Summer 2021 Internships Series Featuring Jessie Garcia

Jessie Garcia is a rising 5th year graduate student in the William’s lab. She recently got enrolled with BASF as a Leadership Development Program intern.

When asked about more details on her internship, Jessie said:

I am very excited to be working for BASF this summer as a Leadership Development Program intern! I am located at their Wyandotte, Michigan site (greater Detroit area) where I am researching with the Analytics North America team for microplastics analytics.

I have 3 projects that I’m currently working on this summer- 2 technical roles to characterize and evaluate microplastics from the environment, and 1 business role where I am helping to launch a digital communications platform for sharing microplastics research within BASF North America.

I really enjoy working on a project that has such an impact in providing a solution for reducing plastic pollution globally. While it’s different from the synthetic biology research I have been conducting at NC State, I appreciate the opportunity to work on a team where I can learn new and innovative chemistry from experienced co-workers, and feel valued/respected.

During my second year of chemistry graduate school at State, I was awarded the NIH Molecular Biotechnology fellowship which gave me exposure to a minor in biotechnology. I completed a series of classes within this field of science that I would not have been exposed to otherwise, as well as some professional development and capstone seminar classes.

This fellowship also required the completion of a 2-month internship which I decided to complete at BASF because of their commitment to sustainability and their large network of industries. I’m extremely grateful to my new team here in Wyandotte!

To apply for the internship, Jessie navigated the BASF website. Join us in wishing Jessie good luck in all her future endeavours!