Engineering Student Completes Internship at Largest Science and Energy Research Lab in U.S.
Joshua Ingram began engineering at a young age with Legos, abandoning their instructions for his own creative vision. His projects progressed in complexity from potato guns to taser gloves, to reassembling a 1964 Ford F100, to his most recent endeavor: a summer internship with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the largest science and energy research lab in the U.S.
Ingram, a junior at Liberty, studies electrical engineering with minors in technical studies and mathematics. At one of the Oak Ridge satellite laboratories in Tennessee this summer, he developed and implemented safety systems for a hybrid manufacturing cell.
The cell Ingram worked on prints large metal structures the way a plastic 3D printer would. This technology aims to replace the need for ships to carry thousands of spare parts with a single machine.
“Because of the work I’ve been able to do at Liberty, I had a little more insight into how to get stuff done more effectively,” Ingram said. “I ended up being able to complete a lot more over the summer than they expected.”
Ingram credits this opportunity to the guidance he received from Dave Smith, a career coach at the Liberty Career Center. Smith, Ingram said, encouraged him to apply to as many internships as he could and directed him to websites where he could find them. Ingram applied to around 30 internships during his sophomore year, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory — his top choice — responded right away.
Before coming to Liberty, Ingram had already earned his associate degree in welding technology. The laboratory thought Ingram would be a good fit for the internship because of his education and understanding of the 3D printing process. Conveniently, the lab is situated a mere 30 minutes from Ingram’s home in Tennessee, where his globe-trotting Air Force family had retired.
Ingram named the 1964 Ford F100 as the project he takes the most pride in. He got the truck at age 14 and, together with his father and grandfather, disassembled it down to the frame. They rebuilt it — from the electrical system to the exterior — over five years, a painstaking but exciting achievement, according to Ingram.
Ingram said he always knew he wanted to do some form of engineering. As he prepared to head off to college, Ingram considered majoring in mechanical engineering. However, after getting some input from family friends in the engineering business, he ultimately chose electrical engineering instead. Electrical engineering seemed like the best route to Ingram, since electrical engineers get involved in research and cutting-edge technology – areas of particular interest for him.
After graduation, Ingram aims to do research at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, working towards a master’s degree or a Ph.D. The internship he completed there this summer helped him build strong connections to get his foot in the door.
Ingram’s long-term goal is to research nuclear thermal rockets at Oak Ridge Laboratories, which he has already gotten a taste of at Liberty. He joined a research team his freshman year, for which he would conduct research and brief professors on nuclear thermal rocket technology.
“It’s the future of the space race, so that’s where I’d like to end up,” Ingram said.
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