Special to the
Opelika Observer

Sam Dunlop, an Auburn native and junior at the Alabama Schools of Mathematics and Sciences, recently worked as a technical assistant in the Civil Engineering Department at Auburn University.
“I knew I wanted to be somewhere in engineering, and I thought it would be fun to experience real-life application,” Dunlop said. “I wanted to determine what exact field I wanted to go into.”
This opportunity was a summer-long paid internship with Associate Professor Dr. Brian Anderson and other Auburn students.
“I was able to go out in the field and run lab tests on soils,” Dunlop said. “We were trying to determine the strength of rock on a given embankment near Cullman. We also put stakes in ground at foot intervals and attached wires to each stake to shock the ground with electricity. We were determining the stability of the soil to prepare for future sinkholes.”
Dunlop’s favorite part about the internship was the real-life aspect of this potential career.
“It was cool to see the non-corporate side of engineering and see more of the scientific research,” Dunlop said. “I was also able to talk to college students about their experiences in finding their passions to help understand my future.”
ASMS has given Dunlop many opportunities to learn more about his passion for this career field. Dunlop hopes to become an engineer in the future.
“I wouldn’t trade the experience of learning soft and hard skills here for anything,” Dunlop said. “It has given me more of an opportunity to be involved with school, and it’s given me opportunities to pursue new things and meet diverse people.”
For more information, visit www.asms.net.