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A
ndrew Smith had hoped to get
some real world experience during
his externship with MALA Geoscience.
He got all that…and then some. Over
the course of 140 hours, the company –
which manufactures ground-penetrating
radar equipment – allowed him to
participate in the repair of equipment as
well as the design of a DC/DC step up
power circuit.
“The machines that I helped repair are
used to see different objects in the
ground,” says Andrew. “Contractors
use this equipment before they begin
construction to see if there is anything
under the surface like gas lines or
electrical lines. They also check before
they cut into concrete since tension
cables may be present which can be
very dangerous if they are severed
unexpectedly.”
For Andrew, his time with MALA
Geoscience helped reinforce what he
has learned in the classroom. “These are
the kind of hands-on experiences that
make ECPI University what it is: a place
where you can take what you learn and
immediately transfer it to the workplace,”
says Charleston Campus President
James Weaver. “It also allows employers
to meet the exceptional students we are
privileged to educate.”
In the case of MALA Geoscience, they
certainly liked what they saw. “Without
question, Andrew was outstanding,”
says MALA Geoscience President
Matthew Wolf. “It was a pleasure to have
a young person of Andrew’s character
and technical knowledge working with
our team. We look forward to additional
opportunities to mentor students from
ECPI University.”
Premier Externships:
How ECPI University Students Gain a Competitive Edge
W
hether you call them externships or internships, they are the vital link between classroom and work-
place. Yet, not all of these opportunities are of equal value. Gaining practical, hands-on experience
gives students a decidedly competitive advantage and can be the difference between making coffee or cop-
ies and engaging in meaningful work.
With ECPI University’s focus on hands-on learning, its students are consistently selected for some of the
most challenging and rewarding externships available. Here are some of their stories.
Charleston Student Works with
Advanced Radar Equipment
“It was a pleasure to
have a young person of
Andrew’s character and
technical knowledge
working with our team.
We look forward to
additional opportunities
to mentor students from
ECPI University.”
- Matthew Wolf
MALA Geoscience President