Space Exploration, Jet Power and More on Tap for Electrical Engineering Students, Russellville Natives

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Kaleb Kassaw, Allison Rucker and Michael Sykes

Three University of Arkansas electrical engineering students who hail from Russellville will spend their summers as interns for companies focused on robotic space exploration, power and wireless systems. 

Allison Rucker, Michael Sykes and Kaleb Kassaw, all juniors, will be interning for Honeywell Aerospace in Phoenix, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and Wolfspeed in Fayetteville, respectively.  

Rucker will be at Honeywell Aerospace, a company known for its aircraft engines, avionics and other power units, for about 12 weeks. During her time with the company, she'll be working with motors and sensors. She said she hopes this experience will give her a chance to broaden her skills.  

"I am excited about working on projects that are different from my previous internships," she said. 

Rucker said she chose to intern at Honeywell because of her interest in the aerospace industry.  

Sykes will be with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, known as JPL, a federally-funded research center known for its robotic space and science missions. He will work  with a Spacecraft Transmitter Group for approximately 11 weeks. Sykes said he could be working on power modules or a type of communication array, which excites him.

"I get to work on something that will be going into space," he said. "Whatever I work on could also be key in discovering something no one has ever seen before." 

Sykes said interning for JPL is a significant opportunity.   

"I believe it will prepare me immensely for my future since I want to pursue a career in that industry," he said. "Now that I have an internship with them it also gives me a foot in the door and closer to my dream job."    

Kassaw will intern at Wolfspeed for 12 weeks. He'll be working as a Test Engineering intern. He'll help design a computerized test and qualifications system using the Python programming language, which he said he believes will teach him valuable skills that he'll be able to use anywhere.  

"It represents the best of both worlds for me in electrical engineering - I'll be doing software design for hardware testing," he said. 

Kassaw also said he's excited to work with the company because of how close it is to his home. 

All three students said the education they've received at the electrical engineering department has played a critical role in preparing them for these professional opportunities. 

Kassaw and Sykes will be graduating in May 2020 while Rucker will graduate in May 2021 after taking a year to study abroad in Germany through the College of Engineering's International Engineering Program.