Aaron Levi, a brain and cognitive sciences (BCS) major and current senior at the University of Rochester, is taking part in exciting research being done at the Flaum Eye Institute in the University’s Medical Center. Levi works with Dr. Krystal Huxlin on research to develop rehabilitation techniques for individuals who have lost visual perception due to stroke.

Read More About Rochester’s Vision Scientists

Levi became interested in BCS after taking the introductory courses in his freshman year. “I thought all of the course material was so interesting and often so relevant to everyday life,” he says. “It was really amazing to see how important your brain is to every function of your body and mind, and how it can build such complex behaviors from such basic functions.”

Levi became involved in research after attending a job fair and reaching out to his professors for information about ongoing projects. Before joining his current lab, Levi had the opportunity to work in a glial cell lab that focused on molecular neuroscience. “The University has such a large amount of research happening, which makes it pretty easy to try things out and find your own interests,” he explains. “Being able to participate in different types of specialized research within neuroscience has been an extremely valuable experience and allowed me to find where my own interests lie.”

Currently, Levi’s role involves testing the rehabilitation techniques on volunteers, and analyzing the effectiveness of the training programs. The program involves testing the subjects on simple visual stimuli, such as moving dots and bars. These exercises are conducted repeatedly throughout a training program, where Levi collects and analyzes how the subject’s responses improve over time. Additionally, the lab uses fMRI equipment to help map out the visual processing activity occurring in the subject’s brain.

After graduation this year, Levi hopes to continue to work in BCS research while applying to graduate programs. “Participating in research as an undergraduate has let me apply the things I’ve learned in class in a hands-on manner,” he says. “Learning new lab techniques also has given me an advantage in classes, and will certainly be valuable in applying for a graduate degree.”

Article written by Blake Silberberg, an intern at University Communications and a member of the Piggies. Silberberg is a senior majoring in political science. Photos courtesy of Aaron Levi.

One democrat, one republican. One sophomore, one senior. Two internships with competing congressional election campaigns.  Cohabiting in student association government.  Bitter rivals?  Hardly.

Rishi Sharma ’15, an applied mathematics and history major who has an interest in education policy, and Alina Czekai ’13, a health policy major and legal studies minor, have dedicated their time this election season to local congressional campaigns.  Sharma, communications co-chair of the Students’ Association, is currently working as an intern on Congresswoman Louise Slaughter’s campaign, while Czekai, Students’ Association vice president, volunteers with County Executive Maggie Brooks. Republican Brooks and Democrat Slaughter are running competing campaigns for New York’s 25th District seat in the House of Representatives.

“It didn’t take a lot of encouragement for me to get involved. Just looking up what Louise had done, I knew she was someone I actually believed in and someone I wanted to get involved with,” said Sharma.

Specific aspects of Brooks’ style of campaigning stood out to Czekai.

“One thing that I really admire from Maggie’s campaign is her emphasis on positive campaigning, campaigning with the truth,” said Czekai.

While on opposite side of the campaign trails, Sharma and Czekai have both been interning on a regular basis since September.

“Alina and I do similar things, just on opposite ends,” said Sharma. “It’s not a consistent thing I do every single day because the campaign moves so fast.  I get exposure to a lot of different things.”

“I’ve been lucky to see a full perspective and view of what it is like to run a campaign,” said Czekai. “It’s all about seeing what your constituents need, what their problems are, and figuring out problem-solving strategies. Going to the people and saying ‘I know these are your concerns, I actually feel them too.  Let’s work together and figure out what we can do.’”

This personal focus of campaigning is pervasive on both sides of the race.

“Something that I know Louise’s staff does really well is campaign to people in a very personal way.  It’s taught me the importance of listening, really reaching out to your constituency well and making sure that their voices are heard,” said Sharma.

“It’s all about outreach, no matter what level of government you’re involved in, whether it’s student government or congressional,” said Czekai.

As a Co-Chair of Communications in SA Government, Sharma has experienced many things in Congresswoman Slaughter’s office that are applicable to his role in student government.

“If you want to be successful in politics, whether it’s in student government or in Congress like Louise is doing, you have to make sure you have a personal relationship with your constituents. She values that, I value that, a lot of student government leaders value that. It’s my job to think of creative ways and techniques about how to get the message out,” said Sharma.

Before serving as SA vice president, Czekai worked as executive historian and deputy speaker.

“All of these roles have taught me how to be comfortable in my leadership style.  Maggie really has a focus on keeping things positive and keeping things forward-looking and optimistic.  I think that definitely applies to my student government leadership role. If there’s a problem, we’re going to get through it together and we’re going to move forward,” said Czekai.

Sharma and Czekai are unusual not only because they are working on competing election campaigns, but because at the end of the day, they both come home to student government.

“Our roles work really closely together. Student government is nothing without strong communications,” said Czekai, noting the importance of reaching out to students about upcoming changes or new initiatives, and collecting information that will be helpful to the senate and executive branch.

Sharma and Czekai take their campaign internships for what they are, and leave their differences at the door.

“We use it as a point to joke about within our friendship. It doesn’t conflict with anything we have to do. We still work really well together, we are still great friends, in fact, probably even better friends,” said Sharma. “It’s funny how Maggie and Louise are competing and Alina and I are competing, but you know, it’s a healthy competition.”

Amid the good humored teasing, the two are careful to respect the integrity of each campaign.

“We don’t want to be the one that reveals any information that might give the other a competitive advantage,” said Sharma.

“I’m excited to talk to him after the race.  I think it will be really cool to see his perspective,” said Czekai.

The combination of roles possessed by both Sharma and Czekai has undoubtedly made their experiences uniquely valuable.  But on a more universal level, any motivated Rochester student can take advantage of these types of political experiences, and many have.

“I really encourage students who consider themselves to be politically minded or interested in politics to volunteer on a campaign.  I thought I understood politics and political issues, but you really don’t until you learn about it from that perspective,” said Czekai. “Whatever political side students are on, I definitely encourage them to get involved.”

Mulberg is the sports director and a talk show host for WRUR, and a sportswriter for the Campus Times. This fall he interned for a local sports radio show, and he has secured another related internship for this summer.

“Doing an internship gives you a taste of whether this is really something you want to do,” he says.

Working with Rochester radio host John DiTullio on 1280 WHTK this fall, Mulberg arranged weekly guests and managed the Twitter page during the show.

“I’d interact with fans,” he said. Mulberg would get the opportunity for on-air experience when DiTullio would turn to him and ask “What’s going on on Twitter, Nate?’”

He gained less tangible work experience when the station experienced a round of layoffs. Seeing first- hand the effect on the work environment and on his coworkers “was a valuable lesson,” he said.

Mulberg advises his peers to start looking for internships early, “There are so many opportunities, you just have to put in the work to find them.”

He says he used a network of professors and coaches including English Professor Curt Smith, Head Baseball Coach Joe Reina, and Head Golf Coach Dan Wesley to connect with DiTullio.

Once he’d made contact, he sent a résumé and then shadowed DiTullio for a day before being offered the internship.

Mulberg credits his Gwen M. Greene Career and Internship Center Counselor Dale Leyburn with helping him focus his goals and write his résumé.

Mulberg says he is looking forward to interning at Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia this summer, where he will interview professional players in the area and write articles for the website.

“It’s fun,” he says of the field. “It might not be the most lucrative, but you can make a living doing what you love.”

Article courtesy of the Gwen M. Greene Career and Internship Center and was originally published in the Career & Internship Digest.

Sean Al-Gattas ’13 is one of them. A junior majoring in mathematics, he was recently hired to spend the summer working at the NSA headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland.

The National Security Agency is responsible for providing intelligence services to the Department of Defense, the CIA, and various industry partners. In conflicts, it processes strategic and tactical information to war planners. It is the nation’s largest employer of mathematicians, who figure out ways to protect sensitive domestic information and intercept foreign communications.

Al-Gattas will be working on a daily basis on a project with other NSA mathematicians. It will be confidential and rigorous, and at the end of the summer he is expected to deliver a presentation to the director of the NSA. It not only requires advanced mathematical reasoning, but also the ability to work in a discrete environment.

Much of the work involves cryptography, an ancient science that intersects the disciplines of mathematics, engineering, and in modern times, computer science. “I think of cryptography as the mathematics of keeping secrets,” says Al-Gattas. More than an exclusive language, it’s the technique of keeping a secret in plain sight. Early forms of keeping secrets often involved ciphers, like the scytale, a device used by Spartans involving a message on a strip of parchment that can only be read when wound on a stick. Cryptography is often most important in wartime: World War II saw a massive rise in the numbers of codebreakers devoted to understanding the communications of the other side. In modern times, cryptography has reached into the life of ordinary Americans, providing security for computer passwords and ATM cards.

Although he has sat in on Professor Amanda Beeson’s class, MTH 233: Cryptography, Al-Gattas has never formally received credit for cryptography. As a freshman coming to Rochester from Syracuse N.Y., he intended to major in physics before settling on mathematics. One of his favorite topics is Graph Theory, and he spent the last semester at Penn State studying Ramsey Theory; both require heavy use of abstract reasoning and mathematical modeling. These skills will be useful when Al-Gattas starts working on developing cryptography and related mathematics.

Al-Gattas loves this kind of work, and his enthusiasm for both advanced mathematics and NSA experience is hard to miss. “I’m really excited to do work with the other students in the program. It’s going to be incredible to be working with really talented students and scholars who are among the best at what they do.” Al-Gattas is also active in the campus community. He has been elected to Phi Beta Kappa, works as a TA for various math classes, and plays tuba in Brass Choir. Paul Fili, one of the math professors at Rochester who wrote a recommendation for Al-Gattas for the NSA says that Sean “is both a friendly person and a talented young mathematician with a sharp mind. I’m very pleased to hear he received this opportunity and I’m sure he will do an excellent job.”

Does he have any advice for other undergraduates? “Do your research, and use Google to your advantage. Nobody told me about working at the NSA before, and I sort-of just stumbled on it. It’s a really weird thing that I was able to get this opportunity, but it just goes to show that plenty of things are possible if you try.”

Do you have an interesting internship or job offer this summer? Tell the Rochester community by emailing the editor of The Buzz at thebuzz@rochester.edu.

Article written by Dan Wang, a sophomore at Rochester, who studies philosophy and economics. Photo courtesy of Sean Al-Gattas.

Grima, originally from New York City, graduated from LaGaurdia High School, where he studied drama. He visited the University of Rochester after hearing about it from his high school mentor. Grima was struck by the willingness of students and faculty from different disciplines to sit down and work together.  “It wasn’t cut throat here and I really liked that,” he said.

His interest in drama got him thinking about the mind which led him to minor in clinical psychology. When Grima heard about the neuroscience program, which combined his interest in the mind with science, he decided to make it his major. In early 2010, after reading about the work being done at the U of R Medical Center on the neurobiology of disease, Grima became particularly interested in Dr. Tieu’s lab and emailed him expressing his interest.  “[H]e was in the process of interviewing candidates for an undergraduate position. Just my luck; I was just in time,” Grima said. “I was lucky enough to receive the position and I have been working with him ever since.”  Using his research from Dr. Tieu’s lab, Grima has been working on his thesis since May 2011.

Grima’s research focuses specifically on the treatment of Huntington’s disease, which is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder passed down through families. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Huntington’s disease comes in two forms, early-onset Huntington’s disease, which is a rare form of the disease that begins in childhood or adolescence, and adult-onset Huntington’s disease, the more common form, which typically manifests itself during a person’s mid-30s and 40s.  Physical symptoms include jerking and uncontrollable movements that become progressively more exaggerated.  Cognitive problems also worsen over time, and ultimately lead to dementia and death.

The lab in which he works is testing Dr. Tieu’s theory that by suppressing the function of a certain protein they can provide a restorative effect for individuals with Huntington’s disease.  His research focuses on two methods of suppressing the protein and treating Huntington’s disease.  One method aims to treat the condition using gene therapy, while the other method treats it through the use of drugs.  In May, Grima will present his thesis and findings to a committee gathered together by his thesis adviser and mentor, Dr. Tieu. The experience of researching treatments for the disease has been transformative for Grima. “It has given me an interest in research,” he said. “I would like to continue with it in the future if I can.”

In March he will present preliminary findings to his peers at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Utah.  Grima is one of several University of Rochester students in many disciplines to be invited to the conference.  “It should be great,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing what students from other disciplines are presenting.”

After graduation in the spring, Grima plans to take a gap year to continue his research in Dr. Tieu’s lab full time.  He is currently studying for the MCAT and hopes to get into the University of Rochester Medical School where he would like to continue his research and earn an MD/PhD.  Like I said, Jonathan Grima is an ambitious young man.

Article written by Daniel Baroff, a senior at the University of Rochester and an intern at University Communications. He is majoring in religion with a minor in Jewish studies.  His main area of study is the involvement of Jews in the American comic book industry, for which he keeps an infrequently updated blog (http://theamazingspiderdan.wordpress.com).

In the Photo: Phillip Rappold (left), a doctoral degree student in the neuroscience graduate program, has acted as a mentor for Rochester undergrad Jonathan Grima (right) in Dr. Kim Tieu’s lab. Photo courtesy of Jonathan Grima.

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, than you’re in luck! You could be one of the half-dozen students selected participate in one of the sustainability-related internships opportunities during summer 2012.

Sponsored by the College, the internships provide a $1,000 stipend and free campus housing for the months of June and July to selected students. (Please note that the offer of free campus housing cannot be converted into funds for off campus housing.) Interested students may apply by sending a resume and letter of interest indicating the specific internship(s) sought to Prof. Randall Curren via email at randall.curren@rochester.edu.

Applications are due March 7, 2012 and assignments will be announced by March 28. The following opportunities are available:

Biofuel Research

Professor David Wu (Chemical Engineering) will sponsor 1 to 2 interns to participate in his biofuel research. He uses a molecular biology approach to study the microbial enzyme system that breaks down recalcitrant cellulosic materials into fermentable sugars, which are in turn converted to ethanol or other biofuels through a fermentation process.  The molecular biology approach will be used for engineering the microorganism for a more efficient cellulose-ethanol conversion process. The intern would need background and interest in biological science.

Creative Research Project: Animals & the Relationship between Rural & Urban Environments

Professors Leila Nadir (Sustainability) and Cary Peppermint (Art and Art History) are seeking a summer 2012 student intern to assist with a creative research project on animals and the relationship between rural and urban environments. They will be designing an installation that gathers real-time dynamic data of animals in a wilderness feed plot and projects these images into urban galleries. They are looking for assistance in the following areas: (1) knowledge and research skills in wildlife habitat in the Northeastern United States toward the creation of a feed plot on forested land in central Maine and/or (2) computer programming skills in Java, Processing, and free/open-source software for experimenting in visualization techniques. Competitive applicants will have experience in working in a studio art environment.

Sustainability & Study Abroad

Jackie Levine (Study Abroad Office) and Karen Berger (Earth and Environmental Sciences) will jointly supervise an intern who will work to enhance sustainability and study abroad opportunities for UR students. The intern will organize information on overseas sustainability-related courses and programs according to topical areas.  This will then be used to identify those locations that best supplement existing courses offered in Rochester.  The result will be the creation of a resource for students interested both in studying abroad and enhancing their sustainability coursework. Key qualifications are strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently.  An academic interest in sustainability and international study is a plus.

Sustainability Tracking and Assessment and Rating System: Academic & Research

Professor Karen Berger (Earth and Environmental Science; Coordinator, College Sustainability Studies) will sponsor an intern to work primarily on the collection and evaluation of data pertaining to UR sustainability-related teaching and research, to complete the “Academic and Research” component of STARS, the Sustainability Tracking and Assessment and Rating System.  More information about this program can be found at stars.aashe.org.  Other tasks may include researching case studies for incorporation into EES courses, and developing a campus-based database for environmental volunteer opportunities and events. Qualifications for this position include (1) an ability to work independently, and (2) an ability to think creatively when encountering obstacles in data collection.

Sustainability Tracking and Assessment and Rating System: Operations and Planning, Administration, and Engagement

Pat Beaumont (Director Support Operations) will sponsor a sustainability research intern to assist in gathering and organizing data for the Operations and Planning, Administration, and Engagement components of STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ program. STARS® is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS® was developed by AASHE with broad participation from the higher education community.  The intern will be part of the STARS working group of the University Council on Sustainability.  The intern will need strong verbal and written communication skills, knowledge of sustainability initiatives and programs, ability to research sustainability measurements, strong organizational skills, and an ability to work independently and in teams.

Forest Preservation

Justin and Tara Ramsey (Biology) will sponsor an intern in forest preservation. With help from summer interns in 2010 and 2011, the Ramsey field crew has worked to improve access of the South Campus forest to U of R undergraduate courses, the university community, and the public. As part of the Ramsey field crew, the 2012 intern will: (1) Work with U of R facilities to place platform structures on seasonally-wet areas throughout the south campus trail system; (2) Repair trail linings damaged over the past year; (3)  Develop a new section of trail (~100 m) in the “north woods”  parcel behind the Alumni & Development Center; (4)  Eradicate garlic mustard and other invasive species in the forest and forest edge; (5)  Organize photographs, species lists, and trail maps into an online “interpretive package.” The intern should be comfortable and experienced in working outdoors, be able to work independently and in small groups, and have a basic knowledge of the flora/fauna. Further information about South Campus preservation efforts can be found at the Ramsey lab website, at the following links:

http://web.mac.com/justin_ramsey/Ramsey_lab/Rochester_Forests.html

http://web.mac.com/justin_ramsey/Ramsey_lab/History_%28URW%29.html

http://web.mac.com/justin_ramsey/Ramsey_lab/Trails_%28URW%29.html

http://web.mac.com/justin_ramsey/Ramsey_lab/Plant_communities_%28URW%29.html

http://web.mac.com/justin_ramsey/Ramsey_lab/Wildlife_%28URW%29.html

http://web.mac.com/justin_ramsey/Ramsey_lab/Invasive_organisms_%28URW%29.html

Article compliments of Randall Curren, professor and chair of philosophy and professor of education. Photo courtesy of University Communications.

Achudi began her internship over winter break, working full-time for three weeks at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. She continues her internship over the spring semester, flying to New York on Wednesday afternoons and coming back to Rochester on Saturdays.

Is it a challenge? “Sometimes it can feel overwhelming. But I’m so grateful for the experience,” said Achudi. “Besides getting into the University of Rochester, this has become the greatest professional experience of my life!”

Her journey started at a conference in Spain called Ending Violence on the Planet and Dysfunction in Families. At the conference, she did her best to stand out. “I sought out the keynote speakers and asked critical questions, just as I’ve been encouraged to do by my professors,” Achudi said. “This type of networking is very important.”

And her outgoing personality paid off. A participant of the conference encouraged Achudi to reach out to the Kenyan delegation to the UN, formally known as the Kenyan Mission, about internship opportunities. She found herself submitting an application and a letter of acceptance arrived soon after.

Achudi’s path was eased by a broad range of resources available to undergraduates, including those from the David T. Kearns Center for Leadership & Diversity in Arts, Sciences & Engineering and the Admissions and Financial Aid Office, which underwrote her travel expenses. “If I found an opportunity, there were offices on campus willing to support me in taking advantage of it,” she explained. She’s grateful to three individuals in particular. “I can’t thank Dean Burdick, Dean Feldman, and Dean Kraus enough. They’ve been incredibly helpful!”

At the UN, Achudi works directly with Dr. Ojiambo, and there is an obvious excitement when she talks about her. “She is a woman working in a male-dominated environment. That’s amazing for a Kenyan and it shows that she is a very hardworking woman of strong character.” Achudi accompanies the Ambassador into high-level meetings, including those with the Kenyan Mission and the United Nations Security Council. With a card that identifies her as a Kenyan Adviser, she relishes her chance to gain insight into the inner workings of the UN.

Achudi stresses her personal development from the experience. Seeing firsthand how diplomatic engagements are conducted has been enormously helpful to her studies as an international relations major. “Theory and practice really can be useful together,” she says. “The internship has made me a more resilient person, as well.” Besides managing her classes, she also has to balance her responsibilities as a Renaissance Scholar, Model UN member, and Freshman Fellow.

Does she have any advice for other students? “U of R students have access to so many opportunities, but they don’t always recognize them. Everyone should go out and take advantage of all the possibilities out there.”

Article written by Dan Wang, a sophomore at Rochester, who studies philosophy and economics. Photos courtesy of Lendsey Achudi.

Seminars like “Basic Networking Tools and Techniques” and  “Advanced Networking Approaches for Linked-In and other Web-based Tools,” taught monthly in the Career Center, can teach students how to use tools such as the Rochester Career Advisory Network to find professionals in their fields of interest, and how to feel more comfortable approaching them.

Eckert says he might have spent a little too much time as an undergraduate worrying about which specific classes to take. “While they do look at your classes and your GPA, they really want to see that you are driven. It’s more interpersonal.”

He advises freshman to get involved in things that seem interesting to them. “Don’t do what you feel you should do, do what you want to do. If you do something you are passionate about and really like, that passion will show in an interview.”

Eckert says he started working with Career and Internship Center Counselor Emily Carpenter when he was a freshman. “She is amazing,” he says. They worked together to get his résumé started and on interviewing techniques, and she helped him land an unpaid internship at a broker-dealer in Pittsford, N.Y., that year.

He followed that with an internship at a small fixed-income research company in Connecticut the summer after his sophomore year. There he made contacts that helped lead to his interview for the J.P. Morgan Treasury and Securities Services Summer Analyst Program at the New York Recruitment Program this January.

“That summer internship was awesome,” Eckert said. “I learned a lot and met a lot of people.”  He was offered a full-time position on the last day of his internship, and he accepted right away.

Eckert plans to spend the summer in Europe after graduation, and then he’s off to work. He is excited about the next chapter and said, “I have wanted to move to New York City since I was a kid.”

Photo and Article courtesy of Kerrie Merz, Marketing, Communications, and Constituent Outreach Coordinator, Gwen M. Greene Career and Internship Center

Andrew Cutillo ’13, U.S. Small Business Administration
Daniel Docherty ’12, Senator Charles Schumer’s Office
Claire Maggio ’12, Council of State Governments
Conor McMahon ’12, Congressman Maurice Hinchey’s Office
Eric Meyer ’12, Jacques and Associates, Inc.
Conor Reynolds ’12, White House Communications Office
Hannah Schwager ’12, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Tiffanie Tam ’13, mCapitol Management
John Whiting ’12, Congresswoman Gwen Morre’s Office

Interning in D.C.
Internship placement, residential housing, and academic programming is provided by The Washington Center, the largest nonprofit academic internship program. The Center staff finds substantive, professional placements tailored to each student’s interests. Students share apartments either in the main Residential and Academic Facility of the Center or in other apartment buildings located proximate to the Metro.

Students work in their internships 4.5 days per week and take one evening course from a long list of politics and international relations courses offered by the Center.  The Center also provides a set of activities to enrich the practical experience and provide professional career development.  Students receive 16 credits in all for the semester.

Students need a 3.0 cumulative GPA to apply for the internship. The internship program is offered in the fall and spring semesters.  Summer internship opportunities for reduced credit also are available through the Career Center.

Want to Learn More?
The fall interest meeting for the Political Science Department’s Washington Semester Program will be Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. in the Fenno Room, Harkness 329. Student can pick up application materials from the Political Science Department Office or from Professor L. Powell.

Article courtesy of Lynda Powell, professor in the Political Science Department. Photo courtesy of The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars.

McCabe made plans to stay in Rochester for the summer after her freshman year and applied for the Open Letter internship when she saw that the work involved would compliment her knowledge and skill level. A French major, McCabe has been interested in the world of literary translation and publication.

Open Letter maintains a blog called Three Percent, regularly updated by Director Chad Post and other staff members. From the start of the internship in mid-May, McCabe was assigned the task of sifting through nearly 3,700 blog posts and choosing the ones that adequately and interestingly related to current issues in the publishing industry and the world of translation. The book is essentially a 394-page anthology of 69 articles, some created from single original posts and others being longer essays synthesized from several posts.

“It’s a rare opportunity for an undergrad to help put together a book for publication,” said Post, “Taylor really rose to the challenge though, and deserves a lot of praise for making this book what it is.”

McCabe says that the book will be a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the publishing industry and the complexities involved in publishing foreign literature in English.  While it is a comprehensive resource it is also full of jokes and anecdotes from within the industry.  “I would say it’s a good book to read if you’re going to have an interview at a publisher in a couple of weeks,” said McCabe.

“Now I have such a wealth of knowledge about publishing and international literature,”  she continued, explaining that her task this summer was both daunting and rewarding. McCabe is now intimately acquainted with all of the current issues in the translation and publication of foreign literature in America.  As a result she is considering a future career path into the world of publishing.

McCabe also found the Open Letter work environment stimulating but not intimidating or overly competitive. She and the other four interns had ample time to do research independently to familiarize themselves with the field. In addition to the Three Percent e-book, McCabe also read and reviewed two published books, read and wrote readers’ reports on two unpublished manuscripts, and copy edited one manuscript throughout the summer.

Having had this experience at such an early time in her undergraduate career, McCabe has decided to apply for the Translation Certificate and now views translators as super heroes.  “I’m definitely more impressed by translators that I was before,” she said, “After this internship I wound up reading more and more [international literature]. It gives you a good idea of the viewpoint and aesthetics of other cultures.”

Article written by Maya Dukmasova, a Take 5 Scholar at the University of Rochester and an intern at University Communications.  She majored in philosophy and religion and focused her Take 5 year on researching the way American media covers current events in the Muslim world.  An aspiring journalist, Dukmasova has freelanced for Rochester Magazine, the Phoenix New Times, and the Daily News Egypt in Cairo.  She also maintains two blogs, one devoted to culture and society in Russia (www.out-of-russia.com) and the other to photography (www.myorientalism.com).