental in my career development and has enabled me to already achieve significant progress early in my career.