Imaging Science Summer High School Intern Program

Program Details

group shot of summer interns

The summer of 2023 will mark the twenty-fourth year of the high school summer internship program at the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science. These internships give high school students in their junior year the chance to get valuable hands-on experience in a real laboratory setting as contributing members of a research team. The internship program also provides an opportunity for interaction with other interns who have similar interests and ambitions. Interns also benefit from professional development activities and team-building exercises. Participation in this program is free, and upon successful completion of their research project, students are provided a certificate of completion.


This 6-week program will run from Monday, July 17 to Friday, August 25.


Application closed for Summer 2023.

Application Process

There are two ways to apply for an Imaging Science Summer Internship:

1. Student meeting certain eligibility criteria for under-represented minorities may apply for an AEOP apprenticeship. These applications will receive first consideration. Apply Here

2. All students may apply using this form.

NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
1. Applications will only be considered from current high school juniors (students who will graduate in June 2024).
2. Students will be expected to be on campus at RIT for 40 hours/week during the entire duration of the internship. If you have a conflict with this, please let the selection committee know during the application process.
3. Zoom interviews will take place May 2-5, between 3:00-5:00 pm.

FAQ and More Information

The following research groups within the Center for Imaging Science will be hiring interns for this summer. In each case, a short description of the tasks you may perform is included. This is not an all-inclusive list – other tasks may be added from time to time. Training will be provided for these tasks as required. Note that there is no guarantee that each of these labs will hire interns, and it is possible that other research groups, not listed here, may decide to hire interns for the summer.

Visual-noise reduction in video collected on the International Space Station
Cameras on the ISS are damaged by high-energy cosmic rays. The visible artifacts are especially visible in video streams from the ISS because they are stationary with respect to the sensor, but move with respect to objects in the video when the camera moves. The project uses image processing and statistical analysis to reduce the visibility of the cosmic-ray damage.

Historic Document Restoration
RIT imaging scientists have been involved in imaging a number of documents with cultural and historic significance. These documents include the oldest known transcription of the works of Archimedes, 750 year-old palm leafs with sacred Sanskrit prayers, rare maps of the new world, and the oldest complete copy of the New Testament. Students working in this area will help develop a web-based system to organize and catalog the images of these documents. 

Computer Vision
This research group conducts research on computer vision under various sensing technologies. Projects involve both 2D and 3D computer vision, such as image understanding and recognition, camera calibration, 3D reconstruction, and single image depth estimation. Research is conducted for images captured using multiple sensing modalities, such as visible images, near and far infrared (IR) images, and Lidar. The results of the research can be applied to mobile computing, autonomous driving, agriculture, augmented reality, and many other domains.

A typical work week is 40 hours long. Each work day begins at 9 a.m. with a brief intern staff meeting. Beyond that, the work schedule for each intern is set in conjunction with your research advisor at the beginning of the internship.

We understand that the interns have other things going on in their lives, so occasional absences are acceptable. However, you will be asked about extended absences if you are chosen to come in for an interview during the application process. This is because, in order to meet the goals of the short six-week internship, it is necessary to be available as much as possible. If you will be gone longer than one week, it would be extremely difficult to complete your project, and we would have serious reservations about offering you an internship. Please note that in order to be accepted as an intern, you MUST plan to attend the intern final symposium on Friday, August 19.

In 2020 and 2021, the internship program was online so we were able to welcome applicants from outside the Rochester area. Due to the uncertainty of Covid, we are unsure whether the 2022 program will be online or in person.

Please contact Associate Director Karen Braun by e-mail or by phone at (585) 475-7323.

Sponsor

The High School Intern program at the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science offers a limited number of highly qualified juniors the opportunity to work side-by-side with world class scientists on a variety of imaging-related research projects. These internships give students the chance to get valuable hands-on experience in a real laboratory setting as contributing members of a research team. This coveted opportunity has jump started successful academic and professional careers for over 200 students in 21 years.

The benefits of the CIS intern program are four-fold: to students; to the community; to CIS and RIT; and to STEM (science, technology, education, and math) education in the United States as a whole. Participants benefit from research experience, exposure to a college environment, experientially exploring their academic interests, and learning the responsibilities of a full time job. The intern program is a community builder, as schools and students from across the area participate, and local companies and research centers are showcased through field trips. The program is also CIS’s most successful recruitment initiative: ~50% of participants have applied to RIT for STEM-related disciplines, with 15% applying to Imaging Science and 12% ultimately enrolling as students in the Imaging Science program. Lastly, our internships encourage the further pursuit of STEM disciplines by up-and-coming young talent.

To celebrate the accomplishments of past interns, we have created a collection of Stories about Our Summer Interns. Please check back often to see what great things our interns have gone on to achieve.

Now there is an opportunity for everyone to get involved! CIS is looking for partners to help foster the continuance and growth of the internship program. We hope that you will consider supporting the future of our intern program through a personal donation or company sponsorship. Every little bit helps—even a donation of $25 can make a difference in providing these special opportunities. Donations can be arranged by e-mailing us. All sponsors will receive a small appreciation gift and will be listed on our interns website.

We sincerely thank all sponsors past, present, and future for your generous support of our high school intern program.

Past supporters:

  • UTC Aerospace Systems
  • The family of 2013 intern Calvin Salacain
  • Kodak
  • Pictometry International
  • BAE Systems
  • CIS Industrial Associates Program

Address and Phone
84 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, New York 14623

585-475-5221