MIT’s Jin values time spent at INL

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By Jaime Cookson
Miamiao Jin is a student from China who is enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she studies nuclear science and engineering.

Her internship at Idaho National Laboratory involved studying the process of radiation damage to materials by building new applications and frameworks. This effort will "effectively accelerate the development of material design in nuclear applications," Jin said.

Jin said her experience at INL was enhanced by collaborating with the MOOSE (Multiphysics Object Oriented Simulation Environment) team, with whom she worked to build these frameworks. Jin said she enjoyed working with a "great bunch of colleagues," and that her mentor was very helpful in answering all of her questions.

Jin said she hoped this research will ultimately be a major part of her Ph.D. thesis, and that working with a mentor who is an expert in coding was essential to her success, because it exposes her to a new set of skills she will be able to return to MIT with.

"Combining the expertise of my advisor and the expertise of my mentor here, it will be very helpful to develop my Ph.D. thesis," Jin said.

Outside of work, Jin called her Idaho experience "spectacular." She enjoyed visiting Yellowstone National Park and being able to commute to work by bike, riding along the Snake River. Jin attended local Independence Day celebrations, and said that seeing so many people gathered for the holiday was a moment she will never forget.

Overall, Jin said that her INL internship was very meaningful and that she would encourage other students to take advantage of INL internships if they are able to.

"I really appreciate the opportunity to do this internship here," she said. "If you have the chance to get here, then do it."

Date Published: 2016-12-21T07:00:00Z

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