On Thursday, August 7, 2025, we celebrated the accomplishments, lessons learned, and skills gained by our 10 outstanding Summer Interns at the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM). Each intern was paired with a CCAM Researcher serving as their mentor, creating hands-on opportunities to contribute to cutting-edge manufacturing projects while developing valuable professional skills.
“He had dedicated time to mentoring me, with us having meetings several times per week and offered feedback on project decisions I had made, giving me both direction and freedom.” – Samuel Glasscock’s feedback on his mentor, Jim.
“CCAM was a fantastic place to both work and learn. I pride myself on being a lifelong learner – CCAM showed itself as a great place to learn new things from the very beginning. My mentor and all employees (regardless of whether they were involved with AM, Data Analytics, HR, etc.) were great to work with and very helpful whenever we had questions. I will absolutely be recommending this internship to any students I meet who are interested in AM in general – or just want to learn something new and helpful for their personal and professional growth.” – Jack Cousins
Our Additive Manufacturing Intern team included four talented students: Naima Fagon (VSU, Class of 2028) and Dante Clark (VSU, Class of 2026), both supported by a National Science Foundation grant secured by Virginia State University, along with Ethan Bird (VA Tech, Class of 2026) and Jack Cousins (VCU, Master’s Student Class of 2025). This interdisciplinary group, ranging from rising sophomores to master’s students, focused on Anomaly Builds using both Laser Powder Bed Fusion and Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing. They conducted detailed analysis of these builds to better understand process variations and improve manufacturing outcomes.
The Digital Team Interns, Chankyu “Nemo” Kim, (UVA, Class of 2026) and Samuel Glasscock (UVA, Class of 2026), contributed to a variety of advanced manufacturing technology projects. Their work included configuring REST API endpoints in C# to communicate with Kistler systems, applying MTConnect protocols for data extraction, and gathering motion data to develop a Generalized Data Science Framework aimed at reducing operational costs.
Our Data Science Intern, Brandon Yuan (UVA, Class of 2026), brought his expertise to several innovative projects. His summer work included developing a Computer Vision tool for Grain Size Analysis, creating a Data Analysis Tool for Phase3D Data, animating an avatar using ZED technology, and building a Realtime Ergonomic Analysis Suite. Meanwhile, Manufacturing Processes Intern Keasara Etienne (VSU, Class of 2027) focused her efforts on a Creaform Technology Evaluation and the development of a Preventative Maintenance Program to support CCAM’s operational excellence.
Materials & Process Engineering Intern Omar Bishop (VCU, Ph.D. Candidate, Class of 2026) concentrated on Field-Assisted Additive Manufacturing of Rare-Earth Free Permanent Magnets, advancing research in sustainable materials development. Fellow Materials & Process
Engineering Intern Kaitlyn McMillian, (VCU, Class of 2026) contributed to research on high-temperature testing and supported industrial auditing efforts, adding value to CCAM’s Materials research initiatives.
Beyond their technical work, all interns participated in professional and personal development sessions designed to build well-rounded career skills. These included Financial Literacy presented by Chris Woodbury of Virginia Credit Union, the CliftonStrenths assessment, a Servant Leadership development session, and “Grad School 101,” all presented by CCAM staff.
We are proud to share that every Intern rated their summer experience an “A,” a reflection of the strong mentorship, collaborative environment, and culture of innovation that define CCAM’s internship program. We look forward to seeing the remarkable impact these students will have as they continue their academic and professional journeys.
