Celebrating 10 years of success

The Life-Health Sciences Internship Program exposes students from a wide range of schools and disciplines to the possibilities of careers in research, the value of refining skills and knowledge in the sciences, and the opportunities that exist in health care.

The program will officially recognize its milestone at the Life-Health Sciences Internship Program Poster Session and 10-Year Celebration on April 28, 2017, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the University Tower Ballroom. The program is also recognized in the IUPUI blog IUPUIntelligence.

LHSI director Brandi Gilbert has been with the program throughout its history and said 532 students have experienced the impact of the close relationships it forges between students and their faculty mentors. That includes the 2016–17 students, each of whom will work 10 hours a week over the school year.

"LHSI helps students explore career goals, build skills that are transferable and specific to the fields that interest them, build relationships with others, and grow as professionals," Gilbert said.

LHSI began in 2007 and allows students to spend a year working closely with a faculty mentor. They work as interns during their sophomore or junior years, which Gilbert said helps the campus achieve its student success and retention goals.

In 2011, the program launched a new component: intern ambassadors. The ambassadors draw on their personal experiences to help LHSI refine its efforts and also to answer questions from prospective students who want to learn more about the program.

The program's Facebook page is filled with insights and comments highlighting LHSI's impact on individual careers, and interns who have completed the program offer plenty of testimonials.