EDUCATION

Eight engineering students complete BASF summer internship

Staff Report
Eight engineering students from universities across Louisiana recently completed a summer internship program at BASF’s site in Geismar.

GEISMAR – Eight engineering students representing universities across Louisiana recently completed a summer internship program at BASF’s site in Geismar. The interns participated in engineering projects that allowed them to apply academic knowledge to real-world situations, while also gaining soft skills and experiences to learn more about careers at BASF.

“Developing our pipeline of future employees is critical to our success,” said Jerry Lebold, senior vice president and general manager of BASF’s Geismar site. “Our team was able to adjust plans for an in-person summer internship to a hybrid in-person and virtual program, while maintaining the core components of gaining experience, building technical and soft skills and giving back to the community.”

BASF assigned interns responsibilities related to the engineering discipline they are studying, along with mentors to help guide them when facing project challenges and to discuss career development. Though in-person meetings were limited due to safety precautions in place because of COVID-19, the internship offered virtual training webinars with BASF leaders and members of the company’s employee resource groups with a focus on diversity and inclusion, as well as volunteer opportunities to support the local community. BASF provided resources to allow for a hybrid schedule of on-site and remote work.

“BASF has given me valuable experience, and I have seen first-hand its commitment to developing the futures of its interns even through uncharted territory,” said Cordell Portwood, BASF summer intern and mechanical engineering student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. “One of the most important things I’ve learned through this internship is to be agile and able to adapt to unexpected circumstances when working on projects.”

Summer interns working at BASF in Geismar included:

  • Olivia Arcemont – Louisiana State University (chemical engineering)
  • Deone Hughes – Southern University (mechanical engineering)
  • David Hutton – Louisiana State University (mechanical engineering)
  • Caroline Lowery – Louisiana State University (chemical engineering)
  • Cole McCullough – Louisiana State University (chemical engineering)
  • Cordell Portwood – University of Louisiana at Lafayette (mechanical engineering)
  • Jonah Pitre – Louisiana State University (chemical engineering)
  • Gabriel Ragusa – Louisiana State University (mechanical engineering)

The summer internship program is part of BASF’s local workforce development efforts to attract and retain top, diverse talent. Internships for engineering students typically take place in the summer, and the application period runs through the fall and early spring. Engineering students from any four-year university can apply.

For more information about BASF in Louisiana, visit www.basf.us/la.