In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Akamai Workforce Initiative (AWI) — an eight-week summer internship program that helps college students from Hawai`i complete real-life science or technology projects in a professional setting — Subaru Telescope staff mentored four students this summer, putting them to work on important projects that will help the telescope prepare for the future.
Figure 1: Group photo of the Akamai interns and their mentors at Subaru Telescope. (Credit: NAOJ)
Subaru Telescope has participated in AWI since 2005, mentoring nearly three dozen students, who have each worked on a project that has made a direct contribution to the organization. Subaru Telescope's four stellar interns for 2023 are: Logan Waltjen from the Big Island of Hawai`i, currently attending Grand Canyon University; Jase Ishimi from Oahu, currently attending the University of Hawai`i at Manoa; Jonathan Merchant from Maui and Seattle, currently attending Carleton College; and Kamea Mcmillan-Zilberman from Oahu, currently attending University of Hawai`i Kapiolani Community College.
Their projects included redesigning cooling methods for high-altitude video streaming; development and deployment of a new software infrastructure; updating the sky monitoring software for telescope observers; and improving the cooling switch system for Subaru's new observation instrument: the Prime Focus Spectrograph.
Big Island born-and-raised AWI intern Logan Waltjen, a graduate of Kamehameha Schools Hawai`i campus, is studying electrical engineering. "I did a lot of research to prepare," says Waltjen of his project to improve the cooling switch system for the telescope's Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS) near the summit of Maunakea. "My mentor laid out this project well so I could learn through hands-on work and also through computer work and designing," says Waltjen. "He encouraged me by giving me tasks that kept me busy and it encouraged me to learn so much. I think what I will take aways from this experience is to work hard and always want to do more to produce the best product you can."
The goals of the Akamai program are to address the technical workforce needs in Hawai`i and advance students into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers. Students spend their internship at an observatory or in an industry setting where they complete a project under the guidance of a mentor. Interns are matched with observatory staff based on their skill set. Past projects at Subaru Telescope designed by technical staff and scientists included software improvements, power distribution units and equipment monitors.
"There are many aspects of the Akamai Internship that provide benefits to students both in their coursework and after they graduate," says Subaru Telescope software engineer Russell Kackley, who has been a mentor for AWI for eight years. "During the internship, they gain experience with communication, teamwork, problem solving, and troubleshooting in a professional work environment. Those are skills that will help them in academic projects and through their career."
Jonathan Merchant worked on updating the sky monitor software package from an old interface to a Python-based application. "The aim of this new application is to allow for easier continued maintenance and development by the Subaru Software Division team," says Merchant, who is a double major in computer science and history.
"I think the most exciting part of the project is the fact that the software developed by Jonathan will eventually be used on a nightly basis by astronomers at Subaru Telescope," adds Kackley, who was Merchant's mentor. "This gives real value to the project because it goes beyond something like a feasibility study or a project that might just sit on a shelf and never get used."
Figure 3: Jonathan Merchant (center) and his mentors Russell Kackley (left) and Eric Jeschke (right).(Credit: NAOJ)
Kamea Mcmillan-Zilberman, who is studying electrical engineering, spent his summer working on finding an effective cooling method to optimize high-altitude video streaming. "I thought this internship would be an excellent opportunity to begin getting the experience I need," says Mcmillan-Zilberman. "I was able to bounce ideas back and forth with my mentor and draw things out to get a better understanding of the flaws with each idea. He helped me understand unfamiliar concepts, and I got a real-life working experience."
Figure 4: Kamea Mcmillan-Zilberman (center) and his mentors Michael Lemmen (right) and Olivier Guyon (left). (Credit: NAOJ)
Jase Ishimi, who is studying computer science, worked on the development and deployment of a software infrastructure environment called Hyper Converged Infrastructure (HCI). "Jase and I worked together to resolve errors within the system, brainstorm, and draw things out to try to resolve issues," says Ishimi's mentor, Subaru Telescope computer system associate Kody Rubio. "This was my first year as a primary mentor for AWI and I really enjoyed it. What really matters to me is the ability to be able to pass down knowledge to the younger generation."
The Akamai Internship Program offers college students from Hawai`i an opportunity to gain summer work experience at an observatory, company or scientific/technical facility in Hawai`i during an eight-week program. Akamai has provided more than 500 student internships in Hawai`i since 2003 and helped more than 250 get STEM jobs. For more details on the Akamai Workforce Initiative, visit akamaihawaii.org.
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