Summer Interns Enhance 711 HPW Scientific Research Efforts

  • Published
  • By Jay Marquart
  • 711th Human Performance Wing
WRIGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE --  For most college students, summertime is for putting away the books, while also putting away money toward next year's tuition. But for the student interns at Wright-Patterson AFB, June through August provides the opportunity to apply classroom academics to real-world research projects that expand the Air Force's scientific capabilities.

Two such interns this past summer are Brian Kidwell of George Mason University and Jonathan Lin from Emory University. Both men interned with the 711th Human Performance Wing's Human Effectiveness Directorate (711 HPW/RH). Brian was assigned to the Supervisory Control Interfaces Branch of the Warfighter Interface Division (RHC), while Jonathan worked for the Applied Biotechnology Branch of the Biosciences and Performance Division (RHP).

A masters-level candidate in human factors and applied cognition, as well as a student of the renowned neuroergonomics expert Dr. Raja Parasuraman, Brian was a newcomer to Wright-Patterson. "I knew a couple of guys from my program that had interned here, but I wasn't sure exactly what to expect when I came," he said.

Even so, he quickly became acclimated, taking on a research project involving supervisory control of multiple autonomous vehicles, specifically the extent to which operator interaction with automation impacts vehicle control. His work compared two test bed control schemes, one in which the operator could control the autonomy level vs. one in which autonomy levels adapted based on the automation's perception of operator performance. According to his 711 HPW mentor, research psychologist Gloria Calhoun, Brian's work paved new ground in this area.

"This is the first time we've compared these two control schemes in our laboratory," she said. "Brian exercised a research test bed in a fashion that we hadn't before. So he extended our capability in terms of this test bed and significantly benefited our research program."

At the opposite end of the spectrum, this was Jonathan Lin's third college summer internship - and fifth summer overall - working on base. Before starting college, he spent two summers participating in the Wright Scholars program while still at Centerville High School. Jonathan's major at Emory is neuroscience and behavioral biology, and he credits his summer internships with a major role in his decision to pursue this degree.

"My experience at the base has significantly impacted my future plans," he said. "It's made me realize how much I love research and how much I want to make it a part of my career. The program is definitely rewarding."

Throughout his three summers under the mentorship of Dr. Saber Hussain, senior research toxicologist, and other scientists, Jonathan has made his mark as a student researcher. His findings on the use of nanodiamonds to track cellular uptake dynamics, completed during his first summer, became part of paper he co-authored with other interns and Dr. Hussain. This manuscript was recently published in Nanoscale, a journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry. In March 2011, Jonathan had the honor of presenting portions of his work on modulating the toxicity of compound nanoparticles at the annual Society of Toxicology in Washington, D.C.

This summer, these accomplishments plus his passion for neuroscience earned Jonathan an independent project assignment, evaluating the interaction of aluminum nanoparticles with neurons.

Along with the opportunities and rewards of their research experience, Brian and Jonathan expressed a level of appreciation for their Wright-Patterson mentors that is typical of most Wright-Patterson summer interns. "Gloria is involved with the individual projects, and cares about her interns and the people on her team," Brian said of Gloria Calhoun. "She is very knowledgeable and always willing to help in any way possible."

"Quite a few interns come back year after year," added Jonathan. One reason is the strong mentorship of Dr. Hussain and the group members he employs. They are so open and willing to share or answer questions."

From the mentors' perspective, this appreciation is mutual. "Brian puts thought into everything he does and he's got so much energy," remarked Gloria. "Once he completes his program, I hope he will consider a civil service position with the Air Force."

Regarding interns in general, Dr. Hussain stated, "I really enjoy the interaction with them. You would be amazed at how much knowledge they have." And although the summer internship program involves a time commitment on his part, he sees it as worthwhile. "It enhances our scientific and technology capabilities. Ultimately, this helps the warfighters."