[July 29, 2011] Interns wrap up work with Danville-area businesses Tweet Jul 29, 2011 (Danville Register & Bee - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Thirteen Southern Virginia college students spent this summer gaining experience with employers in the region. "The program worked out very well," said Wayne Smith, vice president of technology and commercial development at DanChem Technologies. "We were very pleased with the interns." DanChem even asked its three interns to stay a few weeks longer, according to a news release. They learned how to transfer chemical processes from the lab to the plant, built databases and tested products among other responsibilities. "Now I understand what to look for when designing a chemical process," said James Hoy of Martinsville, a University of Virginia student. The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research's eight-week internship program is in its fifth year with funding from the Virginia Tobacco Commission and employers paying the wages. "I think these internships will give these students a smoother transition from college into a career," said program coordinator Amanda Glenn in a news release. "The goal is to bring students back to the region and enable them to connect with local employers." Other employers included Pittsylvania County Community Action, Halifax Regional Hospital, Huber Engineered Woods, the Danville Science Center, American National Bank and the Institute. Institute interns Raj Clark and John D. Smith II worked with elementary school students enrolled in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Summer Adventure camps. "It's nice to put what I've learned into more familiar terms," said Clark, who is a pre-med senior at Hampden Sydney College. "It will be important that I can relay information to people once I become a doctor." Smith, who studies physics at Virginia Tech, taught students about electric motors. "I really do want to go on and be an educator now," Smith said in a news release. To see more of the Danville Register & Bee or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www2.godanriver.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Danville Register & Bee, Va. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]