University of New Mexico students from an array of academic disciplines join our internship program every year to learn about university technology transfer and commercialization here at UNM Rainforest Innovations (UNMRI). The internship program, which has now trained nearly two hundred students, teaches students excellent professional skills and a better understanding of the intersection of business, science, and law.
Our featured intern this month is Aliah Gibbs who currently serves as an Innovation Student Intern. “I am from the Inland Empire of Southern California… (and) come from an African American and first-generation Nicaraguan immigrant household. I am also a first-generation college student pursuing a double major in sociology and political science following the pre-law track.”
In addition to her job and classes, Aliah spends her free time reading, spending time with friends and family, and serving as the UNM Rugby Club President where she plans, and participates in, rugby events and tournaments.
Aliah joined UNMRI last year in October and has taken on a variety of duties. “My responsibilities include storing and logging data and marketing interactions, drafting summaries and descriptions of new inventions, assisting in mailing campaigns to market technologies, and more… What I enjoy most is working on private novelty searches where I get to study new inventions and search for a technology that may be similar. I find this especially interesting as I have a passion to learn. (I also) love to see how these new inventions are unique and how (they) will benefit society.”
During her time at UNMRI, she has also learned additional professional skills: “I feel this internship has allowed me to sharpen my skills especially with attention to detail, comprehension skills as well as my outreach skill sets.”
As for what’s next in her journey, Aliah replied, “Post graduating with my bachelor’s, I hope to have it followed up with law school and eventually make my way back home to California where I will settle, begin my career, and pursue my overarching goal in life which is to help others in any way I can.”
She goes on to say, “The world is very large, and the future is always unknown, so I can’t say for certain what I will do. But I do know I will carry that goal with me in everything I can and will do and hope to make an impact in something larger than myself.”