Recognition & Awards

The 18th Annual Research Park Intern Awards Ceremony, which celebrates the contributions of exceptional student interns at Research Park corporate innovation centers and startups, took place on July 25, aptly coinciding with National Intern Day. The awards ceremony brings together interns representing diverse skill sets and industry sectors, as well as their managers and colleagues. It reflects the overall depth and breadth of excellence of intern work that occurs daily at Research Park. Awards were given in the following categories: Best Startup Intern Best Technical Innovation Best Business Innovation Most Outstanding Undergraduate Student Intern Most Outstanding Graduate Student Intern Most Competent and Collaborative Team Among the notable projects showcased was an intern who developed a prototype web software for Life Cycle Assessment calculations without prior experience in software development, improving company processes by approximately 90%. Another standout project involved a group of interns who developed an interactive, immersive boating simulator using a blend of computer graphic software development, UI/UX design, data integration, and hardware development. Shivani Birwadkar, who won the Best Technical Innovation award, expressed her gratitude for the recognition and reflected on how the opportunity to work on cutting-edge projects has significantly impacted her professional growth. “I am deeply honored to have been recognized with the Best Technical Innovation. My internship at ADM has been an incredible journey of learning and growth. From the groundbreaking projects that push the boundaries of innovation to the supportive and inspiring team that constantly motivates each other, this experience has truly been one of the most rewarding of my career,” said Birwadkar, a Work Process Automation Intern at ADM Science and Technology Center. The ceremony and nominations highlighted the incredible talent within the Research Park community and underscored the vital role that internships play in fostering the next generation of industry leaders. “Winning an award is a testament to the exceptional skills and dedication of our interns,” said Laura Bleill, director of external engagement at the Research Park. “It’s not just about individual accomplishments but also about how these young professionals are shaping the future through their innovative projects and collaborative spirit.” Just being nominated for these awards is an accomplishment, said Bryan Goode, the Research Park talent manager. The judging process is intense. “Managers nominate individual interns or entire teams, and each nomination comes with a detailed essay highlighting their skills and achievements,” Goode said. “These essays are then reviewed by a diverse panel of judges who bring different expertise to the table. They look at everything from technical skills to soft skills to ensure each nomination receives a fair and thorough evaluation.” Best Startup Intern  Zoey Zhang | Boston Bioprocess | Bioprocess Development Intern | Masters in Bioprocessing and Bioenergy | Illinois Professional Science Master’s “She has been an integral part of our pilot plant team, leveraging her graduateeducation and prior experience to execute fermentation projects. She quickly adapted to our fast-paced culture, showing immense grit and dedication. Zoey demonstrated exceptional leadership by volunteering for late hours and weekends to meet deadlines. Her proactive approach allowed us to delegate tasks such as sampling, reactor setup, and data analysis, significantly boosting our team’s efficiency. Zoey optimized shake flask volumes and benchmarked fermenters’ oxygen transfer rates, providing valuable insights. Her proactive approach to personal and professional growth, combined with her dedication, resilience, and willingness to go above and beyond, makes her highly deserving of this award.” Finalists: Thanushree Ambati | Helixon | Bio-Tech Research Intern | Master in Cell and Developmental Biology | College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Luigi Passerotti | Hinetics | Mechanical Engineering Intern | Mechanical Engineering | Grainger College of Engineering Best Technical Innovation Shivani Birwadkar | ADM Science and Technology Center | Work Process Automation Intern | Masters in Information Management | School of Information Sciences “Shivani is an exceptional intern who demonstrated remarkable innovation by independently developing a web application for Life Cycle Assessment calculations using Python and JavaScript from scratch. Despite having no prior experience, her work improved process efficiency and reduced project execution time by approximately 90 percent, significantly streamlining operations. Shivani’s proactive approach and strong relationship-building earned the team’s trust, adding considerable value and enabling more simultaneous projects without compromising quality.” Finalists: Shubham More — Synchrony Emerging Technology Center — Emerging Technology Center Intern | Computer Science and Physics | Grainger College of Engineering Caleb Larson | AGCO Acceleration Center | Engineering Intern | Electrical & Computer Engineering | Grainger College of Engineering Best Business Innovation Yijin Wang | Synchrony Emerging Technology Center | Emerging Technology Center Intern | Master’s Concentration in Analytics-Statistics | College of Liberal Arts & Sciences “Yijin truly exemplifies what it means to be a team player, shifting her focus based on the team’s needs and leveraging her technical, analytical acumen across multiple projects. She developed a measurement framework for assessing the incremental dollar impact of our paid media acquisition campaigns and supported clients with campaign reporting using Adobe and SAS. Tracy also led reporting for personalization stakeholders, quickly learning tools like Dynamic Yield. Despite resource constraints, Yijin ensured our team met all deliverables. Her framework addressed enterprise-level gaps in measuring campaign efficacy, advancing our enterprise initiative.” Finalists: Khushboo Choudhary | Synchrony Emerging Technology Center | Emerging Technology Center Intern | Master’s in Predictive Analytics & Risk Management | College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Gabrielle Wilki | State Farm | RDC Intern | Computer Engineering | Grainger College of Engineering Most Outstanding Undergraduate Student Intern Mayank Dubey | Rivian | Electrical Hardware Development Intern | Mechanical Engineering | Grainger College of Engineering “Mayank’s summer project at Rivian was a masterstroke in accelerating mechanical design and development. He developed an innovative framework to automate PCB design exploration, previously a manual task, using self-learning Python scripts—this breakthrough streamlined the process, catalyzing rapid innovation. His scripts empower engineers to perform complex finite element analysis (FEA) models, significantly boosting efficiency and minimizing errors. Despite lacking direct automotive experience, Mayank quickly absorbed new information and applied it effectively, consistently delivering noteworthy results with minimal guidance. His resilience, adaptability, and commitment to advancing despite challenges underscore his exceptional work ethic and dedication.” Finalists: