Summer Adventures: Brigid Duffy

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Brigid Duffy is a rising junior at UMass Amherst and sat down to discuss her summer plans! Keep reading to learn more about what Brigid is doing!

Thanks for sitting down to talk with me! So, what are you doing this summer?

Most of my time I am working in an internship at Brooks Automation, which is a semiconductor manufacturer. We build the vacuum and atmospheric systems that basically take the little silicon wafers and move them to a process module for the customer. All of the little computer chips that big companies make — we make the machines that facilitate their production. On my end, I’m looking at a bunch of robot arms that move stuff, it's very cool!

What do you do on your end? What is your role at Brooks Automation?

I am a program management intern and a test equipment intern. Program management consists of data resource management for all the program managers in the Chelmsford office. My project is to transfer existing data to a new system. As a test equipment intern, we are collecting a bunch of test equipment to put on a cart to test a new robot. They are switching coding languages for certain robots, and I am building the test cart that will eventually test it to make sure the robot is speaking its new language properly.

Are you commuting to the office or working at home for this?

I'm usually in the Chelmsford office, but I have the option to work from home

How did you get this internship?

I found the company on LinkedIn, and I was applying to every company that I fit the qualifications for. I originally applied for mechanical engineering, but I was accepted into program management. I went through the interview process at the beginning of the spring semester and as I arrived, they found out I was a mechanical engineer and also put me on that team!

What advice would you give to students looking for internships?

I applied to every single internship I found on LinkedIn and Handshake — which are like my two top platforms. I sent applications to any position I would be remotely interested in and that I fit enough of the qualifications.

What have you gained from your internship experience so far?

Since I am in resource management, I've learned a lot of organizational skills — especially online organizational skills. Also, I get to look and mess around with robots, and as I am in mechanical engineering this stuff really interests me. A lot of that stuff that I’ve learned in classes I have been able to apply on the factory floor. I’ve also learned communication skills — I remember when I started, I had to set up one on one meetings with all the program managers. It kind of felt like an interview, but it was very casual and taught me to ask the right questions and receive actual information.

Do you see yourself doing something similar later in life?

I think program management specifically is not something that I would like to go into, but I really enjoy working with the equipment and the robots. I think the robots in the semiconductor industry are very interesting, and I would like to do something like that at some point. But honestly, aerospace engineering still has my heart. I think the robotic side of semiconductor manufacturing is really interesting and if I don't end up doing this, I think the skills I have are going to be helpful for other jobs.

Are you doing anything else this summer?

I’m in the process of moving into a new apartment here in Amherst and I am working at a pool on the weekends!