Hi everyone! My name is Ashley Stuart and I am an incoming senior studying Biomedical Engineering. I am incredibly honored to have been selected by Newcomb College Institute for the NCI Summer Internship Grant.
This summer I will be participating in the Patent Experience Externship Program (PEEP) at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in Alexandria, Virginia. As a motivated rising senior pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering, I searched for internships that would allow me to develop my professional skills while utilizing my engineering capabilities in a nuanced and exciting way.
Throughout my Tulane experience, I have immersed myself in the world of academic research. Although I have found academic research to be both fascinating and rewarding, I now desire to explore the crossroad for my two passions-engineering and law. Ultimately, my work as an undergraduate researcher has fueled my interest in patent law, as I have become increasingly intrigued by the concept of helping engineers and researchers take their designs to fruition. Now that I have officially accepted my offer from PEEP, I am confident that my experience at the United States Patent and Trademark Office will provide me with the perfect opportunity to combine my background as an engineer within the context of a legal setting.
In order to properly prepare for my internship, I have outlined 5 learning objectives that I hope to achieve by the end of the summer:
- Expand my professional network and establish contacts with professionals in the field of patent law.
- Build a strong connection with a female mentor at the Patent and Trademark Office as a source of insight and advice.
- Actively engage in a project based in engineering design, and, if possible, biotechnology.
- Improve my sense of professional confidence in asking for more responsibilities and asserting myself into projects that I find interesting and relevant to my future.
- Utilize my engineering background as a critical thinker and technical problem solver to approach tasks/projects I am assigned to in the office and keep track of these bridges between engineering and law through weekly journal reflections.
I hope to use the blog check-ins as a time to reflect on my progress in achieving these 5 learning objectives and keep myself on track for a successful and productive summer experience. In order to prepare for my internship, I have sent these learning objectives to my supervisor so that he is aware of what I am hoping to achieve by the end of the summer.
Throughout my educational and professional experience within the realm of engineering, I have consistently been struck by the lack of female leadership in the field. I have been fortunate to have excellent female mentors within the Biomedical Engineering Department at Tulane, but, nevertheless, the lack of female engagement and leadership within STEM programs nationwide continues to be an issue.
In the Biomechanics of Growth and Remodeling Laboratory at Tulane, I purposefully joined the Women’s Reproductive Health Team with the intention of performing high-level academic research while also empowering and educating women on a subject matter that is scarcely funded and researched. I intend on bringing this same passion for female empowerment to my experience at the United States Patent and Trademark Office this summer. According to the National Science Foundation, 1 in 7 engineers are women. I hope to use this summer as a time to empower myself with the knowledge necessary to be a successful female leader in a classically male-dominated field.
I look forward to updating everyone on my progress throughout the summer!